Pete Domenici

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today with my friend, Senator Dodd, to applaud the passage of a concurrent resolution regarding National Character Counts Week, H. Con. Res. 204. I would also like to thank Congressmen Lamar Smith and Bobby Scott for all of their hard work and leadership on this issue. The resolution says the week of October 15 through 21 of this year, and October 14 through 20 of next year, will be known across the country as ``National Character Counts Week.'' I am pleased with our timing because just this past January, I listened with great pleasure to President Bush's inaugural address, as he basically ticked off the tenants of good character underscoring American life. The President's speech was clearly a message about character and its importance in American life. In his speech, the President touched on many of the elements of good character. I found it especially telling when the President emphasized the necessity of teaching every child these principles and the duty of every citizen to uphold these very same principles. Ironically, nearly a century ago another President, Theodore Roosevelt, said the following about character: ``Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.'' I would submit that character truly does transcend time as well as religious, cultural, political, and socio-economic barriers. I believe President Bush's renewed focus on character sends a wonderful message to Americans, and will help those of us involved in character education reinvigorate our efforts to get communities and schools involved. I say that because a number of years ago we started this approach to character education called ``Character Counts.'' Senators Nunn, Dodd and I first introduced the resolution that has now passed the Senate on innumerable occasions. The resolution simply declares that for all of America, one week during the year will be known as ``National Character Counts Week.'' Frankly, we hear a lot about how we should help our young people growing up in this often difficult society, However, I believe the key is finding those ideas and programs that work. We all understand that there are certain people who have the primary responsibility to care for our children like mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents. We are not in any way talking about negating that responsibility of raising a child with good values. However, we have found the teachers in our schools have been yearning for something they could teach our children that for some reason had been eliminated from both the public and private school agenda curriculum. It is sometimes referred to as character education. I choose to speak about the ``Character Counts'' program that is being used in many public schools in our country, and certainly in my State of New Mexico where teachers embrace six pillars of character. The values comprising the Six Pillars are everyday concepts that Americans across this land wish their children would have and hope America will keep. They are simply: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. They transcend political and social barriers and are central to the ideals on which this Nation was built. As a matter of fact, I think they are central and basic to any nation that survives for any long period of history. As Plato once said: A country without character is a country that's doomed and the only way a country can have character is if the individual citizens in the country have character. I could speak for all of my allotted time on the 200,000 New Mexico schoolchildren in public, private and parochial schools learning about good character. About 90 percent of the grade school children, and a significant portion of the others, are now participating in character education programs that simply and profoundly bring them into contact with each of these Pillars one month at a time. So if you walk the halls of a grade school in Albuquerque, you might see a sign outside that says, ``This Is Responsibility Month.'' And all the young people will be discussing the concept of responsibility in their classrooms, and they will put up posters saying, ``Responsibility Counts.'' At the end of that month they may have an assembly where responsibility will be discussed by all the kids, and awards will be given to those demonstrating the most responsibility. The next month it might be ``respect.'' The month after that it might be ``caring.'' I would submit the concept is working wherever it is being tried. A good example can be seen in the changes that occurred at the Garfield Middle School in Albuquerque. The 570 students at Garfield received their first lessons on the Six Pillars in October of 1994. During the first 20 days of that school year, there were 91 recorded incidents of physical violence. One year later, during the same period, there were 26 such incidents. I believe this remarkable difference is evidence that students do respond to Character Counts. In New Mexico, the Character Counts movement has spread from the classroom to the boardroom. Recently, a group of business professionals resolved to explore ways to implement the Six Pillars in all their business relationships in an effort to spread these values throughout the community. Through their efforts, parents have an opportunity to participate in Character Counts along side their kids, thereby reinforcing lessons learned in school. Promoting the Six Pillars at work also improves productivity and morale on the job, and it pays incalculable dividends in job and customer satisfaction. I could go on for quite some time talking about Character Counts in New Mexico. The bottom line is that I believe it is working in New Mexico and other parts of the country. Consequently, I think we need to salute the efforts already underway and encourage even more character education across our country. So today, Senator Dodd and I are here to applaud the passage of the resolution and hopefully our renewed effort will bring together even more communities to ensure that character education is a part of every child's life.