Robert Dole

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I am pleased to bring before the Senate today legislation which authorizes the Air Force to enter into a multiyear contract for the procurement of the C-17 globemaster III, the world's newest and finest strategic air lifter. While the legislation before us is simple--authorizing a multiyear contract, it is critically important. In short, it will allow the Air Force to more rapidly improve its ability to project U.S. power anywhere in the world. In this time of shrinking budgets and growing demands, we must set priorities for modernization of our military forces--C-17 is for me a top priority. As my colleagues recall, earlier this year, President Clinton attempted to ram through the Congress a 7-year multiyear contract authority. At the time, Senator Thurmond and I supported the idea of a multiyear procurement authorization, but we thought the proposal could be improved in ways which would benefit the taxpayer, the Air Force, and the skilled workers who build the aircraft. That is exactly what the committee has done. Under the legislation before us, the procurement of the C-17 will be expedited, resulting in greater savings for the American taxpayer, increased capabilities for the Air Force, and greater efficiency and stability for the industrial base. The Armed Services Committee recently completed markup of its fiscal year 1997 defense authorization bill. To take immediate advantage of the opportunities created by the multiyear procurement legislation before us, the committee was able to add $249 million in the fiscal year 1997 bill to procure an additional aircraft this year and to provide long-lead funding for two more aircraft in fiscal year 1998. As a result, the Air Force will be on a path which will move the last five aircraft of the contract up to the first 3 years, saving the taxpayer an additional $300 million and creating a more efficient production schedule. Mr. President, Army missions are up 300 percent since the end of the cold war, yet the number of troops forward-deployed is significantly down. Our force is smaller and is Conus based. Now, more than ever, sufficient strategic air lift is absolutely essential for the success of our military. However, even with the Pentagon's planned buy of 120 C-17's, the Department of Defense will be unable to meet its minimum strategic airlift requirement of 49.4 million-ton-miles-per-day between fiscal 1997 and fiscal 2004. By expediting the procurement of the C-17, we are helping to fill that void. In my view, it is clear that America will need more than 120 C-17's to meet our needs. Mr. President, clearly the legislation before us is both critical to the needs of the Department of Defense and good for the American taxpayer. I commend the Armed Services Committee for their efforts in crafting this legislation and look forward to its passage.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I say a personal thanks to the Chaplain. I appreciate it.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. As I understand it, the Senate will consider Senate Concurrent Resolution 57, the concurrent budget resolution. Under the order last night, Senator Daschle or his designee will offer the President's budget this morning, and we can expect a rollcall vote on or in relation to that amendment hopefully before noon today. There will probably be a late session tonight. There will be an effort to try to complete action on the budget resolution sometime this evening. If that cannot be done, obviously, it will be done tomorrow. I am advised there is still a lot of time remaining. The Republicans have 20 hours and 57 minutes; the Democrats have 19 hours and 39 minutes. That is 40 hours and 36 minutes. It is 9:30 a.m. It may be difficult to finish it this evening. But these things do have a way of moving once we get started. So I know the managers on each side would appreciate cooperation of our colleagues who have amendments. The Senator from Washington [Mr. Gorton], will manage on this side, so I yield the floor.

Mr. DOLE

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

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. Are we in morning business?

