Wendell Ford

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the President's nomination of a new Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA], Ms. Jane Garvey. Ms. Garvey comes to us with over a decade of distinguished public service. From 1991 to 1993, Ms. Garvey served as director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Before that, Ms. Garvey served as the commissioner and associate commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Works from 1983 to 1991. Ms. Garvey's experience in public office is impressive. That experience will prove invaluable in her ability to manage a complex agency like the FAA. Over the last several years, Linda Daschle and David Hinson worked hard to change the direction of the FAA. Ms. Garvey, if confirmed, will need to continue those efforts. Ms. Garvey comes to this position as a proven manager with outstanding leadership skills. She will need those skills to navigate the FAA through some choppy waters over the next 5 years. During the confirmation hearing, the chairman expressed concern about Ms. Garvey's involvement with the cost overruns for the central artery/ third harbor tunnel project in Boston. I want to take a moment to address the chairman's concerns. Let me suggest that, from what we have been able to piece together, Ms. Garvey took several proactive steps to try and keep that project within budget. First and foremost, a significant reason for the cost overrun is because of inflation. The original cost estimate of $2.6 billion was based on 1982 dollars, which, at the time, was a standard method for calculating project costs at FHWA. The project is now expected to be completed at $10.4 billion. Of that increase, approximately $4.1 billion is a result of inflation. The scope of the project has changed over the past 15 years as well. The total cost of the project now includes several new interchanges, additional pavement work, bridge work, in addition to the cost of relocating a toll plaza. Many of these items were not funded by the highway administration, but were still included in the total cost of the project. Ms. Garvey has noted that, as deputy administrator for FHWA, these additional costs would not be borne by the Federal Government--the State of Massachusetts must assume these costs. It strikes me that--from what the committee has been able to gather-- that Ms. Garvey has been proactive in trying to contain the costs of this project. For example, Ms. Garvey, while deputy at FHWA, imposed caps that limited Federal spending on this project. This is the kind of proactive leadership we need to ensure that Federal resources are used wisely. I believe Ms. Garvey's experience with the central artery project will help her manage the sizable effort now underway at the FAA to modernize the air traffic control system. These are large, complex efforts, similar in scope to the central artery/third harbor tunnel project. One of those efforts is the replacement of several critical air traffic control computer systems. This effort must run smoothly and within budget, and the nominee's leadership will provide much needed guidance in achieving this critical objective. Another FAA effort will be the transition to a global positioning system [GPS]. By moving to GPS, the industry expects to save billions of dollars every year from more efficient navigation. Like replacing the air traffic control systems, the transition to GPS must also be managed smoothly. I expect Ms. Garvey's dedication and leadership will help FAA succeed in this effort. Let us also not forget the critical role FAA plays in ensuring that air transportation remains the safest way to travel. Every day, 365 days a year, thousands of aircraft make their way safely thanks in part to the nationals air traffic control system. The FAA manages this system admirably, but there is always room for improvement. I anticipate Ms. Garvey will bring her ingenuity and creativity to the task of improving safety. If approved, I pledge to work with Ms. Garvey to make air travel as safe as it can be. I know Secretary Slater holds a similar philosophy on safety--and I also know Ms. Garvey and Mr. Slater have an excellent working relationship. By working together, I expect the team of Slater and Garvey to effectively manage a safe and efficient national air system. Ms. Garvey comes to us having won high marks as Deputy Director for the Highway Administration. Those who worked with her at the Agency and those from outside the Agency all credit Ms. Garvey with strong leadership, dedication, and ingenuity. I urge my colleagues to support this nomination. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to recognize an organization who has represented the visually impaired for 50 years. Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky will convene on September 5 and 6 to celebrate their work and commitment to improving the lives of visually impaired citizens in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The organization's first president, Harold L. Reagan, lived his life not as a blind person, but as an American citizen with a dream. Not only was Reagan blind, but he also lost his arm. In the 1930's this was not easy to overcome. However, this did not stop Reagan. He created an enterprise selling candy, soft drinks and cigarettes over a counter at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Louisville, KY. Reagan was the first visually impaired person to manage this type of business in Kentucky and inspired many others to follow in his footsteps. Reagan faced adversity with courage and strength. Along with fellow supporters, Reagan helped shape a small organization that became known as the Kentucky Federation of the Blind. This group challenged society to set aside their biases, and opened doors for the visually impaired. Their efforts led to the establishment of a separate agency for the blind in Kentucky which improved services to the blind through additional resources and the elimination of bureaucratic hurdles. In 1947 Kentucky became the 27th State affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind. In 1979 Betty Niceley filled the shoes of her mentor as President of the Kentucky chapter. Visually impaired Kentuckians, family, friends and citizens now reap the benefits of current information, education, and a forceful advocate on State and Federal issues. Ongoing activities and constant public contact continues to make the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky a united force. Their efforts have distinguished Kentucky as a leader throughout the country for its research and promotion of technology assisting visually impaired users in obtaining highly sought after computer jobs. As times change, so do biases and expectations. This year the U.S. Senate saw a staffer join us on the floor to assist with important legislation. While this is not unusual, it was unusual to see this aid assisted by her guide dog. This same aid and guide dog assisted my office a little over a year ago. I would never say the road that Reagan and other visually impaired Kentuckians have traveled was an easy one to travel, but a necessary journey to benefit generations to come. As friends and family gather today and tomorrow, it will not only be a time to reflect on the past, but toward the future. I am proud to stand before you and say the world is changing for the better. I know you will join me in congratulating the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky for 50 years of dedication and service in our quest for a better future.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I am pleased to have the honor today of paying tribute to Joe R. Christian who will be retiring on August 19 from the U.S. Capitol Police after 20 years of service to the force. As the officer on duty with the Capitol Third Division, Joe has given Members and staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence a sense of safety and well-being that few others could. His warm smile, good sense of humor and welcoming words have endeared him to his colleagues as well. Officer Joe Christian has demonstrated that he is a true Kentuckian by his commitment to serving the public good. While he may no longer live in the Commonwealth, Joe has roots back home in Elkton, KY. I know that his friends and family there are proud of his service to the U.S. Capitol Police and his service to the U.S. Navy. Joe joined the Navy at 18 and for over 20 years, he flew all over the world with different squadrons, earning an Honorable Discharge as well as a Good Conduct Medal with a five oak leaf cluster. I am proud of Joe, too, and extend my best wishes to him as he begins this new phase of his life.