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in America, I believe it is utmost in our minds and hearts to remember the horrendous attack on our nation's financial center in New York City, and on the Pentagon, on September 11, 2001. Hispanic Americans I speak with are anxious to support our nation's every effort to rid this world of the incredible evil that carried out such an attack. Hispanic Americans have answered our country's call to arms in every previous war, and they have distinguished themselves as some of our nation's most heroic fighters. As President George W. Bush recently reminded us, ``Hispanic Americans served with heroism in every major American military conflict.'' Many of my colleagues might not be aware of the fact that Hispanics in World War II were over-represented among Medal of Honor winners. I would like to remember two of these distinguished medal winners from New Mexico. Joseph P. Martinez, born in Taos, New Mexico, gave his life for our country during World War II. In the Aleutians, finding himself in snow covered trenches, he chose to advance against the enemy in the face of severe hostile machine gun, rifle, and mortar fire. His example inspired others to advance in this difficult and dangerous climb. After successfully and personally silencing several enemy trenches, he reached the rim where he was fatally wounded. The U.S. Army recognized Joe Martinez's valor beyond the call of duty by awarding him the United States Medal of Honor. In Vietnam, 22-year old U.S. Army Specialist Fourth Class Daniel Fernandez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sacrificed himself to save four of his comrades. Fernandez vaulted over his wounded sergeant and threw himself on a grenade that was not noticed in time for the men around him to save themselves. This action cost him his life. Fernandez also received the United States Medal of Honor. There are many more stories about Hispanic Medal of Honor winners. Our nation is proud to have men and women like these in our ranks. This month, I want Americans to remember Hispanic veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. I can predict with great confidence that Hispanics in every service will earn more Medals of Honor, Distinguished Service Crosses, and Silver and Bronze Stars for valor in combat. If these wartime contributions by Hispanics have been and will continue to be remarkable, those made on the homefront through lives invested in communities are equally deserving of our recognition and gratitude. On August 15, President George W. Bush visited Albuquerque for the grand opening of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce's Barelas Job Opportunity Center, a facility meant to help tear down barriers faced by Hispanics and others in finding employment or starting a new business. Helping open this business development center, the President drew attention to the spirit of the facility, that of citizens asking what they could do to improve their community, and what they could do to help a neighbor in need. The President accurately and eloquently concluded that this was ``the spirit of America, captured right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.'' I believe our President has it right. I am proud that the lives of Hispanic New Mexicans are vital evidence of the spirit of America as they invest themselves in families, schools, businesses, and churches. And New Mexicans recognize that these modern achievements build on a centuries-long legacy of Hispanic history in our state, earning us a peerless role in our nation's diversity. In New Mexico, we know that Hispanics were on the scene even before the Mayflower set sail. The Hispanic influence in New Mexico shaping our architecture and culture has been significant since the arrival of Spanish explorer Don Juan de Onate near San Juan Pueblo in 1598, 22 years before the landing at Plymouth Rock. When the national media today talks and writes a lot about the recent ``arrival'' of Hispanics on our national scene, they're recognizing a talented, spirited people New Mexico has known for a long time. I have mentioned the opening of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce's Barelas Job Opportunity Center, marking the start of its important work to rebuild the economic viability of a deteriorated neighborhood and increase job opportunity. I would like to mention other examples of commitment to community around our state, such as the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce of Roswell, New Mexico. This group has been a unifying force in their community's economic development issues, and have long supported the Character Counts program to see that the six pillars of character, Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, Fairness, and Caring, are taught early in the classroom. On September 24, Mr. I. Martin Mercado, President of Mercado Construction in Albuquerque, received the national Small Business Administration's Minority Small Business Person of the Year Award. The son of Mexican immigrants, Martin is a wonderful illustration of the American dream, and of the important contributions that Hispanic-owned small businesses make to our economy. Achievements of this kind throughout New Mexico have helped increase the number of minority-owned businesses in our state by more than 50 percent in the last five years. There are now more than 22,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in New Mexico. As Hispanics gain long-overdue national recognition as a force that cannot, and should not, be ignored, we are reminded of countless stories like those I have mentioned. I believe that there is no better time to work for federal policies that ensure that small businesses, community organizations, and schools have the support they need to make decisions in favor of economic success and strong families. This is the spirit of America. Finally, I appreciate the opening for a new era in U.S.-Mexico relations as Presidents Bush and Fox work to develop a partnership for prosperity across our shared border. Both nations have much to gain through the implementation of win-win policies on trade, immigration and the war on drugs. As we celebrate New Mexico's and America's Hispanic heritage, I hope we will continue to capitalize on our common ground with Mexico, making the most of new opportunities for trade and cooperation with our neighbor. New Mexicans regularly enjoy and celebrate the centuries-long influence of Hispanic culture and traditions on our society. This month in which our nation recognizes the special contributions of Hispanic Americans finds our country united as never before to rebuild and defend this great land after a devastating attack. This in mind, there could be no better time to honor Hispanic Americans for valiantly serving the needs of nation and community, defending our freedom, bettering our economy, and building strong families, for this is the spirit of America. New Mexico's largest newspaper recently rendered a broad tribute to Hispanic Americans. I ask unanimous consent that this September 23 Albuquerque Journal article be printed in the Record.