Jesse Helms

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, for the Committee on Foreign Relations, I report favorably in the Foreign Service the nomination list which was printed in the Record on the date indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nomination lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, a great many of us who live in tobacco-producing states, and particularly North Carolina, whose tobacco farmers for years have produced quality tobacco mainly flue- cured but some burley, are proud of our fine farmers many of whom harvest an enormous amount of excellent food and fiber products. We are grateful for North Carolina's tobacco companies which paved the way for our State's becoming national leaders in business, banking, and manufacturing of many kinds. Charlotte is the second largest banking center in America. The Bank of America is headquartered there. Some time ago Fortune Magazine announced that its annual survey had confirmed that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company of Winston-Salem is one of the 100 best companies in America to work for. The Chairman and CEO of RJR, Andrew J. Schindler, states that the key reason why Reynolds Tobacco won the award is, ``It's our people. Without the hard work, creative energy, pride and dedication of our employees, RJR could not be successful.'' Then Mr. Schindler added: ``The real secret to Reynolds Tobacco's success is that our employees stand together as a close corporate family, and that's what makes our company stand apart from the crowd. This company is filled with extraordinary people, making Reynolds Tobacco an extraordinarily good place to work,'' Schindler stressed. There's a point in all of this that ought not to go unnoticed like a ship passing in the night: Some of the trial lawyers, seeking to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars in court-awarded cash, have portrayed tobacco companies as villains and the corporate leaders of those companies as crooks. Contrived lawsuits have fluttered from the offices of intellectually dishonest trial lawyers portraying the company leaders as dishonest men and women with evil intent. This is simply not so, and those trial lawyers know it's not so. Nobody in my family smokes, but one of them was indignant several months ago at some of the false declarations of some of the trial lawyers. She said: ``I'm sorry for anyone whose health has declined because of smoking or whatever cause, but I've never heard of an instance where anybody started smoking because a gun was pointed at his head.''

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Thursday, March 29, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,770,774,722,962.15, Five trillion, seven hundred seventy billion, seven hundred seventy-four million, seven hundred twenty-two thousand, nine hundred sixty-two dollars and fifteen cents. One year ago, March 29, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,733,452,000,000, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-three billion, four hundred fifty-two million. Five years ago, March 29, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,117,786,000,000, Five trillion, one hundred seventeen billion, seven hundred eighty-six million. Ten years ago, March 29, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,465,189,000,000, Three trillion, four hundred sixty-five billion, one hundred eighty-nine million. Twenty-five years ago, March 29, 1976, the Federal debt stood at $600,421,000,000, Six hundred billion, four hundred twenty-one million, which reflects a debt increase of more than $5 trillion, $5,170,353,722,962.15, Five trillion, one hundred seventy billion, three hundred fifty-three million, seven hundred twenty-two thousand, nine hundred sixty-two dollars and fifteen cents during the past 25 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Wednesday, March 28, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,734,570,704,080.99, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-four billion, five hundred seventy million, seven hundred four thousand, eighty dollars and ninety-nine cents. One year ago, March 28, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,733,742,000,000, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-three billion, seven hundred forty-two million. Five years ago, March 28, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,071,792,000,000, Five trillion, seventy-one billion, seven hundred ninety-two million. Ten years ago, March 28, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,460,371,000,000, Three trillion, four hundred sixty billion, three hundred seventy-one million. Fifteen years ago, March 28, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,981,783,000,000, One trillion, nine hundred eighty-one billion, seven hundred eighty-three million, which reflects a debt increase of almost $4 trillion, $3,752,787,704,080.99, Three trillion, seven hundred fifty-two billion, seven hundred eighty-seven million, seven hundred four thousand, eighty dollars and ninety-nine cents, during the past 15 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Tuesday, March 27, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,736,074,141,495.08, five trillion, seven hundred thirty-six billion, seventy-four million, one hundred forty-one thousand, four hundred ninety-five dollars and eight cents. One year ago, March 27, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,731,796,000,000, five trillion, seven hundred thirty-one billion, seven hundred ninety-six million. Five years ago, March 27, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,069,500,000,000, five trillion, sixty-nine billion, five hundred million). Ten years ago, March 27, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,460,809,000,000, three trillion, four hundred sixty billion, eight hundred nine million. Fifteen years ago, March 27, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,981,848,000,000, one trillion, nine hundred eighty-one billion, eight hundred forty-eight million, which reflects a debt increase of almost $4 trillion--$3,754,226,141,495.08, three trillion, seven hundred fifty-four billion, two hundred twenty-six million, one hundred forty-one thousand, four hundred ninety-five dollars and eight cents, during the past 15 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Monday, March 26, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,733,895,076,837.79, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-three billion, eight hundred ninety-five million, seventy-six thousand, eight hundred thirty-seven dollars and seventy-nine cents. Five years ago, March 26, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,066,588,000,000, Five trillion, sixty-six billion, five hundred eighty-eight million. Ten years ago, March 26, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,452,738,000,000, Three trillion, four hundred fifty-two billion, seven hundred thirty-eight million. Fifteen years ago, March 26, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,982,440,000,000, One trillion, nine hundred eighty-two billion, four hundred forty million. Twenty-five years ago, March 26, 1976, the Federal debt stood at $600,274,000,000, Six hundred billion, two hundred seventy-four million, which reflects a debt increase of more than $5 trillion, $5,133,621,076,837.79, Five trillion, one hundred thirty-three billion, six hundred twenty-one million, seventy-six thousand, eight hundred thirty-seven dollars and seventy-nine cents, during the past 25 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business Friday, March 23, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,734,215,116,583.82, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-four billion, two hundred fifteen million, one hundred sixteen thousand, five hundred eighty-three dollars and eighty- two cents. One year ago, March 23, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,729,459,000,000, Five trillion, seven hundred twenty-nine billion, four hundred fifty-nine million. Twenty-five years ago, March 23, 1976, the Federal debt stood at $599,190,000,000, Five hundred ninety-nine billion, one hundred ninety million, which reflects a debt increase of more than $5 trillion, $5,134,549,116,583.82, Five trillion, one hundred thirty-four billion, five hundred forty-nine million, one hundred sixteen thousand, five hundred eighty-three dollars and eighty-two cents, during the past 25 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Thursday, March 22, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,732,049,780,656.46, Five trillion, seven hundred thirty-two billion, forty-nine million, seven hundred eighty thousand, six hundred fifty- six dollars and forty-six cents. One year ago, March 22, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,727,734,000,000, Five trillion, seven hundred twenty-seven billion, seven hundred thirty-four million. Five years ago, March 22, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,062,405,000,000, Five trillion, sixty-two billion, four hundred five million. Ten years ago, March 22, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,449,090,000,000, Three trillion, four hundred forty-nine billion, ninety million. Twenty-five years ago, March 22, 1976, the Federal debt stood at $599,264,000,000, Five hundred ninety-nine billion, two hundred sixty- four million, which reflects a debt increase of more than $5 trillion-- $5,132,785,780,656.46, Five trillion, one hundred thirty-two billion, seven hundred eighty-five million, seven hundred eighty thousand, six hundred fifty-six dollars and forty-six cents, during the past 25 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for me to make my remarks seated at my desk

Mr. HELMS. I thank the Chair. Amendment No. 141

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask that it be stated.

