Daniel Inouye

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, before I do, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the policy of the administration on this matter.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, under those circumstances, I am pleased to yield the remainder of my time.

Mr. INOUYE

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

Mr. INOUYE. Parliamentary inquiry. Is there a vote scheduled at 6:30?

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I would like to express my support for the amendment offered by Senator Stevens to promote the use of marine ferry and high-speed marine ferry services. This amendment will help promote marine ferry transportation, a widely overlooked, but incredibly efficient sector of our public transportation system. The marine ferry system of the United States is invaluable in meeting the transportation needs of our nation. As a Senator from an island state, I appreciate the need for passenger/vehicle ferry services. In general, marine ferries require minimal costs as compared to the costs of new infrastructure such as highways, bridges and tunnels. In coastal urban centers, marine ferry service can provide low-cost, environmentally friendly transportation to areas suffering from congestion. For instance, the cost of additional roadways and bridges in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area could be astronomical compared to the minimal costs of helping to establish a regular ferry route. In addition, in coastal urban centers the reduction of automobile use mitigates environmental air quality problems. In rural coastal areas, such as the barrier islands of Maine, North Carolina, and Florida, marine ferries have been utilized as the sole source of transportation to connect coastal communities to the mainland. States like North Carolina utilize their state ferry system as an integral part of their hurricane disaster planning, when traffic can be congested during an evacuation. Ferries were used in the aftermath of the earthquakes in northern California to provide transportation across San Francisco Bay. Marine ferry transportation can also provide benefits to inland states with marine barriers such as rivers or lakes. Many states have utilized marine ferries as low-cost alternatives to highway bridges or to circumvent large inland lakes. Again, this provides the lowest cost transportation alternative to the taxpayer. In states such as Washington and Alaska, ferry transportation is vital and crucial to the population. These states have invested, with great success, in state-run marine ferry services, and have far-flung populations where highway road service is inefficient or in some cases impossible. Other states such as New York, New Jersey, and my own state of Hawaii, are exploring incentives to induce private ferry operations in order to fulfill certain transportation objectives. This year I introduced S. 961, the Marine Ferry and High-Speed Marine Ferry Act. Senator Stevens' amendment includes many of the provisions that were included in S. 941, and they will help us to fulfill our Nation's potential for both the continued use of traditional ferry services and to help develop potential use of high-speed marine technology. In the early 1970s, Boeing Marine pioneered the development and construction of commercial passenger hydrofoils capable of operating at 45 knots. Boeing built 25 hydrofoils for high-speed use on the Hong Kong-Macau route before licensing production to Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan in the early 1980s, and by 1989, only one high- speed marine passenger/vehicle ferry of significant size was in operation. The international and domestic high-speed marine passenger vessel market has recently seen a dramatic expansion, and currently over 60 high-speed marine passenger/vehicle ferries are in service or under construction. Fast ferries, until recently, have been primarily used in short sea services on protected routes, but recent advances in design and materials have allowed for the construction of larger vessels capable of being operated on longer open sea routes. These technologies are integral to the development of ferry service in the Hawaiian islands, where we have rougher and more exposed sea routes. New technologies have also opened possibilities for high-speed cargo-carrying operations. The United States has benefitted from a number of recent high-speed projects, and from the establishment of a shipyard specifically designed for high-speed marine passenger vessel construction. The Maritime Administration's 1996 Outlook for the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry indicates: New orders for ferries should also continue to provide work for the second-tier shipyards. The enactment of ISTEA continues to provide a significant boost to new ferry projects. In addition, MARAD has a Title XI application pending for the construction of two passenger/vehicle ferries for a foreign owner, valued at more than $171 million. Demand will come from continued promotion of states of ferries for use in their tourist industries, as well as in transportation/commuting, as an alternative to building infrastructure projects such as highways and bridges. The recent award of a $181 million contract to Todd Seattle for three 2,500-passenger ferries and the solicitation for proposals for two additional 350-passenger ferries by the State of Washington, is an added sign that the ferry