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, after reading a May 13 report in the Los Angeles Times, I wrote to Attorney General Reno expressing my shock at reports that Clinton administration officials are letting drug smugglers go free as a matter of official policy. Although I have not yet heard back from Attorney General Reno, this is a disturbing matter that requires action now. Drug use among our children is on the rise and is contributing to the rise in juvenile crime. Therefore, tomorrow I plan to offer a sense-of-the-Senate resolution calling on Attorney General Reno to investigate this matter and report back to Congress in 30 days, and calling on the Attorney General to ensure that any policy that allows drug smugglers to go free is stopped and that all such persons be vigorously prosecuted. Mr. President, the Clinton administration has been indifferent, at best, to the war on drugs right from the beginning when President Clinton largely dismantled the drug czar's office. I hope my colleagues will join me in sending a strong message that, for the sake of our children today and tomorrow, we believe we must aggressively put these drug smugglers--who are nothing more than merchants of death--where they belong, behind bars. I will point out a few statistics. These are not Senator Dole's facts. These are facts given to us by people who are experts in the area. The number of young people between 12 and 17 using marijuana has increased from 1.6 million in 1992 to 2.9 million in 1994. That has probably increased a lot more since the end of 1994. And the category of ``recent marijuana use'' has increased a staggering 200 percent among 14- to 15-year-olds. About one in three high school students uses marijuana, and 12- to 17-year-olds who use marijuana are 85 percent more likely to graduate to cocaine than those who abstain from marijuana. Juveniles who reach age 21 without ever having used drugs almost never try them later in life. If you make the first 21 years without using drugs, then you are probably not going to be addicted. The latest results from the Drug Abuse Warning Network shows that marijuana-related episodes jumped 39 percent and are running at 155 percent above the 1990 level. Another frightening figure is that between February 1993 and February 1995, the retail price of a gram of cocaine fell from $172 to $137 and a gram of heroin also fell from $2,032 to $1,278, which means it is going to be more accessible and readily available because it costs less. The number of defendants prosecuted for violations of the Federal drug laws has dropped from 25,033 in 1992 to 22,926 in 1995. So it seems to me that we have a very serious problem on our hands. It is not a partisan issue. It is not politics at all, as far as I know. So I hope my colleagues will have an opportunity here. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and the letter I sent Attorney General Reno be printed in the Record, which I send to the desk.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I will take just a minute of the Senate's time to express my disappointment that we were unable to agree on any of the unanimous-consent requests that we presented to my colleagues on the other side with respect to the pending gas tax repeal, the TEAM Act, minimum wage, taxpayer bill of rights, and the White House travel legislation. It was my hope that we could reach an understanding. I thought, based on conversations, we might be able to work out some procedure to ensure that the three main issues--the gas tax repeal, the TEAM Act, and the minimum wage were split into three separate bills--that the Senate would be able to reach an agreement on an overall consent that would include these issues in a relatively short timeframe. But unfortunately that does not seem to be the case. I think it is fair to say that we have offered pretty much what my colleagues had requested, with some minor changes, a consent agreement that does, in fact, divide the three issues into separate bills and limits time on each issue. I think they could be concluded in as little as 5 or 6 hours. But now I understand that there are additional requests to not only separate the issues, but also to require the approval of the final language that the House is marking up in the committee today relative to the minimum wage. Obviously, I cannot dictate what the House does with minimum wage and cannot ensure what might finally come out of the conference. But it seems to me that what we should do is move ahead before Memorial Day, resolve these three issues, as well as the taxpayer bill of rights, which I understand there is no opposition to. The gas tax repeal is being held hostage because of the demands about the minimum wage. The so-called TEAM Act is unacceptable to my colleagues on the other side. I understand there will be a filibuster on that issue. I guess the bottom line is, we have been trying to figure out some way to resolve this issue. We have not reached it yet. I do not believe we will ever be in a position to say to my colleagues on the other side that we will guarantee, notwithstanding it is a Republican House of Representatives and a Republican Senate, that you draft the minimum wage proposal. I do not think that will happen because we have some ideas, amendments for the minimum wage. I do not know what my House colleagues have in mind, but they may report that out later on today. So I just suggest that we continue to work with the Democratic leader, Senator Daschle. Time is running. I hope that we can act on all these issues prior to Memorial Day. But this week we will probably be on the budget. Next week we hope to do the missile defense measure, along with the DOD authorization bill. That would not leave a lot of time for these three issues. So I just want to report to the Senate that we have not given up. But I do not believe we can ever agree that, in effect, we first have to clear it with the President before we pass it. I am not certain that will ever happen. Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that after I make a brief statement and the Senator from Mississippi makes a statement and Senator Daschle makes a statement that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. DOLE

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

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until the hour of 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 15, further that immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be dispensed with, and the morning hour be deemed to have expired, and the Senate then begin consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 57, the budget resolution.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. So the Senate will begin tomorrow morning discussion of the budget resolution. That resolution is limited to a 50-hour statutory time. So we can expect late night sessions and votes throughout the remainder of the week.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 393, H.R. 2137.

Mr. DOLE. I think, just for the information of my colleagues, this bill just passed is commonly referred to as Megan's law.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, Tuesday night the House passed an important measure that will help protect our Nation's children from sexual predators. By a vote of 418 to 0, the House passed legislation, known as Megan's law, that strengthens existing law to require all 50 States to notify communities of the presence of convicted sex offenders who might pose a danger to children. In 1994, the crime bill allowed but did not require States to take such steps. And since that time, 49 States have enacted sex offender registration laws, and 30 States have adopted community notification provisions. But not all States have taken the necessary steps to require such notification, and this is a tragedy in the making. For once, let us prevent a tragedy instead of waiting for some other horrific crime and then taking action. We should pass this law now. How can we hesitate one moment? Every parent in America knows the fear, the doubts, he or she suffers worrying about the safety of his or her children. Parents understand that their children cannot know how truly evil some people are. They know that no matter how hard they try, they cannot be with their children every second of the day. And a second is all it takes for tragedy to strike. We have an obligation to ensure that those who have committed such crimes will not be able to do so again. This is a limited measure, but an absolutely necessary one.

