Wendell Ford

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Hollings] is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), the Senator from Michigan (Mr. Levin), and the Senator from New York (Mr. Moynihan) are necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New York (Mr. Moynihan) would vote ``aye.''

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Bumpers) and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) is necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) and the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) and the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an issue that is of great importance to my state. For over 30 years the Tennessee Valley Authority has administered a parcel of land in Kentucky called Land Between the Lakes. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting this region, Land Between the Lakes is used for recreational and educational activities and for pure enjoyment of the land's beauty. In 1961 TVA proposed to President Kennedy that land between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake be established as a national recreation area. In 1963 that proposal became a reality. Initially, TVA was to administer Land Between the Lakes for about 10 years as a temporary demonstration project after which permanent administration would be determined. Though no formal proceedings were held to determine who should administer Land Between the Lakes it has been the custom and practice of Congress to provide annual appropriations to TVA for Land Between the Lakes. TVA has invested years in creating a program that meets the needs of all Land Between the Lakes visitors. According to the Administration Land Between the Lakes is ``the hub of tourism and recreation industry that annually generates $400 million in economic activity in nine contiguous counties.'' TVA has the equipment, it has the resources and it has employees to do the job correctly. TVA has a vested interest in protecting the integrity of the land, a vested interest like the original landowners who want to assure their land in Kentucky receives the upmost care and protection. And Mr. President, people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky have deep cultural ties to the land. Land Between the Lakes is not just another recreation area--it is a part of family history. Kentuckians gave up their rights to property that had been in their family for generations, so the whole world would have the opportunity to enjoy Land Between the Lakes and its natural resources. Creation of Land Between the Lakes as a national recreation area was not without incident. But over the years TVA has proven itself as a worthy guardian of one of Kentucky's most precious resources. Land Between the Lakes is a place for both the young and old, Kentuckians and visitors to our state to appreciate nature in its purest form. TVA is keeping a promise made to the original land owners to conserve, protect and keep the land in its natural state. Mr. President, a provision of this bill transfers the administrative authority of Land Between the Lakes to the National Forest Service if Congress does not appropriate $6 million to manage the recreation area. But in Kentucky, we believe if it isn't broken don't fix it. The people of Kentucky who sacrificed their family land to create Land Between the Lakes do not want this transfer to occur. They cannot understand why people in Washington want to take away TVA's administrative authority of Land Between the Lakes when Kentuckians are happy with the status quo, and I'm having a hard time explaining why people who don't live in Kentucky are making this decision. It doesn't make sense to my constituents and I agree. If Congress is willing to appropriate $6 million for Land Between the Lakes for the Forest Service, then it's sending a clear message that it supports continued funding for Land Between the Lakes. If Congress intends to fund Land Between the Lakes then it makes sense to fund it through TVA, an established and successful route of management. Who administers Land Between the Lakes may not be an issue of national importance, but for Kentuckians it is a matter of pride and honor in protecting their land. For the last couple of years we've all heard how important it is to give local communities the power to make decisions that directly affect their lives. When it's in Congress' best interest, they're all for giving local communities the power to make their own decisions. But for Kentuckians who gave up their land to help create Land Between the Lakes, Congress believes it knows better what's in their best interest. This provision threatens the integrity of the land and the integrity of the people of Kentucky. My fellow Kentuckians have never been shy about letting me know what is best for them and I've never been afraid to listen. Transferring administrative authority of Land Between the Lakes away from TVA is a bad move. The proposal of this transfer has caused an emotional response and divided communities. It does not represent the best interest of Land Between the Lakes, the original landowners' families, nor the people of Kentucky.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Moseley-Braun), and the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Torricelli) are necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Moseley-Braun), would vote ``no.''