industry is strong. On the private sector side, there is a demand for the deployment of high-speed, high-tech ferries in the passenger excursion industry. The Stevens amendment will build on previous enactments aimed at promoting marine ferry operations. The bill would reauthorize section 1064 of ISTEA, at levels consistent with past years, to allow state-run ferry programs to apply for federal grants for the construction of ferries, and/or related ferry infrastructure. The Stevens amendment would also require DOT to report on existing marine ferry operations and to make recommendations on areas that could benefit from future marine ferry operations, and directs DOT to meet with relevant state and local municipal planning agencies to discuss the marine ferry option to transportation planning. I think that municipal planners will be convinced that marine ferries can be the lowest cost alternatives available. I am happy the amendment has been incorporated in the bill, and thank my colleagues for their support of marine ferry operations. For a relatively small investment, we can encourage state and private operations to address our pressing infrastructure demands. red river trade corridor

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on December 31, 1997, John DaPonte retired from U.S. Government service and returned to his home state of Rhode Island after having served at the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board since 1968. The retirement of a federal official happens several times every day. However, it is important that John DaPonte's career in government be remembered because of the impact that he and the Foreign- Trade Zones Board have made on U.S. trade policy, U.S. companies in the global marketplace, and the economic development of a wide range of communities in the United States. There are few federal government officials who have made such a direct positive impact on the subject they manage. The agency for which John DaPonte worked, the Foreign-Trade Zones Board, is one of the smallest federal agencies in Washington, D.C. with only nine employees. It is so small that it does not have a line item in the federal budget. In 1968, Zone projects existed in only 6 states and Puerto Rico and were very modest in size. Today, Foreign-Trade Zones Board activity is in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. During his tenure at the Board, the agency's Zone projects increased from 9 in 1968 to 560 in 1997, a yearly growth rate of 221%; domestic merchandise receipts grew from $18 million in 1966 to $125.6 billion. An average yearly rate of 24,933%; and employment increased from 1200 jobs in 1968 to 370,000 jobs an average yearly growth rate of 1,138%. There are few, if any, federal agencies with this growth record. John DaPonte deserves a thank you for managing an important U.S. trade program that grew rapidly over the last 30 years with very modest resources. The Foreign-Trade Zone Program is an economic development tool for communities providing financial assistance to many troubled U.S. industries, as well as to foreign-based firms interested in establishing U.S. production operations, by helping them be competitive in the global marketplace. Foreign-Trade Zones place U.S. production facilities on an equal footing with foreign operations. The benefit of this investment is the creation of jobs in the U.S. Industry groups become involved in the Foreign-Trade Zone Program in order to solve trade problems. Major industries involved in the program include shipbuilding, motor vehicles, oil refining, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. The growth of the Foreign-Trade Zone Program required a very significant amount of effort by the staff of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board. The Foreign-Trade Zones Act, and laws pertaining thereto, were amended in the 1968 to 1997 period on thirteen (13) occasions. Mr. DaPonte implemented many new procedures at the Foreign-Trade Zones Board including minor boundary modifications and grant restrictions to assist in managing the very rapid growth of the program in a balanced manner and without major funding or personnel. In 1968, 2 applications for new projects were filed. In 1997, 85 applications were filed. Board Orders approving new Zone projects grew during the period from 3 Board Orders issued in 1968 to 78 Board Orders issued in 1997. In order to operate effectively, the Foreign-Trade Zones Board works closely with a wide range of U.S. government agencies. Most important, is the Board's continuing involvement with state and local governmental organizations that implements most zone activity. At a time when we in Washington are trying to empower states and localities, we would do well to look at the positive program developed under John DaPonte's leadership. The Foreign-Trade Zones Program, from the beginning, has been one that actively engaged states, counties, cities, and port authorities on all levels to encourage local economic development activities. It is clear that during John DaPonte's tenure at the Foreign-Trade Zones Board, the program experienced extraordinary growth. He managed this high level of growth effectively with extremely modest personnel and budget resources. No other Federal agency has created such a positive impact on our nation's balance of trade with such limited resources. John DaPonte's involvement in the federal government is a classic example of the federal government