Dianne Feinstein

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

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

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I want to modify a prior amendment and also introduce two additional amendments. I will try to be brief. I call up amendment No. 2469 and send a modification to the desk. Once the amendment has been modified, I ask unanimous consent that it be laid aside in the previous order of consideration.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be temporarily set aside.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I thank the Senator.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct for minor fathers. And I would certainly welcome the Senator from Oklahoma looking at this. If there is any way he thinks it could be made better, I would be delighted.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct where the father is also a minor.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. For the child support. A court order would be obtained and the parents of the male child would be responsible for the child support of that offspring.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, as I have listened to the debate, there has been a lot of talk about teenage pregnancy, youngsters impregnating youngsters, walking away from their responsibility, and really young children becoming pregnant, becoming teen mothers often by teen fathers. I have heard many Senators say we must stop this. I believe we have a way to send a major message to a constituency, and it is contained in this amendment. What this amendment would do is say that every State must have in effect laws and procedures under which a child support order can be enforced, where both parents are minors, and, the mother is a minor receiving Federal assistance for the child, against the paternal grandparents of the child. So if you are the mother and father of a boy child, and your boy child goes out and impregnates a minor girl who ends up on welfare as a result, you will be liable for a child support order against you as the parents of that young boy. What I find increasingly is that child support is a growing crisis. This has also been debated--and, frankly, the lack of child support is one of the major causes of children living in poverty in my State; that is, the absence of child support--a parent, usually the father, not always, but usually it is the father that just walks off and does not support his child. Well, if this is going to be a tough welfare bill, let us address it. Let us say, ``Parents, you are responsible for the behavior of your adolescent son. If your adolescent son is going to go out and get a young girl pregnant, you are going to have to pay for the uprearing and the child support of that offspring.'' I think the time has come for this kind of amendment. It is strong. It is an amendment that attributes family responsibility. It is an amendment that says parents of minors have responsibilities and one of those responsibilities is to see to it that their sons do not enter into this kind of conduct and then walk away from their responsibility. So, I would now ask that that amendment be set aside. I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If I may, I now send the second amendment to the desk and I ask for its consideration

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct, for tonight. Let me just say what I understand the Dole does in this area. Then if I am wrong, I would be happy to know that. These funds apply, if two things are met: one, the State's welfare spending is less than the national average of State spending; and, second, population growth is greater than the national population growth. That does not necessarily relate to welfare population growth. That is one problem that I have with it. [[Page S 12810]] Amendment No. 2470 to Amendment No. 2280 (Purpose: To impose a child support obligation on paternal grandparents in cases in which both parents are minors)