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor legislation with Senators Lieberman and Conrad that will help to address a very serious problem facing our Nation. The rise of teenage pregnancy has many implications for American society in terms of educational and employment opportunities, economic self-sufficiency, children's health, and child abuse and crime prevention. For example, many teenage mothers find that their educational and vocational opportunities are severely limited. In fact, only one-third of teenage mothers complete high school and receive their diploma. Furthermore, teenage pregnancy has been linked with increases in child abuse and criminal activity. But, perhaps most disturbing is the fact that daughters of teenage mothers are 22 percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves, thus creating a self-perpetuating cycle from generation to generation. It is clear that these problems will only continue unless we address the issue of teenage pregnancy. This is an especially critical issue, because the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the western industrialized world. I believe that this legislation will help to address these concerns. One of the ideas endorsed by Congress in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was the concept of second chance homes. Second chance homes are an option for many teenage mothers who are required by the 1996 act to live at home or under adult supervision. These homes provide both living arrangements and educational opportunities for young mothers. Second chance homes have been remarkably successful in decreasing both second pregnancies and child abuse and in improving the educational and vocational opportunities of teenage mothers. For example, New Mexico's second chances homes have produced many success stories with several residents earning a registered nurse degree. It is truly inspiring to think that many teenagers who had the odds stacked against them have been given a second chance and have become vital members of the health care profession. Despite the successes of second chance homes, many teenage mothers do not have access to such a home. Although New Mexico has over a hundred second chance homes, many States are not so fortunate. Furthermore, according to a 1999 study, eighteen States do not have a policy for helping mothers find such a shelter. This is the genesis behind our legislation. We hope to increase the availability of second chance homes and allow a greater number of teenage mothers to take advantage of the many opportunities that they provide. This bill will create a competitive grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services that will award five-year grants to State, local, and tribal governments and to non-profit organizations to create or expand a second-chance home. I am hopeful that this significant federal investment will allow a greater number of teenage mothers to graduate from high school, and even college or vocational training, and will increase the health and safety of their children. Second chance homes have a remarkable record in alleviating many of the problems associated with teenage pregnancy. From education to maternal and infant health, they have played a crucial role in the success of welfare reform. I thank Senators Lieberman and Conrad for their work on this important legislation, and I look forward to all teenage mothers having a true second chance.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor legislation with Senators Lieberman and Conrad that will help to address a very serious problem facing our Nation. The rise of teenage pregnancy has many implications for American society in terms of educational and employment opportunities, economic self-sufficiency, children's health, and child abuse and crime prevention. For example, many teenage mothers find that their educational and vocational opportunities are severely limited. In fact, only one-third of teenage mothers complete high school and receive their diploma. Furthermore, teenage pregnancy has been linked with increases in child abuse and criminal activity. But, perhaps most disturbing is the fact that daughters of teenage mothers are 22 percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves, thus creating a self-perpetuating cycle from generation to generation. It is clear that these problems will only continue unless we address the issue of teenage pregnancy. This is an especially critical issue, because the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the western industrialized world. I believe that this legislation will help to address these concerns. One of the ideas endorsed by Congress in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was the concept of second chance homes. Second chance homes are an option for many teenage mothers who are required by the 1996 act to live at home or under adult supervision. These homes provide both living arrangements and educational opportunities for young mothers. Second chance homes have been remarkably successful in decreasing both second pregnancies and child abuse and in improving the educational and vocational opportunities of teenage mothers. For example, New Mexico's second chances homes have produced many success stories with several residents earning a registered nurse degree. It is truly inspiring to think that many teenagers who had the odds stacked against them have been given a second chance and have become vital members of the health care profession. Despite the successes of second chance homes, many teenage mothers do not have access to such a home. Although New Mexico has over a hundred second chance homes, many States are not so fortunate. Furthermore, according to a 1999 study, eighteen States do not have a policy for helping mothers find such a shelter. This is the genesis behind our legislation. We hope to increase the availability of second chance homes and allow a greater number of teenage mothers to take advantage of the many opportunities that they provide. This bill will create a competitive grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services that will award five-year grants to State, local, and tribal governments and to non-profit organizations to create or expand a second-chance home. I am hopeful that this significant federal investment will allow a greater number of teenage mothers to graduate from high school, and even college or vocational training, and will increase the health and safety of their children. Second chance homes have a remarkable record in alleviating many of the problems associated with teenage pregnancy. From education to maternal and infant health, they have played a crucial role in the success of welfare reform. I thank Senators Lieberman and Conrad for their work on this important legislation, and I look forward to all teenage mothers having a true second chance.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. It will be in the Record.