at its best. Today, we remember the positive contributions of John DaPonte to U.S. trade. This Congress thanks him for his efforts and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to begin immediate consideration of the ISTEA reauthorization legislation. The current federal funding authorization for our nation's roads and bridges expires May 1st. If we allow this funding authority to expire, the ability of our state and local agencies to plan, design, implement, and manage transportation improvements and resources will be compromised. This lapse in new highway funding authority will jeopardize highway projects and safety programs across our country, and will have significant effects on Hawaii. Federal highway projects support approximately 5,816 jobs in Hawaii, and without a reauthorization of the ISTEA legislation, those 5,816 people may lose their jobs. In addition to employment effects, an expiration of ISTEA spending authorization will place the safety of all Hawaii's citizens at risk. More than half, 51%, of Hawaii's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Further, 28% of Hawaii's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, which increases the possibility of motor vehicle crashes. A failure to reauthorize this transportation spending authority will only increase the cost Hawaii's motorists currently pay due to poor road conditions. Each Hawaii motorist pays an additional $102 each year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs caused by driving on roads in need of repair. Furthermore, 45% of Hawaii's urban freeways are congested, which costs Hawaii's motorists in wasted time and fuel. `The effects of our failure to reauthorize the ISTEA legislation will be felt not only in Hawaii, but also in every state in the nation by every citizen of our nation. Every single citizen benefits from our transportation infrastructure every day. Even if you do not drive you benefit from our transportation system through the products you consume that were transported via our roads and highways. The development of our transportation infrastructure helped fuel the development of our nation. We must not let it fall into disrepair. There may be concerns that the proposed ISTEA legislation is not the best way to meet our country's transportation needs. We must allow ourselves ample time to debate and consider all the issues surrounding ISTEA reauthorization, so that we may pass the most effective legislation. We must bring this legislation to the floor now.

Mr. INOUYE

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, on December 30, 1997, Hawaii's senior journalist, A. A. Bud Smyser of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, featured in his biweekly column, ``Hawaii's World,'' the contributions of a dear friend and classmate, Richard Hiromichi Kosaki. Dr. Kosaki recently retired as the President of Hawaii Tokai International College, phasing out a distinguished educational career that has spanned over 47 years. However, I am certain that the Richard Kosaki I know will consider this to be just an end of another chapter of his life. I am certain he is now looking forward to his next chapter, equally challenging, and equally glorious. I ask that the text of the column be printed in the Record. The column follows: Hawaii's World (By A.A. Smyser) Richard H. Kosaki is retiring as president of Hawaii Tokai International College, returning to an adivisory role, and phasing out a distinguished educational career that has spanned 47 years. We talked about it at a Kaimana Hotel lunch table where we could see down the curve of Waikiki Beach to all the giant hotels now clustered on the water and along Kalakaua Avenue. It was symbolically appropriate. Kosaki was born near the beach, grew up there, swam and fished there and watched its tremendous changes over his 73 years. Only the Moana and Halekulani hotels were there when he was born. The Royal Hawaiian didn't open until 1927. All the high rises rose since statehood in 1959. Kosaki, for his part, has been a big mover for educational change in Hawaii. He is the architect of the University of Hawaii's community college system that now embraces well over half of all UH enrollment. He was with the UH faculty group that generated the concept of the East-West Center. After he retired as chancellor at UH-Manoa he carried his belief in Hawaii as an international education center to helping Japan's enormous Tokai University Educational System establish an outpost here in a superbly built high rise at 2241 Kapiolani Blvd. In his beginning years as an educator, he taught political science, worked with the Legislative Reference Bureau, and helped educate many students who went on to be leaders in government. He even helped to wise up newspaper writers like me. We talked about two things: international education in Hawaii, and other educational changes to expect in the years ahead. The Tokai University Pacific Center here, the umbrella under which the college exists, is not the gangbuster success early visualized. It still needs heavy subsidy from Japan. International students have never filled all of its 200 dorm spaces but they have totaled over 100, and international visitors have filled a lot of the rest. While most of the international enrollment is from Japan, annual outstanding student award winners have come also from Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brazil. The only U.S. winner came from Molokai. Courses deal mostly