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

Mr. DOLE

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

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, for the information all Senators, this cloture vote on my new amendment, which contains only the gas tax bill, will occur on Tuesday, May 14. I will consult with the Democratic leader prior to setting the next cloture vote. Let me explain precisely what this amendment contains. My Democratic colleagues have just blocked repeal of the 4.3-cent gas tax. They blocked an increase also in the minimum wage. So I have laid down another amendment to repeal the gas tax. This amendment contains additional funding that completely offsets the cost of the repeal. The amendment raises $4.1 billion in fiscal 1996 and by adopting provisions the President and Secretary Rubin have specifically asked for. I have their letters here for the Record. The amendment will also help avert another savings and loan crisis. This is the so-called BIF-SAIF provision. In the spirit--I have thought about it--in the spirit of the President's press conference yesterday asking for cooperation, I have decided to offer the gas tax repeal, which he said he would sign, and pay for it with a measure that he wants desperately. In fact, on April 14 he said that there is a proposal before Congress from the administration to: . . . restore the Savings Association Insurance Fund to full health and assure that interest payments on the so- called FICO bonds continue uninterrupted. With the enactment of this legislation, we could all take pride in achieving a resolution of the last remaining consequences of the thrift industry's problems of the 1980's. Moreover, we can do this without imposing additional costs on American taxpayers. This necessary proposal will protect taxpayers, who have already paid over $125 billion to assure that no insured depositor suffered any loss as a result of these problems. I am accommodating the President's request. I know some of the bankers and others may not be totally satisfied with this, but I suggest they call area code 202-456-1414. I also will have printed in the Record a letter from Secretary Rubin received just yesterday, pleading with us to move on this legislation which is important. Underscoring the importance of the legislation, it would ``restore the Savings Association Insurance Fund.'' They said we have had it before us for some time and they have ``consistently urged the SAIF legislation should receive immediate action.'' Again in response, and I discussed this with my assistant leader, Senator Lott, in response to the request of the President, his bipartisan appeal yesterday, and the letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, we have offered that as a way to pay for the repeal of the gas tax. I ask unanimous consent to have the letter from the President and the letter from the Secretary printed at this point in the Record.

Mr. DOLE. I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. DOLE. So, I would say hopefully on Tuesday, then, we can obtain cloture. Then we will decide how to deal with the TEAM Act and minimum wage. They are still floating around out there, or will be. We are still prepared, I think, as Senator Lott has had a couple of meetings today, to pick a time certain, sometime in June--or maybe, if we can, do it before the recess--to take up those questions. There has also been a question raised. I have written a letter to the Senator from North Dakota, Senator Dorgan, to see if he had any suggestion, because he was concerned if we did repeal the gas tax it would not reach the consumers. I was asked in a press conference yesterday about a statement by ARCO, Atlantic Richfield Co., that maybe they would not be passed on to consumers. But I now have statements from bus and trucking groups who say they would pass along the savings from the repeal to their customers in the form of lower travel costs. And I also have a statement from ARCO and Exxon and others. I ask unanimous consent all these statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. DOLE. The point being they are going to pass the savings on to consumers. Maybe in some cases, out of millions and millions of transactions, it may not happen, but that is the intent of all those who will be in the process. I think those letters might be helpful to some, such as Senator Dorgan, who does have legitimate questions. We want to respond to those questions. If he has a better idea than our amendment, which is a credit, we will be happy to consider it. So I would just say it seems to me we have now, sort of, on this single issue--if you want to vote for lower gas prices then you vote for cloture on Tuesday. If you want to vote for lower travel costs, lower inflation, better job protection for employees in the transportation industry, this will be an opportunity. It is something the President said yesterday in a press conference he would sign. We have now complied with the President's request and the Treasury's request that we pass BIF-SAIF. That is part of this amendment. It seems to me it is almost--it could have come from the White House. We are pleased to accommodate the White House when we can. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I withdraw my amendment No. 3960.

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

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.