Kay Hutchison

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, the State of Texas has just surpassed New York as the second largest State in America. That didn't happen because our State wasn't well run. It didn't happen because we have a sorry education system. It didn't happen because we don't take care of our children. It happened because we have a great quality of life. We have a Governor, George W. Bush, who is doing a great job, and we have a legislature led by our Lieutenant Governor, Rick Perry, and our House Speaker, Pete Laney. One is a Democrat; one is a Republican. They work together. That is the way we do things in Texas. There has been a gross misrepresentation about Texas throughout the campaign for President and on the Senate floor today. I will tell the Senate why the State of Texas is in great shape and why it is absolutely unconscionable to trash Texas in order to get an advantage in the Presidential race. Let's take education. Everyone would acknowledge that we have a problem in the public education system of our country. Our Congress, the Republicans, and our Governor in Texas have tried to open up our public education system. Governor Bush has tried to take the problems we have and put creativity and more State resources into those problems so that every child will have a chance to reach his or her full potential in our State of Texas. That is what we have tried to do in Congress for the entire United States. We have tried to put creativity into the schools. We have tried to give parents more choices. Every time we do, however, it is the people on the other side of the aisle who throw up the roadblocks, who want to have the Federal Government, from the top down, dictate what the local governments and the school boards would do all over our country. If you think that Governor Bush disagrees with that, you are right. And so do I. He believes in local control. He is very pleased that Congress is going to put more money into public education, but he wants the decisions made by the people who know the children and who know what the children's needs are. Let me tell you what he has done in Texas. We were very concerned about the high school dropout rate in Texas. It was especially high in our Hispanic community. Governor Bush believes, as do I, that if our young people are dropping out of high school, that is trouble--T-R-O-U- B-L-E--for all of us. It means those children will not have a chance to succeed, and it means our society is losing the benefit of a productive citizen. Governor Bush said: Let's find out what the problem is. Well, we found out what the problem is. Many of those young people who are dropping out of high school can't read very well. So he said: We are going to attack this so that every child will be able to read at grade level, so that every child will be able to participate in public education all the way through the system. So we start testing our children in Texas in preschool, kindergarten, in the first grade, in the second grade. And in the third grade, the child must read at grade level. The child is tested. And if the child cannot pass the test, the child will not progress to the fourth grade. That child will be given extra help to learn how to read until that child can read at grade level. Then that child will go to the fourth grade. Governor Bush believes that a child is not going to be able to learn multiplication tables if a child can't read in the third grade. Governor Bush wants to go back to basics in education. He wants reading, writing, arithmetic, and history to be the core subjects that are taught in our schools. That is what he has done in Texas. The test scores are going up, and especially they are going up among our minority students. In fact, we have phenomenal increases in the test scores of our minority students, which is the emphasis we have put in the program, because we are so hopeful that by starting at that third grade level, every child will be able to reach his or her full potential. Texas is one of two States that has made the greatest recent progress in education according to the congressionally mandated National Education Goals Panel. African American fourth graders in Texas ranked first in the Nation in math. Since 1992, African American fourth graders in Texas have made the greatest gains in math, and Hispanic fourth graders have made the second greatest gains. African American and Hispanic eighth graders in Texas ranked first and second in the Nation in writing. Texas eighth graders, as a whole, ranked fourth in the Nation. Under Governor Bush, the number of students passing all parts of the State skills test has increased by 51 percent. The number of both minority students and economically disadvantaged students passing all parts of this test increased by 89 percent. I think that is a record of which our Governor should be very proud. We have had problems in our public education system. We have had children who don't speak English in great numbers in our education system. We are a border State. We value education. Our Governor was the first to step up to the line and say we would educate every child in Texas regardless of whether or not that child was a legal resident of Texas. The children of illegal immigrants are educated in Texas, and that is under the leadership of our Governor. So I think it is very important that we set the record straight because it is a good record. We take care of our children, and we believe a strong system of public education is the ticket to success in our country. We believe Texas is leading the way. Now the Senator from Massachusetts pointed out that a Federal judge had said we are not doing enough for the children in the insurance program that has been a part of Medicaid. I think that is very interesting because that lawsuit was filed when we had another Governor in Texas, not Governor Bush. That lawsuit was filed when Ann Richards was the Governor of Texas. Governor Bush has been in office for 7 years, so that lawsuit has been