Kay Hutchison

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to add to the wonderful words that were said about Senator Dan Coats by our distinguished majority header. He has affected many of us. I think by his example we have all been enriched in this body, and in the U.S. Congress. We thank him very much.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I am happy to yield to the Senator from Indiana.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to follow the Senator from Indiana for 5 minutes.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to really follow on what the distinguished Senator from New Mexico was saying, because I think he laid out very well the problems that we are facing with our military today. No one questions the job our military is doing. They are doing their jobs well. But it is clear that we are losing our experienced people. As the Senator from New Mexico has just pointed out, we are losing our experienced pilots, we do not have enough parts to keep the airplanes running, and the Army had its worst recruiting year last year since the late 1970s. At the time that we are looking at mission fatigue, our troops being overdeployed away from their families on missions that are not security threats to the United States, we are now seeing a mixed message from this administration about yet expanding their responsibilities. We were told in the last few weeks that NATO is contemplating airstrikes in Serbia. This is, of course, a terrible and tragic situation in Kosovo. And, clearly, we want to try to do everything possible to curb atrocities that are happening and may happen in the future in Kosovo. But, Mr. President, a superpower cannot fling around the world without a plan, without a thought, and have credibility. I ask the question of the administration, Have we done everything we can do at the bargaining table with Mr. Milosevic? Have we put every economic sanction that can be put? Have we isolated this country to the extent that we can--as we have also tried to do with Iraq--to show this leader that he cannot continue to act in an irresponsible manner toward human beings in his own country and get by with it? Have we done everything we can do first? If we have--and I don't think we have--if the administration makes the case that we have, then, and only then, should we be considering other options. Mr. President, if we are going to bomb another country because of a civil conflict, a sovereign country that is in a civil conflict, have we thought through what the exit strategy is? Have we thought through what our responsibility is going to be for doing that? I haven't seen a plan. I haven't seen any kind of ``after plan'' after bombing. Yes, we have talked about bombing. But if we are bombing for the purpose of saying to Milosevic, ``You must withdraw your police so that the Albanians who live in Kosovo can come out of the hills and go into their homes,'' how is that to be enforced? We have been told by administration officials that there would not be American troops on the ground unless there is a peace agreement, something to enforce. Yet yesterday the Secretary of Defense opened the door on American troops on the ground with NATO forces. Yet we haven't seen a plan. We haven't seen what the American role will be. We have certainly not been consulted to determine if the United States is ready to expand its mission in the Balkans. We were told we would be out of Bosnia a year ago. We were told a year and a half ago, we were told 2 years ago that our mission in Bosnia would be complete when the parties were separated and the elections had been held. The parties are separated. The elections have been held. Yet American taxpayers have spent $10 billion in Bosnia, and the President is now saying there is an ``unending mission'' there. He has refused to put a timetable on it. This week the President has asked the U.S. Congress for $2 billion more for Bosnia in a supplemental appropriation, as if this were an emergency. Why didn't the administration put this in the budget? He says it is an unending mission, yet we have an emergency appropriation. I conclude by saying we cannot fling ourselves around the world without a clear strategy and a clear role for the United States. I am looking to the President for leadership and I haven't seen it. I yield the floor.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 2. I further ask that when the Senate reconvenes on Friday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of the proceedings be approved, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be waived, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate then begin consideration of S. 442, the Internet Tax Bill, under the consent agreement of September 30.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Sessions.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, when the Senate reconvenes on Friday, the pending business will be the Internet Tax Bill. An agreement has been reached on that bill allowing for relevant amendments, with the addition of a Bumpers amendment regarding catalog sales. Rollcall votes are expected during Friday's session on or in relation to amendments offered to the Internet bill, or possibly an executive nomination. In either case, the first rollcall vote on Friday's session will occur by 10:30 a.m. Members are reminded that a cloture motion was filed today on the motion to proceed to H.R. 10, the Financial Services Bill. That vote will occur at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 5. Also during Monday's session, the Senate may consider any available appropriations conference reports, including the Agriculture, HUD, and Treasury/Postal bills. Therefore, further votes could occur following the 5:30 cloture vote.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