Mr. HELMS. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I certainly thank the distinguished Senator from Kentucky. He is doing a masterful job under rather difficult circumstances. I congratulate him. Mr. President, a healthy and meaningful political system must rest upon two obvious democratic principles: (1) the political freedom guaranteed by the first amendment must be premised on the notion of voluntary participation and free association, and (2) the only constitutional restraint the federal government should place upon political discourse is full disclosure of donations to assure political accountability of and by candidates for contributions they receive. The McCain-Feingold bill before the Senate, with all due respect to both Senators--and I admire both of them--fails to uphold either of those essential ideals. In regards to the new restraints placed upon both candidates and their supporting interest groups, the able Senator from Kentucky, Mr. McConnell, and others are making the case that the McCain-Feingold bill fails to pass constitutional muster. I certainly agree that the limitations on free speech in the McCain- Feingold bill are antithetical to any reasonable notion of political freedom, and further, they make mockery of our time-honored tradition of free political discourse. I add only that limitations on the opportunity for citizens to participate in political debates, especially during federal elections, serves only to enhance the power of the major news media, which consistently demonstrates their built-in bias against conservative candidates. However, my purpose today is to focus the Senate's attention on, arguably, a more pernicious violation of democratic principles countenanced--and, in fact, in some ways, exacerbated, by the well- intentioned McCain-Feingold legislation before us. The problem I shall address is this: the unapologetic practice by labor unions in using dues taken from their members as a condition of employment and the use of those dues for political purposes without approval of those working people--indeed, without their knowledge. In the context of campaign-finance reform debate, we've heard many times the words of Thomas Jefferson, who declared, ``To compel a man to furnish contributions for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.'' But Mr. Jefferson's declaration cries out for repeated repetition, less we forget it has continued to happen year after year, election after election, as labor union bosses continue to spend the membership dues paid by union workers--spent on political causes bearing absolutely no relation to the collective bargaining process for which the union exists. The amendment I propose makes certain that union members have full access to their rights regarding political spending by union bosses. This amendment will end the disgraceful attempt by the union bosses to hide the Supreme Court-guaranteed rights of union workers, making sure they have clear notice of their right to object to expenditures not related to collective bargaining. The workers who are forced to pay the dues to get their jobs are entitled to this information, Mr. President. They are also entitled to know that national labor unions are pouring money into the political system at enormously unprecedented rates. In fact, the unions have extensive involvement in political affairs. Testifying before the Senate Rules Committee, Laurence Gold, a representative of the AFL-CIO said this about union activities: Specifically, the AFL-CIO, its 68 national and international union affiliates, and their tens of thousands of local union affiliates engage in substantial legislative and issue advocacy at the federal, state and local levels on matters of particular concern to working families, such as Social Security, Medicare, education, labor standards, health care, retirement plans, workplace safety and health, trade immigration, the right to organize, regulation of union governance and the role of unions and corporations in electoral politics. That's a broad range of issues, Mr. President, and the union presumes to speak for its membership on each and every one. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Labor union activity in the realm of politics goes far beyond the advocacy mentioned by Mr. Gold. According to the Americans for Tax Reform, Big Labor has mobilized for an array of left-wing causes, including opposition to the balanced budget amendment, opposition to ending racial preferences, opposition to tax relief, and opposition to welfare reform. In fact, Mr. President, the Teamsters union spent almost $200,000 lobbying for a ballot initiative in the State of California to legalize marijuana. It turned out, Mr. President, that one of the reasons that the Teamsters had given money in support of that particular ballot initiative was to further a money laundering scheme to pay for the re- election of Teamsters President Ron Carey. And these examples don't begin to describe the daily activities that union bosses can engage in to further its political agenda. So-called ``in-kind'' contributions, including get-out-the-vote phone banks; communications with union members; assignment of workers to precincts; distribution of literature; and other unregulated union expenditures make up the vast majority of union political activity. Small wonder, then, that many employees forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment are unhappy that they are forced to finance the political activities of the union. These union workers who object to the blatant use of coerced dues being used for political speech were finally given a ray of hope in a series of Supreme Court decisions that began to clarify the constitutional and statutory problems with such a scheme. The constitutional problem with using forced dues for political speech was addressed directly in 1977, when the Supreme Court decided Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. The Supreme Court held in this case that the first amendment guaranteed an individual ``the freedom to associate for the purpose of advancing beliefs and ideas'' as well as a corresponding right ``to refrain from doing so, as he sees fit.'' Mr. President, Abood is a landmark case debunking the notion that compelled political speech is consistent with constitutional rights. The Court had developed the right of freedom from coerced speech in a number of cases, the most prominent of which is Communications Workers of America v. Beck. In that case, a group of telephone workers petitioned to withhold the amount of their union dues that supported activities outside the collective bargaining context. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the workers, holding that an employee who is compelled to join a union in order to get a job, under a union security clause, could lawfully withhold the portion of his or her dues supporting activities not germane to collective bargaining, contract administration or grievance adjustment. The Court also held that if unions ignored an employee's objection to the use of agency fees for such purposes, the union was in violation of its duty of fair representation. Unfortunately, the Beck case applies only to employees who pay so- called ``agency fees,'' and a worker hoping to exercise his constitutional right to free speech must first resign from a union to petition for the return of dues used for union activities unrelated to collective bargaining. This places the worker in the unenviable position of having to decide whether retaining his political integrity is worth giving up any voice in the union decision-making process. I deeply admire the courage of employees who seek to exercise their political freedom in the face of union hostility, and I believe they deserve honest, timely information about the rights guaranteed to them by the Supreme Court. But all too often, workers may be unaware that they even have such rights. Because, Mr. President, unions continue to hide the rights guaranteed by Beck despite clear direction from the NLRB that both agency-fee paying nonmembers and union members alike were entitled to notification. What's worse, the NLRB often acts as a collaborator with union bosses, issuing a line of decisions making it easier for unions to hide Beck rights. In California Saw and Knife Works--the main administrative decision implementing the Beck case--the Board gave unions broad leeway to (1) bury notification of Beck rights in the back pages of monthly newsletters; (2) pool its expenses in such a way as to hide costs to local bargaining units; and (3) rely on