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Mosely-Braun), and the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Torricelli) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Kerrey), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Moseley-Braun), and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Biden), the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Dodd), the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. Landrieu), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Lautenberg), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Moseley- Braun), the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Wyden) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the efforts of the Take Back The Night Alliance, an organization in the metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky area that is working to end a problem that affects us all in one way or another: violence against women. On Thursday, September 10, as part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness months, the Alliance will for the first time in its nine-year history kick off a month-long series of events that will create a greater awareness of the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that perpetuate these specific kinds of crimes. The statistics of domestic violence are sobering, and I'll give you just a brief sampling here: A woman is physically abused every nine seconds in the United States. In Kentucky alone, 80,000 women were victims of domestic violence in 1997. One out of four females will be sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18. For every rape, 10 others go unreported. Husbands and boyfriends commit 13,000 acts of violence against women in the workplace every year. The total healthcare costs of family violence are estimated at $44 million each year. Take Back The Night rallies have been held throughout the United States since 1978. In Louisville, the National Organization for Women has been the organizing force for this event for the past nine years, but over 200 civic organizations, government agencies and businesses have joined this year to sponsor a wide range of activities drawing attention to the problems faced by women who are victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault. One group will collect previously owned business clothing for abused women returning to the workforce. Another will sponsor safety and prevention workshops in area hospitals and companies. And yet another will provide materials on date rape and sexual assault to be placed in bars and in women's restrooms. Louisville and Jefferson County have been recognized as leaders in the field of domestic violence, and I am heartened by the strong outpouring of support that the Take Back the Night Alliance has received from the community. We all know that such success does not happen by accident, and I would like to commend the Alliance leaders for their dedicated efforts to ease the plight of women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and rape.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman) and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent. I further announce that, if present and voting the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings) would vote ``aye.''

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Inouye) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr President. In 1948, back in my home state of Kentucky, Governor Earle C. Clements made the Commonwealth the 38th state to enact a State Police Act. Kentucky was changing rapidly, and Governor Clements saw a need for a statewide police force to support the local authorities. With this measure, Kentucky kicked off fifty proud years of state police enforcement. For each twist and turn through the last half century, the Kentucky State Police have responded by continuing to push themselves to provide the best service they can to protect Kentuckians. The police motto is ``To Serve and Protect,'' but the Kentucky State Police have another slogan as well--``A Proud Past . . . A Prouder Tomorrow.'' That says it all about this group of men and women so committed to Kentucky. The first decade of the agency brought the very first pay raise to state police officers. Their pay went from $130 to $150 a month. In the Fifties, the state police took to the air with the first aircraft purchase while they still patrolled the highways in ``incognito squads,'' as they called them, checking for speeders and overweight trucks. The Sixties put the officers in gray cars just like their gray uniforms, creating an instantly recognizable presence in person and on the roadways. The Kentucky State Police responded to a need they perceived statewide by creating Trooper Island, a cost-free summer camp for underprivileged boys on a former Army Corps of Engineers island in Dale Hollow Lake. To this day, boys and girls who otherwise would be unable to attend a camp come for a wonderful week of fun dedicated to the development of their self-images. The Seventies brought massive upheaval to the entire country, and Kentucky was no different. A drug enforcement unit became necessary for the agency, and the first female trooper was hired. A computerized network was set up linking state and local law enforcement to crime information. In the Eighties, the Kentucky State Police coordinated with the Kentucky National Guard to begin a full scale marijuana eradication effort. In response to a national movement, a toll-free hotline for reporting drunken drivers was established. And this decade brought video cameras installed in patrol cars, a centralized laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, and the 911 phone system in local communities was linked to the statewide network. Today there are sixteen field posts distributed throughout the state, 1,000 officers, and comprehensive law enforcement resources. The Kentucky State Police have responded to each and every change, continually making themselves to be the best force they could be. In light of recent events at the Capitol, I am more aware than ever of the ways police put themselves on the line to protect our safety each and every day. It takes a special calling and an extraordinary commitment to choose police work as your life's work. They have chosen to get up every day and protect us. They do it even though we often take them for granted, even though the work can be thankless, even though they could lose their life. I am so appreciative of those men and women who serve this country in such a noble way, and today I want to honor the men and women of the Kentucky State Police who have served Kentucky in their own noble way for fifty years.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I wish to associate myself with the remarks of my distinguished colleague and Chairman, Senator Warner. I, too, would like to express my appreciation to Commissioners Aikens and McGarry for their many years of service at the Federal Election Commission. I have enjoyed working with them and especially admired their commitment to the fair and impartial enforcement of election law. To both of them and their families I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes for many happy, healthy, and fulfilling future years.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I reserved my right to object a moment ago, and I have no objection now. I thank the chairman for his courtesy. Mr. STEVENS addressed the Chair.