Mr. DOMENICI. The Senator from Michigan has attended a number of meetings where these issues were discussed. They are really serious issues. They will be coming along in a very good way. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 3 minutes.

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

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I have nothing but accolades for the chairman and for the distinguished Senator from Virginia. This was a tough bill to put together. This is not the first time that it was tough and we got it done. We have had some where we didn't get it done. We had some that didn't reach conference until some events which weren't planned broke and it gave the bill momentum. I am not here to complain about their efforts, their diligent work. But I am a little concerned about the fact that I had some very good amendments pending. There is a very serious misunderstanding because it seems to me that my staff was working with staff on a number of these amendments. I was preparing to pull some of the amendments in a negotiation process. I want to state two of them that would have been very important to have. It has cosponsors, such as Senator Murkowski, Senator Bingaman, Senator Lugar, Senator Biden, Senator Hollings, Senator Landrieu, and Senator Thurmond. It has to do with trying to make sure the United States in its workings with Russia on plutonium disposition programs, which I happen to have something to do with--$200 million was appropriated to start this program in an urgent supplemental 2 years ago. You all know we have been having some very difficult problems carrying that nonproliferation agreement to fruition. It was supposed to be for America getting rid of some of its plutonium and Russia getting rid of some of theirs in a kind of collateral way. And we were putting up $200 million to get it going. The administration has decided to change the program by cutting two or three pieces of the program but offered no plan. All this says is when you have a plan, send it up, and we will consider it. In the meantime, we don't think you should pick a piece out of the program without telling us how you are going to keep it intact. I think anybody around here would have accepted that, or at least would have thought it was something very serious, unless they do not care about the program. There are some who do not think the plutonium disposition program is very good. But they don't have the luxury of deciding that it is not good. It is the law of the land right now. It is hard and difficult to get it done. An example of another one: Senator Bingaman, Senator Lugar, and Senator Hagel. This is on the coordination of nonproliferation programs and assistance thereto. There is no question on the part of those experts around who looked at this issue that we have to coordinate these programs. We have come to the word ``coordination'' after this terrorist attack as it applies to a lot of programs. We must coordinate better between the FBI and their information system, the CIA and theirs, and DOE and theirs. We finally decided to get something coordinated. Frankly, on the nonproliferation programs, we are desperately in need of coordination. God forbid that something happens and we will say, Where was the coordination? At least we can say we have been trying for a long time to get coordination. We didn't get it in this amendment because for some reason somebody here had a misunderstanding with us-- neither of these two Senators--or they just didn't think we ought to be doing this kind of thing on this bill. In a sense, the cloture may very well have closed these off, but in the middle of negotiations we thought we should probably not have thought that. We probably should not have. Unless it gets done, we shouldn't think that in negotiations. Having said that, I want to put these two amendments in by way of some thought that will go into what I was talking about. I will choose to take the remainder of my amendments and put them in now so that somebody at some point will be able to look and see if their amendments were reasonably good amendments. I believe with the exception of one or two, which I was prepared to change or withdraw, they are very good amendments. Ultimately, they are needed and should be paid for. I will submit the package for perusal by those who might want to take a look to see if we could have made the bill a bit better, and at least be given some reasonable consideration. I thank the Senators. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Calvary Chapel Christian School in Santa Fe, which today will be named a State Champion by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Calvary Chapel Christian School was selected for this prestigious honor based on their students' accomplishments in the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program. This program was originated by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 and is especially important today given the increasing physical inactivity among American youth. Calvary Chapel Christian School had a remarkable number of students that earned high scores on the President's Physical Fitness Challenge. These students demonstrated their abilities in four different physical fitness tests that tested agility, flexibility, strength, and endurance. This achievement is all the more prestigious given what the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports labels an ``epidemic of physical inactivity'' among American youth. More than one-third of high school students do not participate in vigorous physical activity on a regular basis. This epidemic has contributed to an increase in several medical problems, such as diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis, among our children. Calvary Chapel Christian School can now serve as a role model for other schools in New Mexico and encourage them to emphasize the importance of physical fitness to their students. I congratulate Calvary Chapel Christian School on this honor, and I hope that other schools will follow their fine example.