with English and an introduction to America. They provide a ``friendly gateway'' to America for international students planning study elsewhere. Besides its help to these full-year students the center offers short-term introductions to Hawaii and Hawaiians to students regularly enrolled on Tokai's numerous Japanese campuses. And what about education generally? More use of Internet and TV for off-campus education. Less emphasis on classroom lectures, though they won't disappear. More lifelong learning. UH community college students illustrate the trend with an average age over 30. More interaction between education and active life experiences. He has a favorite maxim: ``Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.'' He succeeded under the old system of listening to lecturers, memorizing and feeding things back in exams. But he thinks involvement is better and should be lifelong. Real education starts at conception, he says. Early life experiences are the most formative. Kindergarten teachers thus are more important in shaping a life than graduate school professors. The latter are much better paid but the balance is worth re-examining.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a group of Americans that contributed greatly to the game of baseball. Although not widely known in this country, the Japanese American community has contributed a significant chapter to the history of baseball as it has to many other important aspects of American society. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Issei, or first generation Japanese Americans, developed a love for baseball that led to the creation of an extensive network of Japanese American leagues throughout the United States. Japanese American baseball leagues began to appear in towns and cities throughout Hawaii and the western continental United States. The popularity of baseball spread to the point where there was a team in nearly every Japanese American farming community. By the 1920's, more than 100 teams had been formed consisting primarily of talented Nisei, or second generation Japanese Americans. Because of the discrimination and forced segregation of the time, the Nisei teams, like the teams in the Negro Leagues and in the All- American Girls Professional Baseball Leagues, played mostly against each other. However, they also successfully compete against high school, college, and semi-professional teams from white America, teams from the Negro Leagues, and even against baseball legends such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, and Joe DiMaggio. In 1937, all-star teams consisting of Nisei players from California traveled to Japan, Korea, and Manchuria as ambassadors of goodwill. The Nisei teams competed throughout Asia where they impressed audiences with their talented play, sportsmanship, and aggressive style of fast- paced American baseball. However, the outbreak of World War II abruptly ended their overseas campaign as ambassadors of American goodwill. In the following months, many of these players and their families, because of their race, became the object of suspicion and mistrust in their own country. The serene life of farming and playing baseball ended abruptly with the announcement of Executive Order 9066. More than 120,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to remote internment camps across the United States. In an effort to preserve a sense of community and improve the living conditions of the interment camps, Japanese Americans set about recreating many of the social networks and clubs that were an integral part of their lives prior to their internment. For many of the younger Japanese Americans this meant banding together and forming baseball leagues that played several seasons behind barbed-wire fences. For Japanese Americans interned during World War II, playing, watching and supporting baseball was an important reprieve from the harsh nature of camp life. Popular Japanese American baseball players, such as Kenichi Zenimura, made it a mission to bring baseball to the internment camps. He and the Japanese American community worked tirelessly to build makeshift baseball stadiums where, for several hours each week, Japanese American communities could forget their worries and enjoy their worries and enjoy their favorite American pastime. For the many Japanese Americans who participated in the baseball leagues and the thousands who watched and supported the teams, the baseball leagues helped to rebuild a sense of civic pride and dignity which had greatly suffered as a result of their forced internment. In the post-war years, Japanese American baseball players took up their former role as ambassadors of goodwill and began traveling across the Pacific to play exhibiting games in Japan. In addition, prominent Japanese American baseball players, like Tsuneo ``Cappy'' Harada, contributed to the explosion of baseball's popularity in Japan by bringing famous Americans such as Lefty O'Doul and Joe DiMaggio to Japan for exhibitions and public appearances. These efforts by Harada and other greatly contributed to the internationalization of baseball as a professional sport and the popularity of baseball in Japan. The current practice of playing exhibition games in both American and Japan was started by Japanese American baseball players and provides opportunities for both American and Japanese players to compete in each other's countries. In recent years, American Cecil Fielder