Jesse Helms

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. I established that, I think, with my question to the Chair.

Mr. HELMS. I did not say the Senator was.

Mr. HELMS. I cannot, under the circumstances, when an obvious filibuster is taking away the subject at hand--to answer the question of the Senator, I will be glad on a time certain to have the floor yielded to anybody who wants to make a speech. But our side wants to talk about the pending business. I recall that when the reorganization of the State Department legislation came up, the first speaker that trotted out over there was that great statesman from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, who did not speak on the State Department. He spoke for 2 hours, 25 minutes on the minimum wage, a subject that he never brought up once when he was chairman of the relevant committee in the previous 2 years. So if we could have an understanding that we will have a little bit of time on this side to discuss the pending legislation while you folks are making the speeches that you want to make, sure, I will make a deal with you. What does the Senator have in mind?

Mr. HELMS. If the Senator will yield for a moment, the Senator from North Dakota has not yielded the floor, has he?

Mr. HELMS. The Senator is making a speech again.

Mr. HELMS. Point of order. Point of order. The Senator is not asking a question, he is making a speech.

Mr. HELMS. Point of order. Point of order. This is not a question.

Mr. HELMS. It is not a question.

Mr. HELMS. Of course.

Mr. HELMS. I will call the hand of any Senator who makes a speech while asking a question.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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