internal auditors instead of independent examiners. To understand how far the union is willing to go in order to hide union worker rights from its members, one has to look no farther than the case of Keith Thomas. v. Grand Lodge of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Here's what happened in that case: In 1959, Congress passed the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 LMRDA. At that time, the IAM notified its members of their rights under the new law. And that's it. During the next forty years, the union bosses at the IAM never lifted another finger to provide notice of rights guaranteed by Congress under LMRDA. As the Court put it, ``The union argues that Congress was only interested in informing 1959 union members of their LMRDA rights, but was perfectly willing to let ignorance reign for the next forty years.'' The Court rightly noted that such a proposition was absurd and went on to hold that this one-time notice was insufficient to guarantee worker rights. So my amendment, Mr. President, proposes that what happened to Keith Thomas and his fellow union workers not be allowed to happen to any union member in regards to their rights under the Beck case. It simply provides that unions be required to provide annual notice, by mail, of the rights guaranteed to them by the Supreme Court. Specifically, the notice states the following: You have the right to withhold the portion of your dues that is used for purposes unrelated to collective bargaining. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that labor organizations cannot force dues-paying or fees-paying non-members to pay for activities that are unrelated to collective bargaining. You have the right to resign from the labor organization and, after such resignation, to pay reduced dues or fees in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court. The Senate has already voted to deny workers financial information about the activities of the union. But even if the Senate is unwilling to provide reasonable disclosure of union expenditures, it can at least allow workers to know the rights guaranteed them by the Supreme Court. Mr. President, I am absolutely convinced that adoption of this amendment is the only way to make sure that union members know the rights guaranteed by the Supreme Court. I hope the Senate will go on record as supporting full and fair access to information for American workers. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. HELMS. I understand. I will try again later. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Wednesday, March 21, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,731,169,100,580.51, five trillion, seven hundred thirty-one billion, one hundred sixty-nine million, one hundred thousand, five hundred eighty dollars and fifty-one cents. One year ago, March 21, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,728,846,000,000, five trillion, seven hundred twenty-eight billion, eight hundred forty-six million. Five years ago, March 21, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,062,251,000,000, five trillion, sixty-two billion, two hundred fifty-one million. Ten years ago, March 21, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,446,260,000,000, three trillion, four hundred forty-six billion, two hundred sixty million. Fifteen years ago, March 21, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,982,089,000,000, One trillion, nine hundred eighty-two billion, eighty-nine million, which reflects a debt increase of almost $4 trillion--$3,749,080,100,580.51, three trillion, seven hundred forty- nine billion, eighty million, one hundred thousand, five hundred eighty dollars and fifty-one cents, during the past 15 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, democracy and the rule of law are the norm in the Western Hemisphere, but the Cuban people remain denied the blessings of freedom. And the violations of their rights by Fidel Castro's regime are widespread, well-documented, and impact upon every aspect of their lives. Policymakers in Washington may wrangle over the details of how United States policy in Cuba should be implemented, but we can all agree that the Cuban people need and deserve our support to bring about change in their country. It is important to underscore that the Cuban people aren't passively waiting for change. They are taking peaceful action every day trying to advance the cause of freedom and democracy. This often costs them their physical freedom, their jobs, their families--even their homeland. Despite these endeavors, Castro remains as intransigent and repressive as ever. Since January, he has stepped up efforts to beat down Cubans who dare to hope for liberation by jailing and harassing those who speak out. Not content to simply control the Cuban people, Castro has also intensified his harassment of foreigners who provide moral or material support to pro-democracy dissidents. Swedes, Czechs, Lithuanians, Mexicans, and Americans have been detained by Castro's police in recent months for meeting with or giving money, printed material, and other help to Cuban dissidents. Mr. President, foreign governments have been maligned for ``licking the Yankee boot'' because they support passage of a U.N. Commission on Human Rights resolution condemning the human rights record in Castro's Cuba. Foreign officials have been not-so-cordially invited to cancel visits to Cuba because they had dared to suggest that there is room for improvement in Cuba's human rights record. Therefore, Castro is essentially criminalizing contact with the Cuban people and trying bully democratic countries into abandoning their principles--and thereby abandoning the Cuban people. We won't be bullied--and our allies in Europe and Latin America must not let themselves be bullied either. It is against this back-drop that I am joining Senator Lieberman and a distinguished, bipartisan group of my colleagues today in introducing a resolution regarding the human rights situation in Cuba, a resolution that is designed to give momentum to efforts to pass a U.N. Human Rights Commission resolution on Cuba when it convenes in Geneva this month. It is also designed to give momentum to a more pro-active and creative U.S. policy of working with the Cuban dissident community modeled on President Reagan's successful efforts to help Poland's Solidarity Movement work for change during the cold war. Most importantly, it is a message to remind the Cuban people that the United States stands solidly with them in their peaceful struggle for freedom. I am confident that other Senators will want to join Senator Lieberman in supporting this important resolution.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Tuesday, March 20, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,732,596,852,845.50, five trillion, seven hundred thirty-two billion, five hundred ninety-six million, eight hundred fifty-two thousand, eight hundred forty-five dollars and fifty cents. One year ago, March 20, 2000, the Federal debt stood at $5,728,254,000,000, five trillion, seven hundred twenty-eight billion, two hundred fifty-four million. Five years ago, March 20, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,059,798,000,000, five trillion, fifty-nine billion, seven hundred ninety-eight million. Ten years ago, March 20, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,448,161,000,000, three trillion, four hundred forty-eight billion, one hundred sixty-one million. Fifteen years ago, March 20, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,982,276,000,000, one trillion, nine hundred eighty-two billion, two hundred seventy-six million, which reflects a debt increase of almost $4 trillion--$3,940,320,852,845.50, three trillion, nine hundred forty billion, three hundred twenty million, eight hundred fifty-two thousand, eight hundred forty-five dollars and fifty cents, during the past 15 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Monday, March 19, 2001, the Federal debt stood at $5,729,611,586,294.55, five trillion, seven hundred twenty-nine billion, six hundred eleven million, five hundred eighty-six thousand, two hundred ninety-four dollars and fifty-five cents. Five years ago, March 19, 1996, the Federal debt stood at $5,058,839,000,000, Five trillion, fifty-eight billion, eight hundred thirty-nine million. Ten years ago, March 19, 1991, the Federal debt stood at $3,447,165,000,000, three trillion, four hundred forty-seven billion, one hundred sixty-five million. Fifteen years ago, March 19, 1986, the Federal debt stood at $1,982,540,000,000, one trillion, nine hundred eighty-two billion, five hundred forty million. Twenty-five years ago, March 19, 1976, the Federal debt stood at $599,190,000,000, five hundred ninety-nine billion, one hundred ninety million, which reflects a debt increase of more than $5 trillion-- $5,130,421,586,294.55, five trillion, one hundred thirty billion, four hundred twenty-one million, five hundred eighty-six thousand, two hundred ninety-four dollars and fifty-five cents, during the past 25 years.