played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Central League, while Japanese players, like Hideo Nomo, have competed for American teams. In addition, American and Japanese All-Star teams regularly compete in Japan. In spite of this rich tradition and history, the popularity of the Nisei Baseball Leagues gradually waned as discrimination and segregation faded in American society. By the 1970's the leagues had almost completely disappeared. However, the important contributions of Japanese American baseball players had, in recent years, been rediscovered for the benefit of all Americans. Historical exhibits, like ``Diamonds in the Rough: Japanese Americans in Baseball,'' which have traveled to many sites throughout the United States, have brought to the public's attention the important role Japanese Americans played in baseball's history. In addition, many younger Japanese Americans, have begun to participate in the historic Japanese American baseball leagues again. It is a great privilege to bring to the attention of the Congress and the American people the important contributions of the Japanese American baseball players. From their early days playing in segregated Japanese American leagues to their more recent role as promoters of baseball around the world, they have consistently demonstrated an incredible ability to overcome adversity and make the most of opportunities in even the most difficult of circumstances. In light of their many accomplishments, I am honored to commemorate the Japanese American baseball players today.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, the Internet is transforming every aspect of how a university performs research, teaches its students and reaches out to the public. In Hawaii and Alaska, the importance of the Internet is multiplied even more by the vast distances that separates us from the other 48 states, as well as the unique internal geography of our states which separate our citizens from each other by water, mountains or long distances. In October 1996, the Clinton Administration unveiled its Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative, emphasizing that the Internet is the biggest change in human communication since the printing press. The initiative proposed a $100 million per year federal program to create the foundation for the networks of the 21st century. Approximately $95 million is being appropriated this year for the NGI. One of the initial NGI project goals is to connect at least 100 universities and national labs at speeds 100 to 1,000 times faster than today's Internet. The University of Hawaii and University of Alaska, along with many other institutions, have joined the Internet2 initiative which shares this objective. Unfortunately, high-speed connectiv- ity comparable to what the NGI project is bringing to research universities throughout the country is not even available, much less affordable, for the universities of our most remote states of Alaska and Hawaii. These are the states where telecommunications is most needed to counteract the isolation that is imposed by our remoteness. It must be noted first and foremost that our public universities in Alaska and Hawaii have already dug deep to pay their own fair share to obtain Internet connectivity. These two institutions already allocate more internal funding for Internet connections than any other university, yet they receive far less capacity for their dollars importance on the Internet, these universities are faced with urgent needs that cannot be reasonably accommodated through the commercial marketplace or federal grant mechanisms currently in place. For example, as part of the Internet2 project, major research universities are now planning increases in speed from 45 Mbps (million bits per second) to 150 Mbps and even 600 Mbps. According to the founding project director for Internet2, the expected cost for a 150 Mbps connection will average about $300,000 per year for mainland research universities. The University of Hawaii already pays much more than this--$448,000 per year--and this buys only a 6 Mbps connection from Hawaii to the mainland. The University of Alaska now pays $324,000 per year for a 4.5 Mbps connection. In other words, compared to the average that other universities are expected to pay for their NGI-capable connections, Hawaii is already paying 50 percent more for \1/25\ of the capacity, and Alaska is paying nearly 10 percent more for \1/33\ of the capacity. The rural states on the mainland found that their connection costs were higher than in urban areas and appealed for assistance. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recognized that the maximum $350,000 3-year grant to assist in establishing connections to its Very High Speed Backbone Network Service was not adequate to meet the costs in these rural states. In response, the NSF agreed to make 18 rural states, not including Alaska and Hawaii, eligible for special supplements of up to $200,000 over and above the $350,000 maximum grant. These rural mainland universities can obtain 45 Mbps connections for prices in the range of $150,000 to $360,000 per year. In comparison, the quoted prices for these connections to Alaska and Hawaii are $2.8 million and $2.5 million respectively, escalating to $6 million or more a year to meet future requirements. Further, even if funds were available within the states to pay these costs on an ongoing basis, the capacity is not readily available or even in place on an