Mr. HELMS. I am not frustrated.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, he cannot make a speech.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the skyrocketing Federal debt, now about $25 billion short of $5 trillion, has been fueled for a generation by bureaucratic hot air; it is sort of like the weather, everybody has talked about it but almost nobody did much about it. That attitude began to change immediately after the elections in November 1994. When the new 104th Congress convened this past January, the U.S. House of Representatives quickly approved a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On the Senate side, all but one of the 54 Republican Senators supported the balanced budget amendment. That was the good news. The bad news was that only 13 Democrat Senators supported it, and that killed the balanced budget amendment for the time being. Since a two-thirds vote--67 Senators, if all Senators are present--is necessary to approve a constitutional amendment, the proposed Senate amendment failed by one vote. There will be another vote during the 104th Congress. Here is today's bad debt boxscore: As of the close of business Friday, October 6, the Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at exactly $4,974,778,210,422.20 or $18,884.34 for every man, woman, and child on a per capita basis.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, North Carolina is the home of professional auto racing and it is on behalf of literally thousands of Tar Heels and millions of other NASCAR racing fans across America that I today offer in the Senate the companion bill of the Motor Sports Protection Act which was introduced in the House on September 6 by the Honorable David Funderburk, who ably represents the Second North Carolina Congressional District. Mr. President, the announcement last month of plans by the Food and Drug Administration to designate tobacco has created much concern in my State, and other tobacco-producing southern States. This is an example of how Washington bureaucrats increase their regulatory power at the expense of the livelihoods of the Nation's farmers and manufacturers. The FDA's attack on tobacco advertising is sure to have a tremendously adverse effect on NASCAR racing. The issue is whether companies have a right to advertise their products. Advertising is a lawful act and tobacco is a lawful commodity. Unless and until tobacco is banned, proper advertising of this lawful product must not be denied by bureaucratic wherein. So, this bill will limit the Federal bureaucracy from imposing advertising restrictions on any sponsors of pro racing. The motor sports industry contributes more than $2 billion to the South's economy every year. Racing fans are hard working, law-abiding Americans--they don't deserve bureaucratic mistreatment. Mr. President, not too long ago, the ``King'' of racing Richard Petty retired. He left at a time when his name was synonymous with NASCAR racing. He was a perfect example of what can be accomplished with determination, faith, and family values. Richard Petty's success was built on the cooperation of his family, friend, and companies that supported him throughout his career. My friend, Richard Petty sends word that he will very much appreciate Senators' support of this bill, and so will I. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be printed in the Record.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, as of the close of business yesterday, September 28, the Federal debt stood at $4,954,794,272,486.85. On a per capita basis, every man, woman and child in America owes $18,808.48 as his or her share of that debt.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, North Carolina is the home of professional auto racing and it is on behalf of literally thousands of Tar Heels and millions of other NASCAR racing fans across America that I today offer in the Senate the companion bill of the Motor Sports Protection Act which was introduced in the House on September 6 by the Honorable David Funderburk, who ably represents the Second North Carolina Congressional District. Mr. President, the announcement last month of plans by the Food and Drug Administration to designate tobacco has created much concern in my State, and other tobacco-producing southern States. This is an example of how Washington bureaucrats increase their regulatory power at the expense of the livelihoods of the Nation's farmers and manufacturers. The FDA's attack on tobacco advertising is sure to have a tremendously adverse effect on NASCAR racing. The issue is whether companies have a right to advertise their products. Advertising is a lawful act and tobacco is a lawful commodity. Unless and until tobacco is banned, proper advertising of this lawful product must not be denied by bureaucratic wherein. So, this bill will limit the Federal bureaucracy from imposing advertising restrictions on any sponsors of pro racing. The motor sports industry contributes more than $2 billion to the South's economy every year. Racing fans are hard working, law-abiding Americans--they don't deserve bureaucratic mistreatment. Mr. President, not too long ago, the ``King'' of racing Richard Petty retired. He left at a time when his name was synonymous with NASCAR racing. He was a perfect example of what can be accomplished with determination, faith, and family values. Richard Petty's success was built on the cooperation of his family, friend, and companies that supported him throughout his career. My friend, Richard Petty sends word that he will very much appreciate Senators' support of this bill, and so will I. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be printed in the Record.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, this amendment will permit the Department of State to continue to charge and collect a fee for the issuance of machine readable visas in specific countries around the world through fiscal year 1996. The Department may collect up to $125 million worth of fees this year alone. It also authorizes the Department of State to use the moneys collected to offset the costs of diplomatic and consular activities overseas. In the fiscal year 1994-95 State Department authorization bill-- Public Law 103-236--the Committee on Foreign Relations authorized the Department to charge and collect these fees up to a total of $107 million. The Department almost met that ceiling this past year and expects to exceed that amount this fiscal year in as much as this relatively new program is now being implemented in more countries and, is thereby, made available to more people. Therefore, the Department is authorized to collect approximately $18 million more in fees this year. Mr. President, this amendment does not cost the American taxpayer a penny. It is, in fact, a tool for sound fiscal management the Department will be able to utilize this year, especially in light of budget cuts affecting the Department of State. I understand the able chairman of the subcommittee agrees with this measure and I thank him for his support.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the amendment at the desk extends the life of a program that is essential to thousands of American working parents. It extends the operations of the United States Information Agency's Au Pair program for another 4 years, through the end of fiscal year 1999. Mr. President, the Au Pair program provides families with two working parents a perfect alternative to day care. It allows these families to invite young people from other countries into their homes, for a year at a time, to live and work. The families and the au pairs, thus, live together while each teaches the other about their respective cultures; in return, the family's children receive exceptional care and the young au pairs experience a year in the United States while living with an American family. Earlier this year the members of the Foreign Relations Committee adopted a provision that would have extended the life of this program for another 4 years, just as the pending amendment does. The committee- adopted provision, however, is still pending in the committee's authorization bill which the Senate has yet to consider fully. Since the authority to continue this program expires on September 30 of this year, the Senate must take immediate action. One may ask why I offer a 4-year extension of this program. The answer is twofold: First, the authorizing committee made the decision to extend it for 4 years and, second, so that we can put this issue to rest for at least one additional authorization cycle. Our committee has spent countless hours overseeing this program during the last few years. The U.S. Information Agency, which administers this program, has spent many hours on it as well. USIA this year applied new regulations to the administration of the au pair program and I want to see these regulations implemented for awhile before a determination is made as to whether the program should be permanently authorized. Mr. President, the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee has indicated his support for this measure. I thank him and ask that we move on this simple issue expeditiously. amendment no. 2822 (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate on United States-Canada Cooperation concerning an outlet to relieve flooding at Devils Lake in north Dakota) On page 124, after line 20, insert the following:

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the pending amendment authorizes the Senate and House committees on appropriations to waive the requirement in section 15 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act that appropriations must first be authorized. This waiver applies through December 1, 1995. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which has the responsibility of authorizing the activities of the Department of State and its related agencies, I am reluctant to agree to this waiver. However, because the administration and certain Members of this Senate have refused to allow a vote on the committee's authorization bill--S. 908, the Foreign Relations Revitalization Act of 1995--and since Senate consideration of S. 908 bill is still pending, I have agreed to allow the State Department's funding to go forward without authorization through the first of December. This window will allow adequate time for the President and his representatives to advise their friends in the Senate that no further efforts on their part should be made to forbid a vote on the authorizing legislation S. 908. Mr. President, I reiterate now what I have asserted on numerous occasions since the Democrats' filibuster against S. 908 began; the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will resume consideration of and action upon all nominations, treaties, and legislation pending before the committee once the administration urges Senate Democrats to vote on our legislation. I thank the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee for his cooperation on this issue. I thank him also for his continued support of our efforts to consolidate three anachronistic Federal foreign affairs agencies into the Department of State which, he and I agree, will help balance the Federal budget. amendment no. 2828 (Purpose: To make available for diplomatic and consular programs funds collected from new fees charged for the expedited processing of certain visas and border crossing cards) On page 93, line 7, after ``Provided,'' insert the following: ``That, notwithstanding the second sentence of section 140(a)(3) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), not to exceed $125,000,000 of fees may be collected during fiscal year 1996 under the authority of section 140(a)(1) of that Act: Provided further, That all fees collected under the preceding proviso shall be deposited in fiscal year 1996 as an offsetting collection to appropriations made under this heading to recover the costs of providing consular services and shall remain available until expended: Provided further,''. machine readable visa fees

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the impression will not go away: The $4.9 trillion Federal debt stands today as a sort of grotesque parallel to television's energizer bunny that appears and appears and appears in precisely the same way that the Federal debt keeps going up and up and up. Politicians like to talk a good game--and talk is the operative word--about reducing the Federal deficit and bringing the Federal debt under control. But watch how they vote. Control, Mr. President. As of Wednesday, September 27, at the close of business, the total Federal debt stood at exactly $4,955,602,761,788.67 or $18,811.55 per man, woman, child on a per capita basis. Res ipsa loquitur. Some control, is it not?

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, on the memorable evening in 1972 when I was first elected to the Senate, I made a commitment to myself that I would never fail to see a young person, or a group of young people, who wanted to see me. It has proved enormously beneficial to me because I have been inspired by the estimated 60,000 young people with whom I have visited during the nearly 23 years I have been in the Senate. Most of them have been concerned about the enormity of the Federal debt that Congress has run up for the coming generations to pay. The young people and I almost always discuss the fact that under the U.S. Constitution, no President can spend a dime of Federal money that has not been authorized and appropriated by both the House and Senate of the United States. That is why I began making these daily reports to the Senate on February 22, 1992. I wanted to make a matter of daily record of the precise size of the Federal debt which as of yesterday, Tuesday, September 26, stood at $4,953,250,764,121.84 or $18,802.63 for every man, woman, and child in America on a per capita basis.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, before discussing today's bad news about the Federal debt, how about ``another go,'' as the British put it, with our pop quiz. Remember? One question, one answer. The question: How many millions of dollars does it take to add up a trillion dollars? While you are thinking about it, bear in mind that it was the U.S. Congress that ran up the Federal debt that now exceeds $4.9 trillion. To be exact, as of the close of business yesterday, September 25, the total Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at $4,949,968,824,497.45, of which, on a per capita basis, every man, woman and child in America owes $18,790.17. Mr. President, back to our pop quiz, how many million in a trillion: There are a million million in a trillion.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the skyrocketing Federal debt, now soaring toward $5 trillion, has been fueled for a generation now by bureaucratic hot air--and it is sort of like the weather--everybody talks about it but almost nobody did much about it until immediately after the elections in November 1994. But when the new 104th Congress convened this past January, the U.S. House of Representatives quickly approved a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On the Senate side, all but 1 of the 54 Republicans supported the balanced budget amendment--that was the good news. The bad news was that only 13 Democrats supported it--which killed hopes for a balanced budget amendment for the time being. Since a two- thirds vote--67 Senators, if all Senator's are present--is necessary to approve a constitutional amendment, the proposed Senate amendment failed by one vote. There will be another vote either this year or in 1996. Here is today's bad debt boxscore: As of the close of business Friday, September 22, the Federal debt-- down to the penny--stood at exactly $4,949,192,404,249.15 or $18,787.22 for every man, woman, and child on a per capita basis.