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my vote on the last amendment be changed. I erroneously voted aye becasue I thought I was voting for the amendment. That was a tabling motion. I now ask unanimous consent to change my vote, and it will not in any way change the outcome of the vote.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the senior Senator from Michigan. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, we are going to do something that is very fair that will eliminate a serious problem that is out there among a few thousand Americans, some of whom have walked into meetings with the U.S. Government carrying an IOU. The IOU is that the Federal Government owes them the money they were supposed to receive months ago, because either the person there or one of their spouses have died or is seriously ill with an ailment that is charged and relates directly to having been in the uranium mining activity for years and years in the early days of the nuclear weapons program. What happened was, we put money in a trust fund and we made this an entitlement, but it was not funded. The trust fund was a given amount of money. They adjudicated these claims. We did it so they could do them quickly; they didn't have to spend a lot of money on lawyers. The Government ruled quickly, even though in some cases, with some of them listening in the Four Corners area, they did go through an awful lot of trouble to get their claim. But then, the insult: they produced their claim and said, where is the money? The U.S. Department of Justice said, oops, sorry, we don't have any. These people are walking around, some of them almost in a daze, because they cannot believe that their Federal Government they read about every day, spending hundreds of billions of dollars, huge amounts for defense, huge amounts for other things, is telling them for a claim that is theirs, that has been adjudicated, that says the U.S. Government of America owes Jimmy Jones $100,000, there is no money. And this is what they bring to our meetings. We do not take very long in agreeing with them. We try to give them the history, the fact it has to be funded. Every time we sought funding for one reason or another, we received just enough for a month or two. This claim got mixed up in jurisdictional problems as to which committee ought to fund it. I say to the Senate, when we were working on the budget resolution, we allocated in that budget to the Armed Services Committee the money that was necessary to keep this program going for a substantial period of time. We said, even though it is allocated to the defense part of our budget, this amount of money should be used for the claimants I am talking about under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund. Under this bill, there is $172 million in the defense account that has not been used because it is for these claimants. A little bit of it was used in the process of producing this bill. I do not choose to argue about that. That is all right with me. I just want this amendment adopted so nobody uses the rest of the money that is in this bill for these people. For anybody who is interested, we are about to do something for a lot of Americans, principally in the Four Corners area, some in the Dakotas. Those claimants ought to know the best we can do is to put it on this bill. This bill has a long way to go, but the Senator from New Mexico does not know where else to put it that will get it into their hands any sooner. We will be watching and observing, and if for some reason this authorization bill cannot get through the process--through the House to the President and signed--we will try to find another way. We did not succeed totally. We do not make this a completely mandatory program. We are taking jurisdiction away from no one. If this bill is in the Judiciary Committee, they will retain jurisdiction. We are going to pay for it out of an allocation that went to this committee's work on defense, and we are just about to say that this money will now go to whom it was intended: those people to whom the Government is clearly indebted and owes money. I offered this amendment that will make funding for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund mandatory. From the 1940s through 1971, uranium miners, Federal employees, who participated in above-ground nuclear tests, and downwinders from the Nevada Test Site were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. As a result of this exposure, these individuals contracted debilitating and too often deadly radiation-related cancers and other diseases. In 1990, Congress recognized