ongoing basis, the capacity is not readily available or even in place on the existing saturated fiber optic systems that connect Hawaii and Alaska to the rest of the country. Our research universities in Alaska and Hawaii need the same level of connectivity as their counterparts in California, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Colorado. Our remote universities are already paying much more and getting much less for their limited internal funding. This is not just a problem for our universities, but is fundamental to the overall economic development of our states. Ensuring high-speed Internet access to the only public institutions of higher education in Hawaii and Alaska also supports K-12 education, state government, and many other education, research and public sector organizations to which our universities provide technological leadership, support and services as the intellectual cornerstones of our communities. It is imperative that the federal government ensure fair access across the nation to the Internet and to our own federal initiatives such as the NGI. Just as a 32-cent stamp provides the same service anywhere in the country, so too must we consider ways to equalize access to the information superhighway. Further, we must solve this structural problem not just for the short term, but on a permanent basis. We urge the federal agencies which are receiving $95 million for the NGI this year, and which are planning on additional funding in the years to come, to take upon themselves the responsibility to ensure that the NGI reaches not just to those places that can be reached cheaply and easily, but to all fifty states. Technical staff at each university have been working long and hard to identify any possible means of achieving affordable high speed connectivity for their state. We ask that, as a nation, we reach out to find a stable and lasting solution to this urgent problem.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I, too, want to express my strong interest in amending the title IV-E statute so that Indian children placed by tribal courts have access to this program on the same basis as other children and that tribal governments with approved programs be made eligible for IV-E administrative and training funds on the same basis as States. Senator Campbell and I jointly wrote the Finance Committee on this matter. I would point out that the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, in April 1995, held a hearing on welfare reform proposals. At that hearing, a representative of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, testified with regard to its August 1994 report: ``Opportunities for Administration on Children and Families to Improve Child Welfare Services and Protections for Native American Children,'' which documented that tribes receive little benefit or funding from the title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Program--and other Social Security Act programs. The OIG report states: ``The surest way to guarantee that Indian people receive benefits from these Social Security Act programs is to * * * provide direct allocations to tribes.'' The OIG report also noted that the State officials with whom they talked preferred direct IV-E funding to tribes: With respect to IV-E funding, most State officials with whom we talked favored ACF (Administration on Children and Families) dealing directly with Tribes. This direct approach for title IV-E would eliminate the need for Tribal-State agreement, and because title IV-E is an uncapped Federal entitlement, would not affect the moneys available to the States. (p. 13)

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, the Honolulu Star Bulletin's weekly article, ``Hawaii's World,'' written by one of Hawaii's most respected journalist, A. A. (Bud) Smyser, commemorated Veterans Day with an article entitled, ``Hawaii's Exceptionally Strong Patriotism.'' This article appeared in the Thursday, November 6, 1997 edition. I ask that Mr. Smyser's article be printed in the Record. The article follows: [From the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Nov. 6, 1997] Hawaii's Exceptionally Strong Patriotism (By A.A. Smyser) For Veterans Day next Tuesday, I have a message from on high. The Defense Department's top officer in this half of the world calls Hawaii ``the most patriotic community I know.'' Adm. Joseph W. Prueher said that to a Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii lunch in July. He reiterated it recently when I asked for amplification. He has been CINPAC (commander-in-chief Pacific) since January 1996, dealt with a lot of community matters, watched the turnouts of political and community leaders for Military Appreciation Week in May (which few if any other communities have), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor anniversary events. He also is fully aware of the World War II contributions of Hawaii's soldiers of Japanese ancestry fighting to prove their loyalty. He is impressed by the still-continuing reunions of those groups with sons and daughters pledged to carry on. He knows there are scratchy points in military-community relations such as the Makua Valley beach landing exercise, which he called off at the request of Governor Cayetano and leaders of the Leeward Oahu community. But he has faith the community remains behind the essential use of Hawaii facilities to train fighting forces. He works closely with Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who