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. They are not necessarily all of the growth States that are benefited.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. As compared to 19 States. The Dole proposal, as we understand it, benefits only 19 States. My amendment benefits all States. I would be happy to debate it. If I am wrong, I would be happy to admit it. This is our belief. Our formula would benefit 27 States, beyond those in the Dole bill, and would hold everybody else harmless. So nobody would go below what their 1996 level is.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I did not bring those with me because we are making charts, and we were called, and we came down before the charts were ready, I am afraid.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. It is defined as increase in poor populations measured by current census data.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise in support of an amendment that conveys the right, title and interest of the Naval Communications Station at Rough and Ready Island in Stockton, California, from the Navy to the Port of Stockton. This conveyance is a win-win for California and the Navy. The transfer of this property will result in the creation of thousands of jobs in my state and further solidify the Stockton Ship Deepwater Channel as one of the premier international shipping hubs in California. In addition, the Navy will be able to reduce infrastructure that it no longer needs nor is able to maintain. But the Navy and the Port of Stockton support this amendment. The Port of Stockton's Rough and Ready Island is located 75 nautical miles east of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The island consists of approximately 1,450 acres, of which roughly half is dedicated to general purpose warehousing. Since 1944, Rough and Ready Island has been home to the Navy and played a prominent role in our nation's defense during war and peace alike. Currently Rough and Ready is the site of a U.S. Naval Communication Station (NAVCOMSTA). While the NAVCOMSTA will continue to maintain its presence on the island indefinitely, the Navy has made it clear that continued ownership of such a facility, with its considerable infrastructure, is not consistent with ongoing military realignment objectives. In addition to the NAVCOMSTA, the Department of Defense houses its regional distribution center on the island. Other Federal agencies that lease space include the General Services Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Border Patrol. However, while part of Rough and Ready Island houses a number of Federal tenants, a significant percentage of the island has fallen in disrepair. If it is to be used to its fullest capacity, a number of improvements such as ameliorating and expanding the docks, deepening the waterways, and upgrading the railroad tracks are essential. The only private entity able and willing to adequately execute such an enormous effort is the Port of Stockton. The Port of Stockton, which operates a 600 acre complex contiguous to Rough and Ready Island, is ready to assume the host position and make the necessary improvements. The Stockton Port District, which was formed in 1927, functions as a nonprofit municipal corporation and is empowered by the California Harbors and Navigation Code to acquire real property by grant or gift in order to promote Maritime and Commercial Interests. The Port of Stockton is the local sponsor for the Stockton Ship Channel which is one of the busiest interior industrial water ways in the United States. Because it is the only deep-water cargo Port that handles bulk, between 3.5 million and 4 million tons of cargo travel through the Channel every year. The Port of Stockton will receive the property through a public benefit conveyance. Further, the Port of Stockton has repeatedly offered to honor any long-term leases that are currently operative on Rough and Ready Island with the Navy, Federal agencies, and other tenants. In addition to the benefits to the Navy, this land conveyance could also create thousands of new jobs in an area that has traditionally suffered from double digit unemployment. Currently, Cost Plus, a major retailer, occupies 400,000 square foot of warehouse space of the Port of Stockton. Although the Port has received inquiries from other large businesses eager to establish distribution centers of similar size, it is unable to accommodate these requests because it simply does not have the space. The consolidation of Rough and Ready Island with the Port of Stockton will provide more opportunity to fulfill these requests for more space and in turn provide more jobs for the residents of the area. The Port of Stockton estimates that in the long term, the potential for [[Page S 12601]] large and small businesses utilizing the expanded warehousing, a proposed 92,000 square foot boat storage complex and new dock facilities will result in as many as 2,000 new jobs in the area. Mr. President, allowing the transfer of Rough and Ready Island is a good deal for California and good deal for the Navy. Not only does this transfer give the Navy an opportunity to relinquish itself of land that is in considerable need of improvement, but it will create economic opportunities for many Californians. I thank my colleagues for supporting this amendment.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today, Senator Boxer and I are introducing legislation that will allow for the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority to issue tax-free bonds to help construct the Alameda corridor, probably the most important transportation project currently under consideration anywhere in the United States. The Alameda corridor is a $1.8 billion project that will allow the San Pedro Bay ports--Los Angeles and Long Beach--to expand and grow well into the 21st century. The project, in the years ahead, will require a Federal authorization of $700 million, the necessary Federal commitment. The ports have committed well over $400 million to purchase railroad rights-of-way. But, initial construction will be funded by the issuance of bonds, and that is why this bill is so vital. Tax-free bonds can currently be issued for construction of harbor and port facilities, but under current law, the corridor would not apply since the major distribution [[Page S 12409]] center is 20 miles inland from the port. This legislation would extend the ability to issue tax-free bonds for transportation facilities, which would include trackage and rail facilities, if 80 percent of the cargo transported on the tracks is to and from the port, which is otherwise eligible for the issuance of tax-free bonds. Additionally, the facility must be publicly owned. This bill will reduce the cost of the corridor's construction by approximately $200 million. Currently, to handle the cargo going in and out of the ports, according to the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, the San Pedro Bay ports now generate approximately 20,000 truck trips and 29 train movements per day. By the year 2020, truck traffic is projected to increase to 49,000 daily trips and 97 daily train movements. Today, three railroads on three separate tracks serve the San Pedro Bay ports, with 90 miles of track and over 200 grade crossings between the ports and inland cargo dispersal sites. Santa Fe's railroad alone has 92 crossings within a 20 mile span. Trucks carrying goods from the ports to dispersal sites farther inland face numerous stops and traffic. With the projected increase in trade and cargo transport needs, the current transportation system will simply be inadequate to handle future demands. The Alameda corridor project would consolidate the existing railways into a single corridor that would be depressed, and all crossing streets would bridge over the top. This would avoid the terrible delays as a result of the grade crossings. The corridor would also accommodate truck traffic. Make no mistake, the Alameda corridor is a project of national significance. The benefits of constructing the corridor will go far beyond the Los Angeles region, and well beyond the California borders. Every State in this Nation is impacted by the trade along the Pacific rim, and thus by the activities of Pacific ports. Trucks and trains must move the goods out of the ports. Workers must unload the goods from ships, put them on trains or trucks, and then once they arrive at a destination, more workers must unload these goods, before they are delivered to their final stop. Trade creates jobs in every sector of the economy. Put simply, trade means jobs. All of the Nation's coastal States understand the importance of trade, seagoing trade in particular. In 1992, the last year for which statistics are available, this Nation exported $158.4 billion worth of goods through its seaports, and imported $293.1 billion of goods through the same ports of entry. The San Pedro Bay ports are the busiest containerport facility in the world. Combined, $109 billion worth of cargo moved through the Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports. Trade on the Pacific rim is only expected to grow. We must be able to support the projected growth in international commerce, and the development of the Alameda corridor will help us insure that we do so.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, the enfranchisement of women 75 years ago contributed to remarkable changes in the lives and well being, not just of women in our society, but of our Nation as a whole. On August 26 our Nation will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution. With the passage of this amendment, over a century after ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the right to vote was extended to women. This occasion is a time to reflect upon the many contributions made by women as a result of being enfranchised to vote, and I am proud to say that I am both a beneficiary of this historic amendment and a product of its legacy. In seeking the right to vote, the women who preceded me in political arena sought more than mere representation at the polls. Gaining the right to vote was the first critical step toward women becoming full and equal partners in every aspect of American society. The 19th amendment, in addition to enfranchising women, was a tacit declaration of a woman's right to hold office. In the first elections held after the ratification of the 19th amendment, women won public office in 23 States. The impact of women voting was felt even before the 19th amendment was ratified. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson, embroiled in a hotly contested reelection campaign, faced the first known gender-gap in a Presidential election. At the time, there were 12 States which allowed women to vote, and the newly formed Women's Party had mounted an aggressive campaign in those States to defeat Wilson because of his stiff opposition to women's suffrage. In Illinois, the only State where votes were tallied by sex, women voted against Wilson by a ratio of 2 to 1. And, in California, another equal suffrage State, Wilson won by only .3 percent of the vote. The women's vote nearly cost Woodrow Wilson the election. Although the Women's Party could not deny President Wilson a second term, an important goal had been accomplished--women were noticed as a significant force at the polls. Democrats put out as much campaign literature on women's suffrage that year as they did on peace. Today, although still grossly under-represented in numbers, women hold office in all levels of government. Fifty-five women serve in Congress today, including 7 in the U.S. Senate. Women hold the office of mayor in 178 cities with populations larger than 30,000. And, since 1925, 13 women have served as Governor of their State. In the past 75 years numerous women have broken the glass ceiling with many firsts. Janet Reno as the first woman Attorney General; Hazel O'Leary as the first woman Secretary of Energy; Jeane Kirkpatrick as the first woman Ambassador to the United Nations; Sandra Day O'Conner as the first woman Supreme Court Justice. I look forward to the day, however, when women no longer make news for being the first appointed, but for what they do. Then our Nation can say we have attained the level of equality the voters of 75 years ago began working toward. As a Member of the U.S. Senate, I stand before you as a direct descendant of the tireless efforts of Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and Dorothy Day--women who went to prison for picketing for the right to vote. These trailblazers, and many others whose names have escaped the history books, devoted their lives to make women full and equal partners in American society. I know that with every vote I cast as a Member of this body, I honor their legacy. It is in recognition of those women, and the progress made over the last 75 years, that we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the U.S Constitution.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, this amendment will set aside $5 million for the conversion of surplus Defense Department helicopters for counter-drug activities. This funding is needed to upgrade these helicopters with new radio and avionics equipment, search lights, upgraded landing gear and other improvements. There is currently a program at DOD that provides surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies for counter-drug purposes. However, no funding is currently available to convert the military equipment for use by local law enforcement. Localities simply do not have the funds necessary to implement this important program. This funding is critical to allow local law enforcement agencies to respond to increased drug trafficking. For example, in Sacramento, there have been several large arrests made of drug transporting thousands of pounds of marijuana and heroin. The city plans to use the surplus helicopters for interdiction of traffickers through their area. This $5 million appropriation will make a huge difference in the ability of localities to utilize these surplus helicopters. I thank my colleagues for their support in adopting this very important amendment.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I thank the distinguished Senator from Alaska. funding impact aid in the defense appropriations bill