their contribution by passing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to ensure that these individuals and their families were indemnified for their sacrifice and suffering. However, the RECA Trust Fund ran out of money in May, 2000. Consequently, for over a year most eligible claimants received nothing more than a five-line IOU from the Justice Department explaining that no payments will be made until Congress provides the necessary funds. Some of these claimants died while awaiting their payments. This is simply unconscionable. Fortunately, we were able to secure the necessary funds in this year's supplemental to pay the IOUs and all claims approved by September 30, 2001. Nonetheless, many claims will be filed and approved over the coming years, and it is time we make all payments to this fund mandatory so that these people who have suffered so greatly for our Nation's security are not again shortchanged by the political complexities of the annual congressional appropriations process. If we do not adopt this amendment, more of these men will die holding nothing but a Government IOU. In a time when our Nation is at war, it is imperative that we do not forget those citizens who have contributed so much to the strength and security of our Nation. After all, these folks helped build our nuclear arsenal, the nuclear arsenal that is responsible, at least in part, for ending the cold war and leading to America's place as the world's only superpower. Moreover, it is important that we show those who are now being called on to protect our Nation that the Senate cannot and will not forget their efforts and sacrifice. By turning our backs on some of yesterday's heroes we will be sending the wrong message to the heroes of today. This is the appropriate time to raise this issue because we assumed this spending in the Senate budget resolution and the funding was allocated to the Armed Services Committee for this purpose. It is important to note that under this amendment, these mandatory payments are capped at the amounts allocated to the Armed Services Committee and will not exceed $172 million in any one year. Those who helped protect our Nation's security through their work on our nuclear programs must be compensated for the enormous price they paid. Anything less is unacceptable. Mr. President, there were a lot of Senators involved. If they want to be a cosponsor, we will be glad to ask they be made original cosponsors. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI. I send an amendment to the desk.

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

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. I. Martin Mercado, who will be presented today with the Small Business Administration's Minority Small Business Person of the Year Award. This prestigious award recognizes the vital role that minority-owned small businesses play in creating jobs and providing robust economic development in their communities. Mr. Mercado is the president of Mercado Construction in Albuquerque and is the perfect example of the important contributions that small business make to our economy. Mr. Mercado is one of seven children of immigrant parents who left their native country of Mexico in search of better opportunities for their children. Although they had little knowledge of American culture or language, they were able to provide their children with a good education and a bright future. I. Martin Mercado is a wonderful illustration of the American dream. Although he came from this humble background, he has built a successful business from the ground up. Mercado Construction began in 1994 with only $20,000 in cash and one employee. Mr. Mercado faced enormous difficulty in securing financing and credit because it was a start-up company. However, after the successful completion of several projects, Mercado Construction was able to demonstrate its ability and began to gain access to working capital. Through hard work and resolve, Mercado Construction has grown exponentially. It now has 23 employees and $4.8 million in revenues and has contributed to many important development projects in the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho communities. Equally important, Mercado Construction shares its success with other New Mexican small businesses. Mr. Mercado is an active member of the New Mexico 8(a) Association and frequently subcontracts with and purchases materials from other minority- and women-owned small businesses. In fact, over 50 percent of Mercado Construction's subcontractors are minority- and women-owned firms. Mercado Construction is also an active participant in the Albuquerque community. It has sponsored youth sports teams and contributes to several charities, such as the North Valley Little League and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. I wish to congratulate Mercado Construction and its president, Mr. I. Martin Mercado, on being named a Minority Small Business Person of the Year. I am grateful for their contribution to economic development and job creation in New Mexico, and I look forward to their continued growth and success.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Of course. And I ask it be in order that after the first amendment offered by the Senator from Kentucky, I offer an amendment on behalf of Senator Bingaman.

Mr. DOMENICI. Sure.

