Wendell Ford

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Lior S. Yaron of Louisville, Kentucky, who has been selected as the Kentucky Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mr. Yaron is the President and CEO of LSY International, a distribution company in Louisville. He started the company in 1985 in New York and then moved the headquarters to Kentucky. Lior began LSY with a unique idea of marketing General Electric appliances with European voltage standards to domestic customers who would be moving back to their native country. Mr. Yaron recognized that he was in a position to fill a niche market. As a result, his customers were able to buy an appliance in the U.S. that was designed to work on foreign voltage standards. This allowed customers to bring these appliances back to their home country without having to pay duties, thus providing them with significant savings while also giving them quality home appliances. The success of LSY is also attributed to heavy advertising in publications frequently read by foreign nationals. Mr. Yaron relied on his unique advertising to minimize risks associated with selling goods that are only marketable overseas. LSY's innovative way of doing business has enabled it to grow and prosper. Sales have increased from $600,000 in 1985 to $11,520,460 in 1997. Employees have increased from only two in 1985 to 40 in 1997. And finally, I would like to say that Mr. Yaron's vision and innovation set an example for all small business entrepreneurs. I am very happy that Mr. Yaron is being recognized for all of the hard work that has gone into this successful business. I congratulate him on this significant accomplishment and am proud that this innovative business is based in Kentucky.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, let me say to my colleague from Illinois, I understand his frustration. I understand the goals that he is attempting to reach, and I agree with him, but I am one of those who voted against cloture. In his 15-minute speech, he did not mention the farmer, the farmer who could wake up in the morning if we pass this bill with some amendments in it and be out of business in 36 months. The Senator from Illinois wouldn't mind that, but I certainly do. I don't object to smoke-free schools. Ninety percent and better in my State, a tobacco State, are opposed to underage smoking. We have no problems with that. But be fair to those and help those who have a life in front of them based on a legal product. They have had no part in all these problems of lies and documents and court cases, but are down there living by the sweat of their brow. And we are not talking about the farmer. Look at this bill that is before us and the amendments that have been adopted or that are pending, and you want cloture to be invoked on that bill and be the bill that goes out of here? I cannot allow that. I cannot in good conscience allow cloture to be voted on that bill and my farmers not be taken care of. I agree with the Senator from Illinois--of course I do--we have lost the target. We have lost the target. Someone figured up the other day that if everything that has been introduced and is in this bill is taken care of, we will spend 169 percent of the estimated amount of money that is going to be raised in the next 5 years. Mr. President, I am one of those--and I admit it, it is on the record--but I want people to know why I voted against cloture and will continue to vote against cloture until we can get some consensus as it relates to my farmers. The Senator from Illinois said he wants leadership. I think our leader is doing one heck of a job. I think he is pushing the point. I think he is doing the right thing for the position he is in, and I think the leadership on the other side is making one mistake after the other after the other after the other, because of what they are trying to do--to make a lifesaving piece of legislation into a tax cut bill. We need to understand that, and I think the American people will. Mr. President, I am hopeful that before we have too many cloture votes and are criticized for voting no on cloture that we can have something that is palatable or even reasonable--even reasonable--that we can vote on to do the right thing for those we represent. I represent 65,000 small farm families, and I intend to see that, to the best of my ability, every one of those are treated fairly. Up to now, the answer has been no, and the answer will continue to be no on cloture until such time that we can see some daylight as it relates to those families that are struggling down in my State of Kentucky. I yield the floor. Mr. COVERDELL addressed the Chair.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) is necessarily absent. The result was announced--yeas 52, nays 46 as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 151 Leg.]

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye), is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Ruby L. Wyatt and Dixie L. Owen of Falmouth, Kentucky, who have both been selected as Phoenix Award recipients for Small Business Disaster Recovery by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Phoenix Award seeks to recognize outstanding individuals who overcome the odds in the face of disaster. Ruby is the President of Wyatt's Supermarket, Inc., and her daughter Dixie is the Secretary of this business which has been owned by their family for over 50 years. Ruby and her late husband Abe started in the grocery business in 1945 by selling food and supplies from the back of their Studebaker truck throughout the rolling hills of northern Kentucky. The Wyatt family soon expanded their operation and opened a full service supermarket. The business continued to flourish until a major flood hit Falmouth in March 1997. The supermarket Ruby and Dixie had just built only seven years earlier, was devastated by the flood. Ruby, at age 75, and Dixie decided to rebuild the store. In just 66 days, Wyatt's SuperValu reopened for business and all 52 employees were rehired. Today, Wyatt's SuperValu is the only grocery store serving Pendleton County. Ruby and Dixie's dedication did not end with rebuilding their own business. They worked to help secure federal funds to help rebuild the surrounding community in the aftermath of the flood. In addition, Ruby and Dixie participated in a fund-raiser with the Coca-Cola Company that raised money for the local public library damaged by the flood. There can be no doubt that Ruby and Dixie's drive and determination during the aftermath of the flood is worthy of the Phoenix Award. The community of Falmouth is lucky to have two business leaders who are dedicated to the well-being of their community. The actions of the Wyatt family serve as a role model for other business leaders who are affected by natural disasters. I congratulate them on their success and wish them many future years of success serving the people of northern Kentucky.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Biden) and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. You keep talking about the farmers and misrepresenting it. I just want to correct you.

Mr. FORD. You will be.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, would the Senator from Texas yield?

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. May we have order, Mr. President, to listen to the majority leader?

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the Chair.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Biden), the Senator from California (Mrs. Boxer), and the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Moseley-Braun), are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. They can't.

Mr. FORD. But the point here, then, is that I am putting out all this information, and it doesn't work; then you get fined. I am a little bit concerned about that. I understand where the Senator is coming from. But I think we need to cover one more base, that if the tobacco industry is going to be responsible for the percentage reduction, and, if it isn't, then they pay, they ought to be able to be charged with advertising, or something, rather than letting HHS do it. And if it doesn't work, they get penalized. As we say down home, ``Something about that ain't right,'' and I hope the Senator, with all his knowledge of this area, would look somehow to be sure that, if you are going to be charged with a penalty here, somehow you ought to have some input on how it is completed. You might be able to clear me up on that.

Mr. FORD. Will the Senator yield for a question?

Mr. FORD. I understand where you are going with this, and it is beginning to take hold. But in this piece of legislation, does HHS have the ability to put on the educational programs that would reduce youth smoking and the tobacco industry would have no control over that?

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, could I help the Senator with the names of some packs of cigarettes?

Mr. FORD. I say to my friend, I take this as if they were doing it to me as an individual and saying that you are going to be penalized--I am going to be penalized if your program doesn't work. And some companies, a brand only has about 1 percent of youth. They don't like it, and they don't use it. But if you reduce it down, if it is 1 percent, which one brand is, then you have to reduce that to six-tenths of 1 percent. That becomes very difficult when it is all adults. I agree with what you are trying to do. I hope somehow or another we can make it fair rather than unfair.

Mr. FORD. I object.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a question, and I am on your side. I am on your side.

Mr. FORD. May we have order?

Mr. FORD. What was the answer?

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I agree with that, and I will try to help. My pleadings have fallen on hard times.

Mr. FORD. I appreciate it. I want you to know--I want everybody to know--we are trying to operate in an efficient manner, and other things are jeopardizing the ability to do it in an efficient manner. Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.