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I thank the Senator from Nebraska.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Nevada [Mr. Bryan], the Senator from California [Mrs. Feinstein], the Senator from Iowa [Mr. Harkin], and the Senator from Nevada [Mr. Reid] are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, it is always good to work with my longtime friend, Senator Byrd, on a project that we both believe very strongly in, and it is good to work with a newfound friend. I have had an affection for people from Nebraska for a long time, and Jim Exon and I worked together as Governors and then here. I appreciate the Senator's friendship and getting to know each other. And so I thank him for his cooperation and help here this morning. Mr. President, there is an old saying that when you run out of luck, you better get a new pair of dice. As far as I am concerned, we have lost every roll of the dice during the climate change negotiations, and we better get ourselves a new pair. Otherwise, American workers will be out of luck. That is why I rise today to support Senate Resolution 98 which Senator Byrd and Senator Hagel now have before the Senate. If you take a good look at the global climate change treaty currently being negotiated, you will discover that developing nations are the high rollers while the developed nations keep coming up with snake eyes and the big loser is the global environment. That is because only developed nations would be legally bound by the treaty hammered out by negotiators, the so-called ``Berlin Mandate'' produced back in 1995. Developing nations are off the hook. That decision contained two glaring errors. First, negotiators agreed to complete negotiations for the post-2000 period by the artificial deadline of 1997 before they began implementation of the 1992 convention and before there was an understanding of the complexity of those negotiations. Second, negotiators succumbed to the demands of China and other developing countries that any agreement reached in Kyoto in 1997 for post-2000 commitments must exempt Asian economies such as China and India and the rest of the developing world. Right now, developed nations and developing nations have about equal levels of carbon emissions, but within 5 years of the deadline developing nations will have more than 1\1/2\ times the 1990 level of the developing world. So because of those bad rolls of the dice, the treaty is heavily weighted against America and especially against American workers. That is because the U.S. will have to make the steepest reductions and suffer the costliest and most damaging consequences. Preliminary estimates put the loss as high as 600,000 American jobs each year. And 600,000 jobs is probably a low estimate because the treaty creates an enormous incentive for American businesses to shift more and more jobs overseas to avoid the expensive emission reductions that U.S. businesses will have to meet. The impact in Kentucky would be especially bad. Not only miners working in the coal fields of eastern and western Kentucky suffer job losses but many of the businesses and factories that have created a ``golden triangle,'' as we refer to it, between northern Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington would be forced to close, and every single Kentuckian will experience and face higher electric bills and higher gas prices. The sad thing is we will not even get a cleaner environment. That is the sad thing. We will not stop global warming. We will not even reduce carbon emissions. That is because every ton of reduced emissions in the United States and other developed nations will be made up and then some in the developing world. The way I see it we have been stuck in a game with loaded dice. You have a treaty with devastating consequences for the American economy. You end up with virtually no environmental benefit. It looks like nothing more than a massive foreign aid package paid for with American jobs. It is clear that many American interests are being neglected by our negotiators and that we must come up with a better solution for the problem of global emissions. But time is limited for the Senate to send a message that the treaty as currently reported is not acceptable. The answer is clearly not, as proposed by the State Department, a Kyoto protocol and then a second agreement of some kind after Kyoto in 2005 or even later. That scenario ignores the fact that we have no assurances China and other developing countries will become parties to any agreement with a commitment to simply start discussions for a third agreement. I believe Senator Byrd's and Senator Hagel's resolution is the right method. It sets commonsense parameters for our negotiators to work from and assures that any treaty meets the goal of reduced emissions without penalizing one country over another. I hope my colleagues will join us in sending this important message, not only to our negotiators, but to the American people that both the global environment and our national interests must be protected. I thank my friends and yield the floor. Mr. KERRY addressed the Chair.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I would like to say a few words about a dedicated Senate employee, Carole Stevenson, who is retiring after 30 years of Federal service. Carole worked for me when I served as chairman of the Rules Committee. She currently works on the staff of our colleague, Tim Johnson. Carole held a number of jobs as she went about acquiring her 30 years of service. She worked for Senators Capehart and Kefauver in the fifties, the Architect of the Capitol and the executive branch in the sixties, and the Office of Technology Assessment in the mid-seventies. She even took off a decade to have and raise a family. Carole joined the staff of the Senate Rules Committee in 1977 and stayed for 20 years. She held a variety of jobs, moving from front office receptionist, to room reservationist, to secretary and staff assistant in the Technical Services section of the Rules Committee. To put it simply, Carole was a hard worker who took pride in her work. She always wanted to do a good job for her employer, and she did. She loves the Senate, so she did her best. I want to personally thank Carole for her service to the Senate. Her many friends in this great institution will miss her. All of us wish her well in her retirement.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today in support of a Senate resolution submitted by the distinguished Senator from Idaho. Senate Resolution 96 sponsored by Senator Larry Craig would designate the week of March 15 through March 21, 1998 as ``National Safe Place Week.'' Project Safe Place is a creative approach to serving youth and families in crisis. I am particularly pleased to cosponsor this resolution on behalf of the first program started in my home State of Kentucky. Project Safe Place began in a firehouse in Louisville, KY in 1983, providing a safe haven from various negative influences such as child abuse, substance abuse, and crime. Safe Places put distressed children and families in touch with the resources they need to keep them safe. This assistance often comes in the form of counseling and a safe and secure place to stay. Today, the Safe Place Program has spread to 34 States across the country. More than 6,000 business locations displaying the black and yellow Safe Place sign indicating that those in need can seek help from those inside. The Safe Place Program exemplifies the best in our local communities. Project Safe Place is about community businesses and volunteers working together to help the most vulnerable in our society. It is essential that we bring this valuable program to every community, because those in need feel more comfortable in turning to resources in their own neighborhoods and communities. By designating March 15 through March 21, 1998 as ``National Safe Place Week,'' we not only bring public awareness to this outstanding program, but recognize those volunteers and businesses who give so much to make our communities a truly safe place. I urge my colleagues to lend their names to this worthwhile legislation.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I liked the first one better.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] is necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] would vote ``no.''