Mr. DOMENICI. I say to the distinguished chairman, I understand there is an amendment that the Senator from Kentucky will offer.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the service of Dr. Henry Wall to New Mexican veterans. Dr. Wall recently retired from the Artesia Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic after nearly 50 years of service to meeting the health care needs of Artesia residents. Dr. Wall graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1953 and moved to Artesia shortly thereafter. Dr. Wall's private practice spanned from 1955 to 1991, and he became well known for his dedication to patient care, as well as for his maternity practice. In fact, many Artesia residents remind him that ``You delivered me, my children, and my mom.'' In 1989, the Artesia community-based clinic was founded. The clinic was an outgrowth of legislation that I sponsored to establish six satellite veterans outpatient centers. I believed that veterans should have access to quality health care at a convenient location. Dr. Wall also saw this opening as an opportunity to serve the veterans of southeastern New Mexico. He joined the clinic's staff and brought his care and expertise to the many veterans in the local community. Dr. Wall is a veteran himself, having served in the Marine Corps in World War II, and he understood the need to provide our Nation's veterans with superior health care. I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Henry Wall for his years of service to Artesia, and to the veteran population, in particular. I have frequently stated that ensuring the health and well-being of the servicemen and women, who have placed their lives in harm's way in order to secure our freedoms, should be a commitment that Americans do not take lightly. I am proud that Dr. Wall has done his part to live up to this commitment. I am sincerely grateful for his service to New Mexico's veterans.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, this is an important piece of legislation. We need to enact it today. Without immediate financial assistance, many airlines face imminent bankruptcy as a direct result of the horrific terrorist attacks that took place on September 11. This bill provides $5 billion in emergency direct assistance to reimburse the airlines for the direct costs of the terrorist attacks and preventing another attack. It also provides $10 billion in loans and loan guarantees to help the airlines while they recover from these attacks. These loans will also restore the confidence of the private capital markets, which are unwilling to lend the airlines. Because of this legislation, the airlines are going to be around to pay back these loans. Therefore, from a budget point of view, the impact of the loans on the Federal budget will only be about $3 billion. But the airlines get the $10 billion essential to keep them in business. Also, this afternoon President Bush made the first apportionment of monies we appropriated one week ago today for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery to the Terrorists Attacks. Out of the $40 billion in that Emergency appropriation bill provided to the President, he has this afternoon transferred nearly $5.1 billion to Departments and Agencies to address funding needs related to the attacks of September 11. This is just the first in what will be many more transfers out of the total funds provided. The Department of Defense will immediately receive $2.5 billion and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will receive $2.0 billion today. But also within today's transfers is $141 million for the Department of Transportation, the bulk of which is to the FAA to support immediate increased airport security measures. I am sure, once again this is just the first of what will be much more funding coming out of the $40 billion to increase security measures at our airports and expand the Federal Sky Marshal program. This expansion requires first-rate training for our new law enforcement officers. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, FLETC, in Artesia, NM, is uniquely positioned to serve as the primary training center for the new sky marshals and other aviation law enforcement officers. Moreover, it is located only 40 miles from the Roswell Industrial Air Center, which can handle planes as large as 747's. These facilities can play a vital role in enhancing our Nation's aviation security.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the Cooperative Studies Program Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Council Center in Albuquerque, NM. This center will soon be awarded the Robert W. Carey Quality Award by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This award is VA's highest recognition for quality achievement. The Carey Award honors VA offices that demonstrate organizational effectiveness and high-quality service to our Nation's veterans. The award encourages efficient management by prominently honoring the VA's highest performing offices. The Albuquerque Pharmacy Coordinating Council Center truly deserves this great honor. The center was founded in 1972 as a part of VA's Cooperative Services Program. This program is responsible for planning and conducting the large multicenter clinical trials within VA, and the Albuquerque center manages all of the pharmaceutical aspects of these trials. The center plays a critical role in planning VA's clinical trials, packaging clinical trial materials, and monitoring the implementation of clinical trials. These trials have benefitted not only our Nation's veterans, but have improved the health of our entire Nation, by contributing to the rapidly increasing body of medical knowledge. The center has a staff of over 60 highly trained and experienced pharmacy and management professionals and technicians. Through the efforts of these outstanding employees and under the excellent leadership of Director Dr. Mike Sather, the center has developed a solid reputation within the medical research community. In fact, the center has contributed to ground-breaking medical research in developing treatments for a wide range of diseases from cancer to heart disease to mental illness. The center has also demonstrated its proficiency in its successful collaborations with such institutions as the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as the centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recognition of the Albuquerque center by the VA should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with its history. In fact, the center has previously been recognized for its achievements by Quality New Mexico and has received both the Roadrunner Recognition and the Pinon Award. I congratulate the exceptional leadership and the devoted staff of the Albuquerque Pharmacy Coordinating Council Center on this fine achievement, and I look forward to their future accomplishments in improving the health of our Nation and demonstrating our continued commitment to our Nation's veterans.