says ``this community pulls out the stops for the military more than any place I've ever seen.'' He's a Navy man, of course, who sees more of our mainland coasts than inland, but his Army deputy, Lt. Gen. Joseph DeFrancisco, concurs. The only place DeFrancisco can think of that comes close to matching us in showing its patriotism is the Gulf Coast area of Georgia around Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Our Navy League chapter of 5,000 is the biggest in the U.S. Servicemen in Hawaii get stickers for their ID cards that entitle them to kamaaina discounts in Waikiki an elsewhere. They also get auto license discounts and reduced tuition at the University of Hawaii. There's a two-way street, of course. The armed services are among the very best Aloha United Way contributors. They provide emergency medical airlifts and rescues at sea, are prompt with community disaster relief. They have adopted 130 public and private schools for renovation help and grounds cleaning. They recently gave six schools 205 computers. They host the Special Olympics for children with disabilities, serve as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, help tutor children in all grades, and dig in for projects like litter cleanup around Diamond Head. They co-host Hydrofest, join in community parades and open their bases for visitation. Veterans' medical facilities at Tripler Army Medical Center are first-rate. Hawaii's high cost of living is a concern for many service people, alleviated by the fact that 78 percent are housed on base. Past criticisms of our schools seem to have eased with more military-community interaction. Most land use concerns have been quieted by creation of a joint military-civilian task force to review military needs and relinquish unneeded properties. Makua is the current hot potato. The canceled beach landing would have been a first, but continuing use of the valley itself as a weapons training area remains a high priority need to the military, an intrusion to the civilian critics. It is the kind of thing the governor and other top civilian officials will have to weigh carefully in light of the $3.4 billion annual military spending here that is based heavily on our year-round training capability for all services.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, may I call upon my colleague, the esteemed Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, to clarify a matter that is addressed in the bill to provide technical amendments to the Museum and Library Services Act?

Mr. INOUYE. I thank the chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee for this clarification and urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. INOUYE. Under the provisions of the Library Services and Construction Act, Public Law 98-480, Native Hawaiian organizations are authorized to provide library services to Native Hawaiians. One of our most exemplary Federal grantees, Alu Like, Inc., has been administering the Native Hawaiian Library Project since 1985. Native Hawaiian children in the State's public school system start school well behind other students when it comes to crucial vocabulary skills. Hawaiian children enter kindergarten with lower vocabulary scores than other children (12th percentile: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised, 1989), and in achievement tests of basic skills, Hawaiian students continue to perform below national norms and other groups in Hawaii. On the Reading Comprehension Subtest of the Stanford Achievement Test administered by the Hawaii State Department of Education in the spring of 1990, Hawaiian eighth grade students scored at the 18th percentile, the lowest of the four principal ethnic groups in Hawaii. A recent study in Hawaii by the Governor's Council for Literacy shows that Native Hawaiian adults have low literacy rates, with 30 percent at the lowest level compared with 19 percent of adults statewide. It is these statistics, and the need to assure that parents have reading skills sufficient to foster learning and reading skills in their preschool and school-age children, that the Native Hawaiian Library Project has sought to address. This has been made possible because of the federal resources that have been made available under the Library Services and Construction Act. The initial funding for this program was $590,123 and 1985, and because of the program's documented effectiveness, it has been funded each year thereafter for a total of $7,223,297. Funding in the past fiscal year was $635,025. It is my understanding that in enacting the Museum and Library Services Act, the Congress sought to extend the authority for the library services programs that have proven to be so effective in enriching the reading and vocabulary skills of Americans of all ages. In our State, it has enabled Native Hawaiian children to begin to perform on a par with other students, it has effected a reduction in the drop-out rates of Native Hawaiian students and demonstrated a marked improvement in their performance on achievement tests, and has enabled adults with new literacy skills to secure employment. It is because of the importance of this program to the Native Hawaiian people of our State that I seek your clarification that the bill to provide technical and conforming amendments to the Museum and Library Services Act, specifically section 6 of that measure, is intended simply to maintain the status quo relative to the federal support for Native Hawaiian library services by extending the authority for grants to Native Hawaiian organizations for this purpose.