pending for over 7 years. I wonder what it was that made Federal Judge William Wayne Justice decide to rule in the last 6 weeks in that case. I wonder why he waited for over 7 years to declare that Texas was not meeting its responsibilities. Furthermore, I wonder why he waited until October 30 to ask for the report from the State--October 30 of an election year in which our Governor is running for President. I just ask that question about the timing. As a matter of fact, it happens that our State is going to report that they are doing everything they can to cover every child with Medicaid and under the CHIP program because 41 States were not able to meet the 3-year mandate of the CHIP program, for a combination of reasons. Partly, it was regulations put out by the Federal Government that our States had to digest before they would be able to go forward and put the program in place. Our State legislature meets every other year, as do many other State legislatures. So once they met, they put the program in place. Texas has been going full steam ahead ever since that point. Mr. President, 100,000 children are now covered under our CHIP program; 400,000 are expected to be covered by the end of next year. Under Governor Bush, the percentage of Medicaid-eligible children who get prevention care has doubled from 30 percent to 60 percent. Congress is going to pass legislation that is going to help all 41 States that haven't been able to get their programs up completely and running, so that all of them will be covered and they will have the money they need, including Texas. So 41 States had to get the program up and going with legislatures that meet every other year. So the States and the Federal Government are working together to make sure children are covered, and our Governor is leading the way. I want to discuss the Patients' Bill of Rights, which was mentioned by the Senator from Massachusetts. He acted as if we didn't have a Patients' Bill of Rights in Texas. We do have a Patients' Bill of Rights in Texas, and the Governor worked very hard to get that bill passed. The disagreement between the Governor and some of the people in the legislature, which was the subject of the negotiation, was how much the caps on pain and suffering lawsuits would be. The Governor thought they were too high. He didn't veto the bill; he let it go into law. In fact, because he did that, it is the basis of the law that eventually Congress will pass, because it has very clear internal reviews and very clear external reviews and because those reviews are so comprehensive and independent, there have been virtually no lawsuits filed, which is exactly what you want. You want patients to be covered; you want them to get the care they need. You don't want a bunch of lawsuits in which the patient is a person forgotten in the process. You want a Patients' Bill of Rights so that you can get the care and because the internal and external reviews have been so good, the system is working. It is law in Texas today because Governor Bush was the leader who worked to get those internal and external reviews, who worked to have reasonable caps, who let the bill become law, and who now, I hope, will lead our country to a Patients' Bill of Rights that will not be a lawsuit machine but will give patients and their doctors the ability to make their decisions. The Senator from Massachusetts said our Governor, in running for the Presidency, has a prescription drug benefit for our elderly, but he said it was ``fuzzy.'' It is not fuzzy. He wants a prescription drug benefit for our elderly people who need it. He wants to do it immediately. He does not want one person to have to decide between a necessity in life and a prescription drug. So he is advocating exactly what we have been trying to do in Congress, which is to get money to the States immediately to help in a transition until we can have a real addressing of the issue of prescription drug benefits. He is advocating an option in Medicare so that every person will have the ability to have coverage, if that is the option the person in Medicare chooses to have--prescription drug benefits--something that would operate like Medicare Part B or Medicare Part C. I think we should not have to criticize a State in order to make a point in a Presidential race. I don't think the people of America are very persuaded, and if Vice President Gore doesn't have anything else to talk about but the State of Texas, he should not be the leader of our country because I think most people would like to know what Vice President Gore and what Governor Bush are planning to do in the future for our country. I think their platforms are pretty clear. I don't think you have to say that the State of Texas is backward when we have one of the best qualities of life of any State in our Nation, and people are voting with their feet because they are moving to Texas by choice. Texas is a great place to live. We have wonderful people, and we have a legislature that operates in a bipartisan way. I don't think you would hear one of our legislators stand on the floor of the House or Senate and trash another State in order to make a point, because it is just not necessary. We have a system of public education that is improving every day in Texas. It is under the leadership of Governor Bush that that is happening. We are covering our children in the CHIP program, and our outreach is comprehensive. We are trying to do the education efforts today so that every child who is eligible will know through that child's parents that they are eligible. We have a Patients' Bill of Rights that is the leader in the Nation for patients in our State, with their doctors having control of their health care. We did it under the leadership of Governor Bush.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak until I finish.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask unanimous consent that I have up until the time that the foreign operations bill starts. What is the agreement with Senator Baucus?