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. As the Senator knows, the Casting Emission Reduction Program is a vital part of the dual-use-reuse process at McClellan Air Force Base. The CERP Program uses a new casting process developed to meet Clean Air Act requirements; $12 million is needed to fund the 3d year of this 5-year program. Would the Senator agree that the Defense Department should consider the importance of this program when making funding decisions regarding this program?

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, my amendment would make statutory changes to the Defense Conversion Loan Guarantee Program authorized last year. These revisions are necessary to optimize the program's task of providing financial and technical assistance to small, defense- dependent firms adversely impacted by defense downsizing. The Defense Conversion Loan Guarantee Program is a joint Small Business Administration/Department of Defense program which provides loan guarantees and technical assistance to small firms adversely affected by defense reductions. This program would provide SBA guaranteed businesses and communities adversely affected by defense downsizing and base closures. In order to fully maximize this important program, there are three areas in the existing law which need to be modified: First, the portion of DOD funds used for salaries and expenses; Second, the current restrictive eligibility requirements which limit the number of participants in the program; and Third, the duration of the program. My amendment would implement these statutory changes without requiring any new appropriation of funds. In the wake of extensive U.S. Defense downsizing and military base closures, this program is both necessary and vital to helping small businesses retain the jobs of Defense workers and create new employment opportunities in communities affected by economic dislocation. I am pleased to offer this amendment and thank my colleagues for their support. the defense department's financial management training program

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I wish to engage the Senator from Alaska in a colloquy.