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I was so glad to hear my distinguished colleague from North Carolina talking about Dale Earnhardt. Dale was a remarkable citizen and individual. I knew him well. In fact, when the news came that he had died in the accident, I immediately arranged for a flag to be flown at half-mast over the Capitol to be sent to his widow for use at the funeral. Dale had a good sense of humor, and he was not unaware of the risk involved in the business in which he chose to participate. I remember when he came to a dinner in Charlotte when I was running for reelection, and he and others had arranged for me to get a ``Winston Cup'' jacket, I think they called it. It was a thing that only race car drivers can wear with impunity. But I wear it every once in a while because I am so grateful for this industry--and that is what it is in North Carolina, a big business. Dale Earnhardt was--how do you put it--an authentic American. There was no pretense about him. He was a hero to millions of stock car racing fans who followed his remarkable career as a seven-time Winston Cup champion when that fatal crash occurred on the last lap of the Daytona 500 on February 18. North Carolina has lost a son and America has lost an incredible hero. Dale Earnhardt touched people whether or not they were fans of the motor sports. Growing up in North Carolina and working at what he loved, he was indeed remarkable. The passion he had for life did not end when he left the track. He carried it over to his family. He lived life to its fullest and loved every second of it. Race fans throughout the world felt as if they had lost a member of their family--and they had. Known as ``The Intimidator'' for his aggressive driving style, Dale Earnhardt was a legend not only for his racing career, but for his having guided thousands of young people into useful, meaningful adulthoods. Dale Earnhardt is an inspiration to millions for allowing them to realize that a dream can be achieved. The United States Senate family extends their deepest sympathy to Mrs. Earnhardt, their two sons and two daughters, and their other loved ones.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 2 of Senate rule XXVI, I ask to have printed in the Record the rules of the Committee on Foreign Relations for the 107th Congress adopted by the committee on February 7, 2001. Rules of the Committee on Foreign Relations (Adopted February 7, 2001) rule 1--jurisdiction (a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule XXV.1(j), the jurisdiction of the Committee shall extend to all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects: 1. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies and legations in foreign countries. 2. Boundaries of the United States. 3. Diplomatic service. 4. Foreign economic, military, technical, and humanitarian assistance. 5. Foreign loans. 6. International activities of the American National Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross. 7. International aspects of nuclear energy, including nuclear transfer policy. 8. International conferences and congresses. 9. International law as it relates to foreign policy. 10. International Monetary Fund and other international organizations established primarily for international monetary purposes (except that, at the request of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, any proposed legislation relating to such subjects reported by the Committee on Foreign Relations shall be referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs). 11. Intervention abroad and declarations of war. 12. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign nations and to safeguard American business interests abroad. 13. National security and international aspects of trusteeships of the United States. 14. Ocean and international environmental and scientific affairs as they relate to foreign policy. 15. Protection of United States citizens abroad and expatriation. 16. Relations of the United States with foreign nations generally. 17. Treaties and executive agreements, except reciprocal trade agreements. 18. United Nations and its affiliated organizations. 19. World Bank group, the regional development banks, and other international organizations established primarily for development assistance purposes. The Committee is also mandated by Senate Rule XXV.1(j) to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to the national security policy, foreign policy, and international economic policy as it relates to foreign policy of the United States, and matters relating to food, hunger, and nutrition in foreign countries, and report thereon from time to time. (b) Oversight.--The Committee also has a responsibility under Senate Rule XXVI.8, which provides that ``. . . each standing Committee . . . shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the application, administration, and execution of those laws or parts of laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of the Committee.'' (c) ``Advice and Consent'' Clauses.--The Committee has a special responsibility to assist the Senate in its constitutional function of providing ``advice and consent'' to all treaties entered into by the United States and all nominations to the principal executive branch positions in the field of foreign policy and diplomacy. rule 2--subcommittees (a) Creation.--Unless otherwise authorized by law or Senate resolution, subcommittees shall be created by majority vote of the Committee and shall deal with such legislation and oversight of programs and policies as the Committee directs. Legislative measures or other matters may be referred to a subcommittee for consideration in the discretion of the Chairman or by vote of a majority of the Committee. If the principal subject matter of a measure or matter to be referred falls within the jurisdiction of more than one subcommittee, the Chairman or the Committee may refer the matter to two or more subcommittees for joint consideration. (b) Assignments.--Assignments of members to subcommittees shall be made in an equitable fashion. No member of the Committee may receive assignment to a second subcommittee until, in order of seniority, all members of the Committee have chosen assignments to one subcommittee, and no member shall receive assignments to a third subcommittee until, in order of seniority, all members have chosen assignments to two subcommittees. No member of the Committee may serve on more than four subcommittees at any one time. The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee shall be ex officio members, without vote, of each subcommittee. (c) Meetings.--Except when funds have been specifically made available by the Senate for a subcommittee purpose, no subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations shall hold hearings involving expenses without prior approval of the Chairman of the full Committee or by decision of the full Committee. Meetings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee with a view toward avoiding conflicts with meetings of other subcommittees insofar as possible. Meetings of subcommittees shall not be scheduled to conflict with meetings of the full Committee. The proceedings of each subcommittee shall be governed by the rules of the full Committee, subject to such authorizations or limitations as the Committee may from time to time prescribe. rule 3--meetings (a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the Committee on Foreign Relations for the transaction of Committee business shall be on Tuesday of each week, unless otherwise directed by the Chairman. (b) Additional Meetings.