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I deny that that is the relevant point. Because, in fact, 41 States are behind in the CHIP program sign- up because when Congress passed the Children's Health Care Program, they gave the States 3 years to spend the money. It just happened that our State meets every other year in the legislature. By the time they were able to meet and start the CHIP program, the State had had a very steady influx of children. We are on the way, and 40 other States are in the same situation. So I am going to reclaim my time. I would like for the rest of my 15 minutes to start now because I thought the Senator from Massachusetts was going to ask a question. But I am not going to yield further. The Senator from Massachusetts has been speaking for quite awhile about my home State of Texas. If there is more than 15 minutes before we start the foreign operations bill, I ask unanimous consent to be able to continue speaking until Senator McConnell comes and have the full time to refute what I think are misrepresentations of the Texas record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I will yield on your time--on the time of the Senator from Massachusetts, not on my 15 minutes.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to refute everything the Senator from Massachusetts has said about my State and my Governor. Mr. President, I think it is legitimate to talk about a person's record when you are running for President of the United States. But, Mr. President, I object to the use of the Senate floor to trash my State of Texas. And I object to a misrepresentation of the record of my State.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be agreed to, the bill be considered read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. Con. Res. 153 and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute be agreed to, the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 859, S. 1898.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a second and third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask unanimous consent the Senate agree to the amendment of the House.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives on the bill (S. 2440). The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 2440) entitled ``An Act to amend title 49, United States Code, to improve airport security'', do pass with the following amendment: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now be in a period of morning business with Senators speaking for up to 10 minutes each.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, then I ask unanimous consent that I have some time before we go to the foreign ops bill. I ask unanimous consent that I get up to 15 minutes.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask if the Senator will give me some time to rebut what I consider to be an attack on my State.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. The question is, Is it law today?

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Does the Senator think it would be law in Texas today if the Governor had not allowed it to become law?

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I am very concerned about what I see as attacks on my State of Texas on the Senate floor. I certainly think it is legitimate to have a Presidential campaign out in the light of day where people can see it. I just ask the question: Is the Patients' Bill of Rights the Senator is referring to the law today in Texas?

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Will the Senator yield?

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During this month, a number of public and private agencies, organizations, and foundations will increase their efforts to make Americans more aware of the impact of this disease, as well as the need for early detection and increased resources to search for better treatments and ultimately for a cure. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among all women, and the leading cause of cancer death among women aged 40 to 55. By age 80, women have a 1-in-12 chance of developing the disease. This year alone, an estimated 175,000 women and 1,300 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those diagnosed, more than 41,000 women and 400 men can be expected to die from the disease. 41,000 women, that is about 117 per day--117 mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters whose lives will be cut short and whose families will be devastated by their loss. And, as I noted, the disease can also affect men with no less impact on them and their families. But many of these deaths can be prevented, through regular screening and early detection and treatment. In fact, if detected early through self-exams and mammograms, the survival rate for most types of breast cancer exceeds 90 percent. And, while the number of breast cancer diagnoses continues at an unacceptably high level, the overall survival rate is increasing. We are beginning to turn the tide against breast cancer. Though the phenomenal activities of private groups like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, of which I am proud to have been a founding supporter, more and more women are getting the message: get smart and get screened. Through events like the wildly popular ``Race for the Cure,'' the Komen foundation has also raised over $215 million to help fund breast cancer research. My friend Nancy Brinker, sister of the late Susan G. Komen, has led the group from an idea to a leading force in health care that has, without doubt, helped to save and improve thousands of women's lives. Many other groups and individuals are also helping to further the cause. The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations has worked to expand research and public education in this area. The Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization is another group that has been very active in supporting those directly and indirectly affected by breast