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

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3007, which was received from the House.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. 2540, introduced earlier today by Senators Abraham and Kennedy.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I ask unanimous consent the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill appear at this point in the Record.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to thank the distinguished Chairman of the Commerce Committee for raising this issue. The General Counsel of the FMC, in a recent written response to an inquiry on this issue with respect to the Department of Defense, stated: I have no doubt that we will be able to develop an intragovernmental system for providing the DOD with the pricing and service information it needs to effectively execute its mission, within the framework of S. 414. If we determine that technical legislative corrections would aid this process, we will no doubt make such recommendations jointly. At this time, however, I do not believe that any additional amendments to the bill are necessary to meet your concerns for the Department. Mr. President, I want to make it clear that the FMC is authorized to share with another Federal agency service contract information that parties of the service contract have legally decided to protect from public disclosure in order to enable that Federal agency to ensure the compliance of U.S.-flag ocean common carriers with cargo preference law shipping rate requirements. Of course, that confidential service contract information would remain protected from disclosure to the public consistent with the Shipping Act of 1984, as amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and other applicable Federal laws.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, S. 414 is my bill that was passed by the Senate. It was passed by the House. It is now back in the conference, and there will be an amendment. American ports and carriers are disadvantaged by current laws that require all contracts to be public. To avoid this, shippers who conveniently can, will ship out of foreign ports in nearby Canada and Mexico to avoid this. U.S. ports are bypassed and the U.S. carriers lose business because only U.S. companies have to reveal their ocean transportation costs. This permits their foreign competition to undercut our shippers. Recent economic problems in Asia will increase pressure in those countries to increase their exports. Therefore, S. 414 will be even more important as our shippers meet the heightened competitive challenge. S. 414 attempts to level the playing field between U.S. companies which export and their foreign competitors. This bill will encourage greater competition among carriers. It will provide American exporters and importers with greater choice in obtaining ocean transportation services, and promote more ocean shipping activity for our carriers and our ports. In providing our shippers with this important reform, we have still attempted to preserve anti-discrimination provisions in current law and the elements of our current ``transparent'' system that protect our ports, smaller shippers and U.S. workers. This bill balances the need to have enough transparency to assure fair pricing with contract privacy. Our shippers say they want more flexibility in dealing with their ocean carriers, and the ability to go outside the traditional tariff system and conference structure. We've provided this needed confidentiality, but balanced it with protections for ports and U.S. dock workers who seek information on the movement of commodities to protect their competitive position. Ninety-five percent of U.S. foreign commerce is transported via ocean shipping. Half of this trade, which is carried by container liner vessels with scheduled service and is regulated under the Shipping Act of 1984, is affected by these reforms. This bill represents the first major reform of this critical industry in a decade, and the most significant change to the underlying statute since 1984. Mr. President, I am proud to have worked with the distinguished Majority Leader and colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass this important legislation. I would like to commend, in addition to the Majority Leader, the ranking member of the full Commerce Committee, Senator Hollings, the ranking member of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee, Senator Inouye, and my colleague from Louisiana, Senator Breaux, for their hard work in putting together meaningful legislation that we're passing today. I am very pleased we have now worked this important bill out. I think it will certainly help our economy. I ask unanimous consent the Senate concur in 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. 414) to amend the Shipping Act of 1984 to encourage competition in international shipping and growth of United States exports, and for other purposes. The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 414) entitled ``An Act to amend the Shipping Act of 1984 to encourage competition in international shipping and growth of United States exports, and for other purposes'', 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 that S. 1637 be star printed with the changes that are at the desk.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