--Additional meetings and hearings of the Committee may be called by the Chairman as he may deem necessary. If at least three members of the Committee desire that a special meeting of the Committee be called by the Chairman, those members may file in the offices of the Committee their written request to the Chairman for that special meeting. Immediately upon filing of the request, the Chief Clerk of the Committee shall notify the Chairman of the filing of the request. If, within three calendar days after the filing of the request, the Chairman does not call the requested special meeting, to be held within seven calendar days after the filing of the request, a majority of the members of the Committee may file in the offices of the Committee their written notice that a special meeting of the Committee will be held, specifying the date and hour of that special meeting. The Committee shall meet on that date and hour. Immediately upon the filing of the notice, the Clerk shall notify all members of the Committee that such special meeting will be held and inform them of its date and hour. (c) Hearings, selection of witnesses.--To ensure that the issue which is the subject of the hearing is presented as fully and fairly as possible, whenever a hearing is conducted by the Committee or a subcommittee upon any measure or matter, the Ranking Member of the Committee or subcommittee may request that an equal number of public witnesses selected by the Ranking Member be called to testify at that hearing. (d) Public Announcement.--The Committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall make public announcement of the date, place, time, and subject matter of any meeting or hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least one week in advance of such meetings or hearings, unless the Chairman of the Committee, or subcommittee, in consultation with the Ranking Member, determines that there is good cause to begin such meeting or hearing at an earlier date. (e) Procedure.--Insofar as possible, proceedings of the Committee will be conducted without resort to the formalities of parliamentary procedure and with due regard for the views of all members. Issues of procedure which may arise from time to time shall be resolved by decision of the Chairman, in consultation with the Ranking Member. The Chairman, in consultation with the Ranking Member, may also propose special procedures to govern the consideration of particular matters by the Committee. (f) Closed Sessions.--Each meeting of the Committee on Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof, including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a meeting or series of meetings by the Committee or a subcommittee on the same subject for a period of no more than fourteen calendar days may be closed to the public on a motion made and seconded to go into closed session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (6) would require the meeting to be closed followed immediately by a record vote in open session by a majority of the members of the Committee or subcommittee when it is determined that the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings-- (1) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct of the foreign relations of the United States; (2) will relate solely to matters of Committee staff personnel or internal staff management or procedure; (3) will tend to charge an individual with crime or misconduct; to disgrace or injure the professional standing of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly unwarranted invasion of the privacy of an individual; (4) will disclose the identity of any informer or law enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense that is required to be kept secret in the interests of effective law enforcement; (5) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining specifically to a given person if-- (A) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept confidential by Government officers and employees; or (B) the information has been obtained by the Government on a confidential basis, other than through an application by such person for a specific Government financial or other benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to prevent undue injury to the competitive position of such person, or (6) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential under other provisions of law or Government regulations. A closed meeting may be opened by a majority vote of the Committee. (g) Staff Attendance.--A member of the Committee may have one member of his or her personal staff, for whom that member assumes personal responsibility, accompany and be seated nearby at Committee meetings. Each member of the Committee may designate members of his or her personal staff, who hold a Top Secret security clearance, for the purpose of their eligibility to attend closed sessions of the Committee, subject to the same conditions set forth for Committee staff under Rules 12, 13, and 14. In addition, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the Senate, if they are not otherwise members of the Committee, may designate one member of their staff with a Top Secret security clearance to attend closed sessions of the Committee, subject to the same conditions set forth for Committee staff under Rules 12, 13, and 14. Staff of other Senators who are not members of the Committee may not attend closed sessions of the Committee. Attendance of Committee staff at meetings shall be limited to those designated by the Staff Director or the Minority Staff Director. The Committee, by majority vote, or the Chairman, with the concurrence of the Ranking Member, may limit staff attendance at specified meetings. rule 4--quorums (a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the Committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one member. (b) Business.--A quorum for the transaction of Committee or subcommittee business, other than for reporting a measure or recommendation to the Senate or the taking of testimony, shall consist of one-third of the members of the Committee or subcommittee, including at least one member from each party. (c) Reporting.--A majority of the membership of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for reporting any measure or recommendation to the Senate. No measure or recommendation shall be ordered reported from the Committee unless a majority of the Committee members are physically present. The vote of the Committee to report a measure or matter shall require the concurrence of a majority of those members who are physically present at the time the vote is taken. rule 5--proxies Proxies must be in writing with the signature of the absent member. Subject to the requirements of Rule 4 for the physical presence of a quorum to report a matter, proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and matters before the Committee. However, proxies shall not be voted on a measure or matter except when the absent member has been informed of the matter on which he is being recorded and has affirmatively requested that he or she be so recorded. rule 6--witnesses (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations will consider requests to testify on any matter or measure pending before the Committee. (b) Presentation.--If the Chairman so determines, the oral presentation of witnesses shall be limited to 10 minutes. However, written statements of reasonable length may be submitted by witnesses and other interested persons who are unable to testify in person. (c) Filing of Statements.--A witness appearing before the Committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall file a written statement of his proposed testimony at least 48 hours prior to his appearance, unless this requirement is waived by the Chairman and the Ranking Member following their determination that there is good cause for failure to file such a statement. (d) Expenses.--Only the Chairman may authorize expenditures of funds for the expenses of witnesses appearing before the Committee or its subcommittees. (e) Requests.--Any witness called for a hearing may submit a written request to the Chairman no later than 24 hours in advance for his testimony to be in closed or open session, or for any other unusual procedure. The Chairman shall determine whether to grant any such request and shall notify the Committee members of the request and of his decision. rule 7--subpoenas (a) Authorization.--The Chairman or any other member of the Committee, when authorized by a majority vote of the Committee at a meeting or by proxies, shall have authority to subpoena the attendance of witnesses or the production of memoranda, documents, records, or any other materials. At the request of any Member of the Committee, the Committee shall authorize the issuance of a subpoena only at a meeting of the Committee. When the Committee authorizes a subpoena, it may be issued upon the signature of the Chairman or any other member designated by the Committee. (b) Return.