cancer. With regard to research, I have worked with my colleagues in the Senate, leaders like Senator Mack of Florida and Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, to ensure that our Federal commitment to disease research, and particularly that for breast cancer, continues to grow. We have made remarkable progress. While federally-supported breast cancer research was not a large part of our overall federal disease research budget even a few years ago, that has changed dramatically in recent years. NIH funding alone on breast cancer totaled almost $500 million last year, and is expected to top $525 million this year. In fact, over the last decade, NIH breast cancer research funding has increased by 600 percent. In addition, I have worked hard as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure that our breast cancer research that is conducted under the auspices of the DOD health research infrastructure continues. This contributes an additional $175-plus million per year to this cause. Most recently, I was proud to have joined forces with my colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein, to extend the issuance of the Postal Service's new Breast Cancer Awareness Stamp. To date, over 214 million of these stamps have been sold, generating $15.1 million for research. The first round of grant announcement using these funds was actually just made. These funds will support innovative and promising new research opportunities in understanding and treating breast cancer. These efforts have begun to pay off. Through the development of ever- more effective diagnostic tools, like digital mammography, and through the development of innovative new treatment and preventative drugs, like Tamoxifin, we are slowly but surely beginning to get the upper hand on this disease. But early detection remains the key. That is why the American Cancer Society recommendations on screening are so important: women aged 40 and above should have annual mammograms and clinical breast examinations; women aged 20 to 39 should have clinical examinations every three years; and all women 20 and over should conduct a breast self-examination every month. Finally, I would note that the Senate just this week passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, a bill that ensures that women who do not have health insurance and who are found to have either breast or cervical cancer through the Federal Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, will get the follow-up care they need. We have come a long way from the days when former First Lady Betty Ford brought breast cancer out into the national discourse, beginning the long overdue dialogue and public awareness campaign to save women's lives. But we still have much to do to match her courage and to live-up to her vision of the day when all women are appropriately screened and when we defeat breast cancer once and for all. During this month, I urge my colleagues in Congress and all Americans to reflect upon this issue, to support research and efforts, and to arm themselves with the knowledge they need to respond should the unthinkable occur in their lives or in the lives of a loved one. Working together, we can and will beat breast cancer.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, that is acceptable. We could change the time to start at 2 o'clock today, with Senator Fitzgerald having 1 hour.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, it is my intention to speak for a couple of minutes, and then I will suggest the absence of a quorum and ask if the distinguished Chair would also like to say a few words. And if he indicates such, I will step aside. I want to speak about something that is happening that is very important to our country and to the rest of the world. As we speak, hundreds of thousands of Yugoslavian people are demonstrating in the streets, saying they want the election result to be declared. It was an election. There is a question about how free it was. Certainly President Milosevic is trying to have a runoff, to have time to get his troops back together. But it is clear the people of Yugoslavia are standing up for their rights. During all the time the United States has been dealing with the issue of President Milosevic and his wife continuing to keep down the people of Yugoslavia and the satellite countries--Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo--to keep them from having the opportunity to express their free will, we in America have said to the people of Yugoslavia: Please, make your voices heard. We will be supportive of what the people of that country want to happen. Clearly, there has been somewhat of a revolution in this last election period. I hope and pray for the people of Yugoslavia that they will get their voice, that they will have their voices heard, that they will have representation in Parliament, and that the truly elected President of Yugoslavia will be able to take office. It is impossible for us to know if the election was fair. It is impossible for us to know if there should be a runoff. Certainly the people have taken matters into their own hands, and they have shown a spirit that cannot be denied. The hearts and prayers of the people of America are with the people of Yugoslavia today, hoping they will be able to have a free and fair Presidential election; that they will be able to have a Parliament that is truly representative of the people of Yugoslavia. That extends to the people of Montenegro, the people of Macedonia, the people of Kosovo, that they, too, will have their free will to be in control of their countries. We are watching in our country and we wish them the best. We hope the people of Yugoslavia can take control of their own destiny. That is what we would wish for every person in the world, for every country in the world, and no less certainly for Yugoslavia. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to speak for up to 5 minutes, with the consent from the Senator from Illinois.