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, first, it is a pleasure to speak to the Senators who are present and listening. An era has come to an end. As many commentators have noted, most say it was an era of innocence. I agree. Americans now know firsthand the kind of mindless terrorism and brutal disregard of all concepts of morality that afflict our world. What will be our measure of response as a nation? Our people in the world will watch, listen, and wait, for, as Franklin Roosevelt said, ``We defend and we build a way of life not for America alone but for mankind.'' We will, of course, support the President in every respect, provide any and all resources, including emergency funding for New York City, for Washington, DC, for Arlington, VA, sparing no expense to save our neighbors who need our help in this time of great distress. Whatever it takes--and I repeat, whatever it takes--to pursue those who planned, funded, aided, harbored, and carried out yesterday's destruction, we will go to the fullest extent possible. All the resources of this great nation must be brought to bear to demonstrate our unity and our power. We know something else now. We understand that the threshold of possible terrorism has gone up. We know more, but the terrorists know more, too. We must commit to an all-out effort, not just to a war against terrorism but to new weapons in this war. We must do everything possible to prevent the possibility of calamities above this threshold. The Federal Government must pursue every avenue. Our defense programs--our national laboratories, universities, and other research institutions--must take the next technological steps to win the war that terrorists declared yesterday on our people. Congress can do two or three things, less obvious perhaps, but more important in the long run. We can set aside petty bickering. We can unify in concrete terms by attending to the Nation's business. The American people can judge barbarians who committed this act of war yesterday, but they will judge us in Congress, too. We in this time of grave challenge must rise above the political bickering that has affected us for too long. We must quickly unify on the issues that have divided us, whether it is defense spending or energy policy. By doing so, we can show by our actions that truly yesterday was the end of an era. I am not naive. I understand politics. But now is the time to lay them aside and, as the American people, unite behind our President. Let us in Congress rise to this historic challenge by joining hands and hearts and doing the Nation's business now. A final word of advice, too, for those who committed these atrocities. How little you know of our Nation, for you are so cowardly you have no way of understanding us. No act these criminals could have contemplated will unify this Nation more, nor galvanize our will more firmly than yesterday's destruction. They have done what many feared perhaps could no longer be done. They have hardened this Nation's resolve, prompted our patriotism, and unleashed our power. They have committed an act of war. They have awakened a sleeping giant, and they will inherit the whirlwind. My heart goes out to all of those suffering today. I know that New Mexicans have suffered losses but, we understand, nothing like New York. I know other Americans have suffered losses. I share in their grief, and I hold them up in my prayers and in the prayers of our family. Let us understand if we have been awakened, as I believe we have, by unifying and eliminating the bickering, we can move our Nation ahead and we can begin to solve and get rid of terrorism here and everywhere. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise to share some news with my Senate colleagues. And even though my subject involves radioactive waste, I'm most pleased to report that this is all good news. As a Nation, we haven't made great progress on disposal of radioactive wastes, Yucca Mountain was supposed to open in 1998--now it might open in 2010 if it progresses at the most optimistic rate. But in New Mexico, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the city of Carlsbad opened for disposal operations in March of 1999. WIPP is the nation's first repository for the permanent disposal of defense- generated radioactive waste left from the research and production of nuclear weapons. WIPP represents the single most dramatic advance this Nation has made in disposal of radioactive waste. In fact, WIPP is a showcase facility for the entire world for demonstrating that mankind can safely remove complex wastes from any impact on our environment. WIPP accepts a particular kind of waste, transuranic or TRU waste, that is contaminated with certain elements, especially plutonium. This type of waste must be handled with great care to ensure safety of the public and workers. WIPP represents a cornerstone of DOE's national cleanup effort dealing with the nation's nuclear weapons complex. Today, I want to announce that WIPP has filled their first underground room to full capacity. This is no small achievement. That room now holds over 10,000 drums of TRU waste. The waste arrived in 352 shipments from five DOE sites-- Los Alamos, Rocky Flats, Idaho, Hanford, and Savannah River. That required lots of transportation, in fact about one-third of a million miles. And even with so many miles, equivalent to 13 trips around the earth, there were no accidents or even serious incidents. For those who doubt that radioactive cargoes can be shipped safely, WIPP is proof that a well-engineered transportation system can be operated to the highest standards. The team at WIPP isn't stopping to celebrate this milestone. As I speak, they're busily accepting more waste. Earlierr this week, the shipment number was up to 373 and more then 11,000 drums had moved into the facility. In closing, I personally commend the Department of Energy, especially the Carlsbad Field Office, for their careful attention to safe operations. The community of Carlsbad deserves tremendous praise for their consistent support of WIPP and its critical national mission. And both the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Mexico Environment Department deserve compliments for their roles in oversight of this facility.