Daniel Inouye

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coral Reef Protection Act of 1999. This legislation will provide one hundred million dollars over a period of five years to preserve, sustain and restore the health of U.S. coral reef ecosystems; assist in the conservation and protection of coral reefs by supporting conservation programs; and provide financial resources for those programs. Additionally, this legislation will leverage the federal dollars appropriated for these purposes by establishing a formal mechanism for collecting and allocating matching monetary donations from the private sector to be used for coral reef conservation projects. The United States has substantial coral reef holdings in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans totaling more than 6,500 square miles. More than 83% of these reefs lie among the islands of Hawaii and another 10% of them live among the other American islands in the Pacific including American Samoa, Johnston Island, Palmyra Atoll, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Hawaii, alone, is home to 47 different species of coral. These coral reefs provide numerous recreational opportunities, are linked ecologically to adjacent coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and sea grasses, support substantial biodiversity, and protect shorelines from wave damage. They also support major economic activities, such as tourism and fishing, in coastal communities that generate billions of dollars annually. Despite this importance to both the environment and the American economy, little is currently known about the condition of coral reefs in the United States. Two points, however, are clear: coral reefs are threatened whenever they are close to large concentrations of people, and coral reefs are in decline. This legislation will provide funding for research, conservation and restoration of these extremely important resources and will complement the efforts of the President's Coral Reef Task Force which was established by Executive Order last year. I ask that the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coral Reef Protection Act of 1999. This legislation will provide one hundred million dollars over a period of five years to preserve, sustain and restore the health of U.S. coral reef ecosystems; assist in the conservation and protection of coral reefs by supporting conservation programs; and provide financial resources for those programs. Additionally, this legislation will leverage the federal dollars appropriated for these purposes by establishing a formal mechanism for collecting and allocating matching monetary donations from the private sector to be used for coral reef conservation projects. The United States has substantial coral reef holdings in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans totaling more than 6,500 square miles. More than 83% of these reefs lie among the islands of Hawaii and another 10% of them live among the other American islands in the Pacific including American Samoa, Johnston Island, Palmyra Atoll, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Hawaii, alone, is home to 47 different species of coral. These coral reefs provide numerous recreational opportunities, are linked ecologically to adjacent coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and sea grasses, support substantial biodiversity, and protect shorelines from wave damage. They also support major economic activities, such as tourism and fishing, in coastal communities that generate billions of dollars annually. Despite this importance to both the environment and the American economy, little is currently known about the condition of coral reefs in the United States. Two points, however, are clear: coral reefs are threatened whenever they are close to large concentrations of people, and coral reefs are in decline. This legislation will provide funding for research, conservation and restoration of these extremely important resources and will complement the efforts of the President's Coral Reef Task Force which was established by Executive Order last year. I ask that the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. I think you have once again established a new record.

Mr. INOUYE. I appreciate the distinguished Senator bringing this program to the Senate's attention. Last Year, I supported including the MUSC telehealth program in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill. I agree with the Senator from South Carolina that the continued expansion of this program should be included in this FY 2000 bill.

Mr. INOUYE. Would the Senator yield?

Mr. INOUYE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. INOUYE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 604

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I have been trying to follow this debate as closely as possible. The explanation the Senator from California has given is that this amendment would strike provisions in the bill which allow the Secretary of the Air Force to lease six Gulfstream V jets to transport the highest ranking military officials. There is nothing in Section 8106 that speaks of six Gulfstream V jets, nor does it speak of the highest ranking military officials. I have no idea where that came from. What this section says is: The Secretary of the Air Force may obtain transportation for operational support purposes, including transportation for combatant Commanders in Chief, by lease of aircraft, on such terms and conditions as the Secretary may deem appropriate, consistent with this section, through an operating lease consistent with OMB Circular A-11. There is nothing about Gulfstreams. There is nothing about the highest ranking military officials. But even if we did say six Gulfstream V jets for the highest military officials, I join my chairman in objecting to this amendment. We should keep in mind that fewer than 1 percent of the population of these United States have stood up and said to the rest of the world they are willing to stand in harm's way in our defense and, if necessary, give their lives. Fewer than 1 percent of us have taken that oath. The least we can do is to give them the cutting edge, and this is the cutting edge that is necessary to differentiate between defeat and victory. So, Mr. President, I will support a motion to table this amendment.