--A subpoena, or a request to an agency, for documents may be issued whose return shall occur at a time and place other than that of a scheduled Committee meeting. A return on such a subpoena or request which is incomplete or accompanied by an objection constitutes good cause for a hearing on shortened notice. Upon such a return, the Chairman or any other member designated by him may convene a hearing by giving 2 hours notice by telephone to all other members. One member shall constitute a quorum for such a hearing. The sole purpose of such a hearing shall be to elucidate further information about the return and to rule on the objection. (c) Depositions.--At the direction of the Committee, staff is authorized to take depositions from witnesses. rule 8--reports (a) Filing.--When the Committee has ordered a measure or recommendation reported, the report thereon shall be filed in the Senate at the earliest practicable time. (b) Supplemental, Minority and Additional Views.--A member of the Committee who gives notice of his intentions to file supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of final Committee approval of a measure or matter, shall be entitled to not less than 3 calendar days in which to file such views, in writing, with the Chief Clerk of the Committee, with the 3 days to begin at 11:00 p.m. on the same day that the Committee has ordered a measure or matter reported. Such views shall then be included in the Committee report and printed in the same volume, as a part thereof, and their inclusion shall be noted on the cover of the report. In the absence of timely notice, the Committee report may be filed and printed immediately without such views. (c) Rollcall Votes.--The results of all rollcall votes taken in any meeting of the Committee on any measure, or amendment thereto, shall be announced in the Committee report. The announcement shall include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor and votes cast in opposition to each such measure and amendment by each member of the Committee. rule 9--treaties (a) The Committee is the only Committee of the Senate with jurisdiction to review and report to the Senate on treaties submitted by the President for Senate advice and consent. Because the House of Representatives has no role in the approval of treaties, the Committee is therefore the only congressional committee with responsibility for treaties. (b) Once submitted by the President for advice and consent, each treaty is referred to the Committee and remains on its calendar from Congress to Congress until the Committee takes action to report it to the Senate or recommend its return to the President, or until the Committee is discharged of the treaty by the Senate. (c) In accordance with Senate Rule XXX.2, treaties which have been reported to the Senate but not acted on before the end of a Congress ``shall be resumed at the commencement of the next Congress as if no proceedings had previously been had thereon.'' (d) Insofar as possible, the Committee should conduct a public hearing on each treaty as soon as possible after its submission by the President. Except in extraordinary circumstances, treaties reported to the Senate shall be accompanied by a written report. rule 10--nominations (a) Waiting Requirement.--Unless otherwise directed by the Chairman and the Ranking Member, the Committee on Foreign Relations shall not consider any nomination until 6 calendar days after it has been formally submitted to the Senate. (b) Public Consideration.--Nominees for any post who are invited to appear before the Committee shall be heard in public session, unless a majority of the Committee decrees otherwise. (c) Required Data.--No nomination shall be reported to the Senate unless (1) the nominee has been accorded a security clearance on the basis of a thorough investigation by executive branch agencies; (2) in appropriate cases, the nominee has filed a financial disclosure report and a confidential statement with the Committee; (3) the Committee has been assured that the nominee does not have any interests which could conflict with the interests of the government in the exercise of the nominee's proposed responsibilities; (4) for persons nominated to be chief of mission, ambassador-at- large, or minister, the Committee has received a complete list of any contributions made by the nominee or members of his immediate family to any Federal election campaign during the year of his or her nomination and for the 4 preceding years; and (5) for persons nominated to be chiefs of mission, a report on the demonstrated competence of that nominee to perform the duties of the position to which he or she has been nominated. rule 11--travel (a) Foreign Travel.--No member of the Committee on Foreign Relations or its staff shall travel abroad on Committee business unless specifically authorized by the Chairman, who is required by law to approve vouchers and report expenditures of foreign currencies, and the Ranking Member. Requests for authorization of such travel shall state the purpose and, when completed, a full substantive and financial report shall be filed with the Committee within 30 days. This report shall be furnished to all members of the Committee and shall not be otherwise disseminated without the express authorization of the Committee. Except in extraordinary circumstances, staff travel shall not be approved unless the reporting requirements have been fulfilled for all prior trips. Except for travel that is strictly personal, travel funded by non-U.S. Government sources is subject to the same approval and substantive reporting requirements as U.S. Government-funded travel. In addition, members and staff are reminded of Senate Rule XXXV.4 requiring a determination by the Senate Ethics Committee in the case of foreign-sponsored travel. Any proposed travel by Committee staff for a subcommittee purpose must be approved by the subcommittee chairman and ranking member prior to submission of the request to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the full Committee. When the Chairman and the Ranking Member approve the foreign travel of a member of the staff of the committee not accompanying a member of the Committee, all members of the Committee shall be advised, prior to the commencement of such travel of its extent, nature, and purpose. (b) Domestic Travel.--All official travel in the United States by the Committee staff shall be approved in advance by the Staff Director, or in the case of minority staff, by the Minority Staff Director. (c) Personal Staff.--As a general rule, no more than one member of the personal staff of a member of the Committee may travel with that member with the approval of the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Committee. During such travel, the personal staff member shall be considered to be an employee of the Committee. (d) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--For the purposes of Rule 11 as regards staff foreign travel, the officially-designated personal representative of the member (PRM) shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Furthermore, for the purposes of this section, each Member of the Committee may designate one personal staff member as the ``Personal Representative of the Member.'' rule 12--transcripts (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep verbatim transcripts of all Committee and subcommittee meetings and such transcripts shall remain in the custody of the Committee, unless a majority of the Committee decides otherwise. Transcripts of public hearings by the Committee shall be published unless the Chairman, with the concurrence of the Ranking Member, determines otherwise. (b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts.-- (1) The Chief Clerk of the Committee shall have responsibility for the maintenance and security of classified or restricted transcripts. (2) A record shall be maintained of each use of classified or restricted transcripts. (3) Classified or restricted transcripts shall be kept in locked combination safes in the Committee offices except when in active use by authorized persons for a period not to exceed 2 weeks. Extensions of this period may be granted as necessary by the Chief Clerk. They must never be left unattended and shall be returned to the Chief Clerk promptly when no longer needed. (4) Except as provided in paragraph 7 below, transcripts classified secret or higher may not leave the Committee offices except for the purpose of declassification. (5) Classified transcripts other than those classified secret or higher may leave the Committee offices in the possession of authorized persons with the approval of the Chairman. Delivery and return shall be made only by authorized persons. Such transcripts may not leave Washington, DC, unless adequate assurances for their security are made to the Chairman. (6) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking notes or quotes from classified transcripts. Their contents may not be divulged to any unauthorized person. (7) Subject to any additional restrictions imposed by the Chairman with the concurrence of the Ranking Member, only the following persons are authorized to have access to classified or restricted transcripts. (i) Members and staff of the Committee in the Committee rooms; (ii) Designated personal representatives of members of the Committee, and of the Majority and Minority Leaders, with appropriate security clearances, in the Committee's Capitol office; (iii) Senators not members of the Committee, by permission of the Chairman in the Committee rooms; and (iv) Members of the executive departments involved in the meeting, in the Committee's Capitol office, or, with the permission of the Chairman, in the offices of the officials who took part in the meeting, but in either case, only for a specified and limited period of time, and only after reliable assurances against further reproduction or dissemination have been given. (8) Any restrictions imposed upon access to a meeting of the Committee shall also apply to the transcript of such meeting, except by special permission of the Chairman and notice to the other members of the Committee. Each transcript of a closed session of the Committee shall include on its cover a description of the restrictions imposed upon access, as well as any applicable restrictions upon photocopying, note-taking or other dissemination. (9) In addition to restrictions resulting from the inclusion of any classified information in the transcript of a Committee meeting, members and staff shall not discuss with anyone the proceedings of the Committee in closed session or reveal information conveyed or discussed in such a session unless that person would have been permitted to attend the session itself, or unless such communication is specifically authorized by the Chairman, the Ranking Member, or in the case of staff, by the Staff Director or Minority Staff Director. A record shall be kept of all such authorizations. (c) Declassification.-- (1) All restricted transcripts and classified Committee reports shall be declassified on a date twelve years after their origination unless the Committee by majority vote decides against such declassification, and provided that the executive departments involved and all former Committee members who participated directly in the sessions or reports concerned have been consulted in advance and given a reasonable opportunity to raise objections to such declassification. (2) Any transcript or classified Committee report, or any portion thereof, may be declassified fewer than twelve years after their origination if: (i) the Chairman originates such action or receives a written request for such action, and notifies the other members of the Committee; (ii) the Chairman, Ranking Member, and each member or former member who participated directly in such meeting or report give their approval, except that the Committee by majority vote may overrule any objections thereby raised to early declassification; and (iii) the executive departments and all former Committee members are consulted in advance and have a reasonable opportunity to object to early declassification. rule 13--classified material (a) All classified material received or originated by the Committee shall be logged in at the Committee's offices in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and except for material classified as ``Top Secret'' shall be filed in the Dirksen Senate Building offices for Committee use and safekeeping. (b) Each such piece of classified material received or originated shall be card indexed and serially numbered, and where requiring onward distribution shall be distributed by means of an attached indexed form approved by the Chairman. If such material is to be distributed outside the Committee offices, it shall, in addition to the attached form, be accompanied also by an approved signature sheet to show onward receipt. (c) Distribution of classified material among offices shall be by Committee members or authorized staff only. All classified material sent to members' offices, and that distributed within the working offices of the Committee, shall be returned to the offices designated by the Chief Clerk. No classified material is to be removed from the offices of the members or of the Committee without permission of the Chairman. Such classified material will be afforded safe handling and safe storage at all times. (d) Material classified ``Top Secret,'' after being indexed and numbered shall be sent to the Committee's Capitol office for use by the members and authorized staff in that office only or in such other secure Committee offices as may be authorized by the Chairman or Staff Director. (e) In general, members and staff undertake to confine their access to classified information on the basis of a ``need to know'' such information related to their Committee responsibilities. (f) The Staff Director is authorized to make such administrative regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of these regulations. rule 14--staff (a) Responsibilities.-- (1) The staff works for the Committee as a whole, under the general supervision of the Chairman of the Committee, and the immediate direction of the Staff Director; provided, however, that such part of the staff as is designated Minority Staff, shall be under the general supervision of the Ranking Member and under the immediate direction of the Minority Staff Director. (2) Any member of the Committee should feel free to call upon the staff at any time for assistance in connection with Committee business. Members of the Senate not members of the Committee who call upon the staff for assistance from time to time should be given assistance subject to the overriding responsibility of the staff to the Committee. (3) The staff's primary responsibility is with respect to bills, resolutions, treaties, and nominations. In addition to carrying out assignments from the Committee and its individual members, the staff has a responsibility to originate suggestions for Committee or subcommittee consideration. The staff also has a responsibility to make suggestions to individual members regarding matters of special interest to such members. (4) It is part of the staff's duty to keep itself as well informed as possible in regard to developments affecting foreign relations and in regard to the administration of foreign programs of the United States. Significant trends or developments which might otherwise escape notice should be called to the attention of the Committee, or of individual Senators with particular interests. (5) The staff shall pay due regard to the constitutional separation of powers between the Senate and the executive branch. It therefore has a responsibility to help the Committee bring to bear an independent, objective judgment of proposals by the executive branch and when appropriate to originate sound proposals of its own. At the same time, the staff shall avoid impinging upon the day-to-day conduct of foreign affairs. (6) In those instances when Committee action requires the expression of minority views, the staff shall assist the minority as fully as the majority to the end that all points of view may be fully considered by members of the Committee and of the Senate. The staff shall bear in mind that under our constitutional system it is the responsibility of the elected Members of the Senate to determine legislative issues in the light of as full and fair a presentation of the facts as the staff may be able to obtain. (b) Restrictions.