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

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. On behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. If that is acceptable, I ask unanimous consent to have 5 minutes to speak on the 40th anniversary of NASA.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. Is it possible for me to ask unanimous consent to go into morning business rather than take from Senator Thurmond's time? I wanted to talk about the 40th anniversary of NASA.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, on October 1, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created. No other Government agency better represents the hopes and experiences of our Nation during the course of its existence than NASA. To recall why that is so, let's look back to where we were 40 years ago. In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. Many have claimed this had a ``Pearl Harbor'' effect on the American people and galvanized public opinion in favor of an aggressive U.S. space program. Americans believed that the Soviet Union had gained a significant technological advantage over the United States--bomb shelters were built at an even more rapid rate as we turned our attention to the space race. Then-Senator Lyndon Johnson, from my state of Texas, said that the launch of Sputnik was ``* * * a new era of history dawning over the world.'' He warned a Texas audience that, ``The mere fact that the Soviets can put a satellite in the sky * * * does not alter the world balance of power. But it does mean they are in a position to alter the balance of power.'' Shortly thereafter, Senator Johnson introduced legislation to create NASA and harnessed the energies, talents, and aspirations of a nation embarking on a bold, new enterprise. The act reflected a remarkable unanimity by the American people and a commitment to science and exploration. NASA wasted no time in bringing America into the space race. Shortly after it was formed, NASA conducted several exciting programs that launched us ahead of the Soviet Union in our quest to conquer space. One of the most important initiatives involved human space flight-- Mercury's single astronaut program, Project Gemini's operations and Project Apollo to explore the Moon. These names conjure up strong images of fearless astronauts doing the impossible. In 1961, Alan B. Shepard became the first American to fly in space. Of course, we remember him because he died just recently. In 1962, John Glenn, who now serves with us in the U.S. Senate, became the first American to orbit the Earth. Project Gemini allowed two astronauts to travel in space. On Gemini IV, Edward White became the first American to conduct a space walk. In 1969, just 11 years after the creation of NASA, and less than a decade after President Kennedy committed America to the project, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the dramatic ``leap'' for mankind. NASA completed five more lunar missions and learned much about the origins of the Moon, as well as how to support humans in outer space. Twelve American astronauts walked on the Moon during the six Apollo missions. Nothing symbolizes the uniqueness of this great Nation better than the American flag flying on the lunar surface. In 1975, NASA joined hands with its former competitor in the space race and cooperated with the Soviet Union to achieve the first international human space flight. This project successfully tested joint rendezvous and docking procedures for spacecraft from the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1981, the advent of the space shuttle ushered in a new era of space travel and exploration. By creating a reusable launch vehicle, NASA was making access to space now more affordable. The disaster of the Challenger brought the shuttle program to a rapid standstill. It was a harsh reminder that the exploration of space is a dangerous and unpredictable undertaking. Seven astronauts gave their lives on that mission in an effort to further our knowledge of the universe. We owe them and their families our eternal gratitude and respect. Two years after the Challenger disaster, we returned to space. Through mid-1998, NASA has safely launched 65 shuttle missions. These missions have included a wide variety of scientific and engineering missions. There are currently four shuttles in NASA's fleet and NASA is working with the private sector to reduce the cost of space flight even more. Two experimental vehicles, the X-33 and X-34, are prototypes for cheaper, more efficient reusable launch vehicles that would provide commercial entities with access to space. I commend NASA for continuing to look to the future and the challenges that lie there. One of our colleagues, John Glenn, is scheduled to return to space on October 29th. It was in NASA's earliest days that John Glenn made history by bring the first American to orbit the Earth. Now he is making history again by being the oldest person to fly in space. Looking forward to the next 40 years, NASA's future is as bright as its past. NASA's core mission of any future space exploration will be man's departure from Earth orbit and journeys to the Moon or Mars. This will require extended, even permanent, stays in space and has led NASA to begin construction of the International Space Station. In 1984, Congress authorized NASA to build the space station as a base for further exploration of space. A project of this magnitude was certain to face a multitude of unkonwns--and NASA has confronted many of them. As has always been the case, though, NASA will overcome these obstacles and we will reap the rewards of doing so. For example, NASA has developed a unique technology, a bioreactor, that allows medical researchers to produce breakthrough results by creating ``artificial'' human tissues outside the human body. This bioreactor has provided new knowledge in cell science and tissue engineering that will bring exciting advances in medicine and the treatment of disease. This amazing technology is already being used by scientists who are growing ovarian tumor samples so they can conduct studies outside the body and without harm to the patient. The absence of gravity on the space station also will allow new insights into human health and disease prevention and treatment, including heart, lung, and kidney function, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and immune system functions. In recent years, NASA has obtained scientific data from space experiments that is five times more accurate than that on Earth. None of these benefits will be available unless we have a space station on which we can perform adequate research. The space station is the greatest peaceful scientific international endeavor undertaken. This is our future and space is one of the last unexplored regions of our universe. It holds untold knowledge and could catapult us into even greater understanding of our world and yet undiscovered worlds. Yes, the station will provide us with fantastic science--but that is only one of the known positives of this great endeavor. The unknowns are limitless and could provide us with unimaginable discoveries. We are on the very cusp of launching the first elements in November of this year, with the second element to follow in December. Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats. NASA's technology has been adapted for many nonaerospace uses by the private sector. We can thank NASA for so many things--from car phone technology, satellite imagery, the CAT scan, to Velcro and freeze dried ice cream. At its fortieth anniversary, NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and is one of the best examples of the American spirit and our can-do attitude. We are proud of what NASA has achieved, and on this 40th anniversary we do have a number of accomplishments to celebrate. I thank the Chair and yield the floor. Mr. SESSIONS addressed the Chair.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to H.R. 10 occur at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 5.

Mrs. HUTCHISON

Mrs. HUTCHISON. I now ask for its second reading, and I object to my own request.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I understand that Senate Joint Resolution 59 which was introduced by Senator Gramm of Texas is at the desk, and I now ask for its first reading.