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] is necessarily absent. I further announce that if present and voting, the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] would vote ``no.''

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] is necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] would vote ``nay.''

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] is necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] would vote ``aye.''

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I say to my good friend--

Mr. FORD. Under the Synar amendment, the States have passed laws to comply with SAMHSA. And, under that compliance they are required to enforce the law. And they are to so certify. They are to so certify to HHS that they are doing it. And part of that requirement is the so-called sting operations, that you wouldn't notify an operation that you are going to inspect them. So, this to me is double jeopardy on the States. You are taking SAMHSA that can take away their block grants and you have FDA, that you are trying to give money to, to enforce something that you already have the enforcement mechanism to do. We may disagree on this, but $1 billion is a lot of money. It is not an unfunded mandate.

Mr. FORD. I thank the Chair. And I might get a few more minutes here. The motion to table the Harkin amendment is significant because the Senator from Iowa talked about the goals; there were no goals under the SAMHSA amendment or what we refer to as the Synar amendment.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware [Mr. Biden] is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD. Senator, losing their block grant is a penalty.

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

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Just for that. And what about the overall loss from other crops?

Mr. FORD. Substantial.

Mr. FORD. I send an amendment in the second degree to the Durbin amendment to the desk.

Mr. FORD. Here you are damaging the farmer that is beginning to feel the pinch anyhow and hoping that we could negotiate some kind of an agreement. He is left out. You still want to eliminate this part of his everyday life.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I would like to put in the Record at this point a letter from the Secretary of Agriculture to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Senator Cochran, and ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record.

Mr. FORD. Is the money in the premiums in your figures here paid by the farmer--deducted, and this is the net?