-- (1) The staff shall regard its relationship to the Committee as a privileged one, in the nature of the relationship of a lawyer to a client. In order to protect this relationship and the mutual confidence which must prevail if the Committee-staff relationship is to be a satisfactory and fruitful one, the following criteria shall apply: (i) members of the staff shall not be identified with any special interest group in the field of foreign relations or allow their names to be used by any such group; (ii) members of the staff shall not accept public speaking engagements or write for publication in the field of foreign relations without specific advance permission from the Staff Director, or, in the case of minority staff, from the Minority Staff Director. In the case of the Staff Director and the Minority Staff Director, such advance permission shall be obtained from the Chairman or the Ranking Member, as appropriate. In any event, such public statements should avoid the expression of personal views and should not contain predictions of future, or interpretations of past, Committee action; and (iii) staff shall not discuss their private conversations with members of the Committee without specific advance permission from the Senator or Senators concerned. (2) The staff shall not discuss with anyone the proceedings of the Committee in closed session or reveal information conveyed or discussed in such a session unless that person would have been permitted to attend the session itself, or unless such communication is specifically authorized by the Staff Director or Minority Staff Director. Unauthorized disclosure of information from a closed session or of classified information shall be cause for immediate dismissal and may, in the case of some kinds of information, be grounds for criminal prosecution. rule 15--status and amendment of rules (a) Status.--In addition to the foregoing, the Committee on Foreign Relations is governed by the Standing Rules of the Senate which shall take precedence in the event of a clear inconsistency. In addition, the jurisdiction and responsibilities of the Committee with respect to certain matters, as well as the timing and procedure for their consideration in Committee, may be governed by statute. (b) Amendment.--These Rules may be modified, amended, or repealed by a majority of the Committee, provided that a notice in writing of the proposed change has been given to each member at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at which action thereon is to be taken. However, Rules of the Committee which are based upon Senate Rules may not be superseded by Committee vote alone.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, a leading citizen of my State of North Carolina is a young man named Jim Goodmon. Jim is president and CEO of Capital Broadcasting Company in my hometown of Raleigh. Capital Broadcasting owns and operates several leading broadcast entities--TV stations, radio stations, and networks serving all of North Carolina and some bordering States. James F. Goodmon is president and CEO of Capital Broadcasting Company, where more than a quarter of a century ago I had the privilege of serving as an officer. When I was elected to the Senate in 1972, I shortly thereafter, as a Senator, divested myself of all ownership in the company because Senators are often called upon to vote on legislation affecting broadcasting and broadcasters. At that time, in 1972-73, Jim Goodmon had just completed his studies at Duke University and had just married a lovely and very bright young Tennessee lady--who, by the way, is herself prominent for her tireless work in literally saving the lives of down-on-their-luck people who have no place to go. She makes a place for them to go to rebuild themselves and reshape their character. Having said all that, my purpose in speaking in the Senate is a profile on Jim Goodmon published in the December 13 edition of TV Technology. That is the name of it. It is an industry publication whose specialty is digital television. The headline on that article was ``Jim Goodmon: Mayberry Values Collide With Harsh DTV Reality.'' Now, this article, in my view, speaks well of Jim Goodmon, not merely regarding his business acumen, nor about the kind of businessman Jim is. I think it is, instead, a measurement of Jim Goodmon's sense of personal responsibility. In that regard, the article speaks for itself, and I encourage Senators and all other readers of the Congressional Record to review it. I will refer to a couple of paragraphs in this publication, TV Technology, written by Frank Beacham. It says, under the dateline of New York: Soft-spoken Jim Goodmon--like the mythical Sheriff Andy Taylor of TV's Mayberry has a comforting way of tackling the most intractable problems with common sense and good humor. How else could he have done the seemingly impossible task of making broadcast cynics feel warm and fuzzy about digital television? After hearing Goodmon explain his philosophy of broadcasting, one can just imagine Andy, Barney, Thelma Lou, and Aunt Bea sitting around their HDTV set enjoying the local coverage of North Carolina's State Fair on WRAL, Goodmon's Raleigh, N.C., station. A third-generation North Carolina broadcaster whose first job was giving free TV antennas to WRAL viewers in the 1950s, Goodmon comes off as a radical reformer in Norman Rockwell clothing. Unlike FCC Chairman Bill Kennard, who draws lightening for saying many of the same things, Goodmon gets nods of respect even from those who disagree with him. ``He represents what broadcasting ought to be,'' commented an audience member moments after hearing Goodmon speak in New York City at the Consumer Electronic Association's DTV Summit. Unlike many of his broadcasting industry contemporaries, Goodmon not only embraces the opportunities of digital television but insists that all broadcasters should be required to air some HDTV programming every evening. Eyebrows inch up further when he advocates that broadcasters should be held to a well-defined public service obligation enforced by a new NAB code of conduct. I ask unanimous consent that the entire article be printed in the Record.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until the hour of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27. I further ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then begin a period for morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each, with the following exceptions: Senator Thomas, or his designee, 10 to 11 a.m.; Senator Durbin, or his designee, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Further, I ask unanimous consent that if the leader time is used during the controlled time, the controlled time be extended accordingly.

Mr. HELMS. Further, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess from the hours of 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. tomorrow for the weekly policy conferences to meet.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, for the information of all Senators, the Senate will be in a period for morning business prior to the 12:30 p.m. recess tomorrow. Upon reconvening at 2:15 p.m., the Senate is expected to resume morning business for the remainder of the afternoon. Senators are reminded to be in the Senate Chamber by 8:30 p.m. to proceed at 8:40 p.m. to the Hall of the House of Representatives for the President's address. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business on Tuesday afternoon, it recess until the hour of 8:30 p.m. for the joint session of Congress to hear the President's address.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, President George Bush summoned Paul Coverdell to Washington one day in 1989 to ask Paul to consider serving as the 11th Director of the Peace Corps. It will come as no surprise that Paul's tenure at the Peace Corps was marked by intense effort, positive results, and commitment to American interests. He gave a high priority to the well-being of the volunteers he sent out, who were, after all, the face of young America to other countries around the world. There were significant hurdles to overcome at the Peace Corps, including flagging morale and limited resources. Nonetheless, Paul Coverdell recognized the need to respond to the high international historic drama of sweeping changes, for example, the fall of communism in Europe. He found the necessary resources to send Peace Corps volunteers to countries struggling to emerge from the weight of communist rule. Under Paul Coverdell's leadership, the first volunteers were sent to Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Czech and Slovak Republics. Paul Coverdell took great pride in the Peace Corps; for example, he unfailingly referred to it as ``The United States Peace Corps'' and he described the Peace corps as ``a vibrant, vital part of United States foreign policy.'' In tribute to our esteemed and beloved departed colleague and friend, today we are approving legislation to designate the Washington office of the Peace Corps as the ``Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters.'' I know Senators will unhesitatingly support this fitting tribute to a remarkable gentleman who was without question a committed public servant, a statesman, and a friend. Mr. President, seeing nobody seeking recognition, I suggest the absence of a quorum.