Mr. INOUYE. For just 2 minutes.

Mr. INOUYE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. INOUYE. I thank the Chair, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, this amendment has been cleared by both sides and the chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. I ask that it be considered and passed. With Chairman Stevens' agreement, included in the managers' package of amendments is bill language that would provide authority to replicate the Federal Health Care Partnership that is now operating in the State of Alaska. Pursuant to the Alaska Federal Health Care Partnership, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Veterans' Administration (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) have entered into memoranda of understanding in order to make the most efficient use of resources that are made available to each of these Federally-funded health care systems in the provision of health care services to their respective eligible beneficiaries. Initiated in April of 1995, under this partnership, health care services are being provided to eligible DoD, VA and IHS beneficiaries without regard to the designation of the health care service facility, and telemedicine technologies are being employed to provide access to health care services in remote rural areas. The proposed bill language would provide authority for the Department of Defense to establish a similar arrangement with the Veterans' Administration and Federally-funded health care agencies providing health care services to Native Hawaiians in the State of Hawaii. For the purpose of this partnership, Native Hawaiians shall have the same status as other Native Americans who are eligible for the health care services provided by the Indian Health Service. The proposed bill language also provides authority for the Department of Defense to develop a consultation policy with regard to programs and activities which affect the Native Hawaiian community in Hawaii. On May 14, 1998, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13084, directing every Federal agency to establish an effective process to provide for meaningful and timely consultation and coordination with Native Americans and Native American governments in the development of policies and practices that significantly or uniquely affect their communities. On October 20, 1998, the Secretary of the Department of Defense announced the issuance of the Department's consultation policy affecting two of the three constituent Native American groups--American Indians and Alaska Natives. The proposed bill language authorizes the Department of Defense to develop a similar consultation policy for the third constituent group of Native Americans--Native Hawaiians--for the purpose of assuring maximum Native Hawaiian participation in the direction and administration of governmental services so as to render those services more responsive to the needs of the Native Hawaiian community, consistent with the following findings of the Congress---- The United States recognizes and affirms that American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, as the aboriginal, indigenous, native people of the United States have a continuing right to autonomy in their own affairs and an ongoing right of self-determination and self-governance. The Constitutional authority of the Congress to legislate in matters affecting the aboriginal, indigenous, native people of the United States includes the authority to legislate in matters affecting the Native Hawaiian people, as aboriginal, indigenous, native people who have a special relationship with the United States. The Federal policy of self-determination and self-governance of the aboriginal, indigenous, native people of the United States is intended to maximize the participation of native people in the direction and administration of governmental services to their communities in order to make those services more responsive to the needs of the native people and their communities. In accordance with that policy, the Congress encourages Federal agency consultation with the aboriginal, indigenous, native people of Hawaii, Native Hawaiians, with regard to agency actions that uniquely or significantly affect them or their communities. For purposes of these sections in the proposed bill language, the term ``Native Hawaiian'' means any individual who is a descendant of the aboriginal people who, prior to 1778, ``occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now comprises the State of Hawaii.'' I thank the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Stevens, for his willingness to assure that the Department of Defense has a consistent policy as it relates to all Native Americans.

Mr. INOUYE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. INOUYE

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

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, at the request of the senior Senator from Delaware, Mr. Biden, I offer an amendment and ask that it be temporarily set aside.

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

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

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Ms. Sandi Dittig, on the staff of Senator Graham of Florida, be granted full privileges of the floor during this debate.

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

Mr. INOUYE

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

Mr. INOUYE. I offer an amendment on behalf of Senator Bingaman on Vieques, Puerto Rico, and ask that it be numbered and set aside.

Mr. INOUYE. I offer an amendment for Senator Inouye on native Hawaiians, and I ask to have that numbered and set aside.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I offer an amendment for Senator Kennedy on Patriot missiles, and I ask that it be numbered and set aside.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I offer an amendment for Senator Levin on the National Missile Defense program, and I ask that it be numbered and set aside.