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to address a project that unfortunately was not incorporated in the list of projects to be funded by the Economic Development Administration outlined in the Senate report to accompany the Fiscal Year 1998 appropriations bill for Commerce, State, Justice and the Judiciary. This project is the People's Lodge--a multi-cultural center designed to serve the urban Indian and Alaska Native populations in Seattle, Washington, and all of the Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The People's Lodge represents the next phase of development of the Daybreak Star Center and will include a permanent Hall of Ancestors exhibition, a multiple-use Potlatch House, and an exhibition gallery, the John Kauffman, Jr. Theater, a resource center, and the Sacred Circle of the American Indian Art. The federal funding for this project--approximately $13 million-- would be matched by funds from private sources. The private fund- raising efforts are already well-underway. In the coming days, Senator Stevens and Senator Murray and I will be pursuing this matter directly with the Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Mr. President, it is my hope that the Economic Development Administration will agree with us as to the merits of this most worthwhile project.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, the Public Housing Management Assessment Program was established under the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 to ensure that public housing functions as a well- managed enterprise on a uniform, nationwide basis. The PHMAP was designed to institute a system of accountability that would help the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development monitor and evaluate management operations of housing authorities nationwide. PHMAP scores are based on ranking in seven areas: vacancy rate and unit turnaround time, modernization, rents uncollected, work orders, inspection of units and systems, financial management, resident services, and community building. The Hawaii Housing Authority is ranked the 29th largest authority of 4,000 housing authorities in the country. Last month, HUD announced that the HHA received a 92.5 score and high-performer status for its management program under PHMAP. This enables the State of Hawaii to continue to receive its share of Federal funding, and allows HHA maximum flexibility in using those federal funds. I would like to congratulate Hawaii Gov. Benjamin J. Cayetano, Ms. Sharon R. Yamada, executive director of the Hawaii Housing Authority, and the extraordinary staff of the HHA for this outstanding achievement. I proudly commend the staff of HHA for their dedication, hard work, and detailed attention to serving their housing customers.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am pleased to lend my support to Senator Murkowski's bill that would amend Public Law 105-34, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, with respect to domestic aviation travel to, from, and within Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii, unlike any other State, save Alaska, does not have the transportation alternatives that are available to citizens of other States. Roads, bridges, trains, and buses do not operate between the islands of Hawaii. This geographic difference causes any tax imposed on the cost of flying, our citizens' only means of getting from one island to another, to fall disproportionately on our citizens. This bill would correct any injustice that the citizens of Hawaii and Alaska were, perhaps inadvertently, subjected to as a result of last summer's passage of increased excise taxes on air transportation. Specifically, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997's provision for the collection of an additional segment tax for each segment of air travel among the Hawaiian Islands disproportionately penalized Hawaii citizens. In addition, the current law definition of ``rural airports'' is under inclusive. Under the current law, Hawaii citizens traveling to and from an airport located within 75 miles of a high-traffic airport that is inaccessible to them because there are no paved roads connecting the two airports, are nonetheless ineligible for the reduced 7.5 percent tax. By amending the definition of ``rural airports,'' this bill will afford Hawaii citizens the same tax benefits as similarly situated citizens of other States. Therefore, I support the reinstatement of the pre-act formula for computing taxes on domestic segments that begin or end in Alaska and Hawaii, which would correct the inequitable tax treatment of Hawaii passengers under the current law. It is my hope that my colleagues will support this measure during the second session of the 105th Congress.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am pleased to lend my support to Senator Murkowski's bill that would amend Public Law 105-34, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, with respect to domestic aviation travel to, from, and within Hawaii and Alaska. Hawaii, unlike any other State, save Alaska, does not have the transportation alternatives that are available to citizens of other States. Roads, bridges, trains, and buses do not operate between the islands of Hawaii. This geographic difference causes any tax imposed on the cost of flying, our citizens' only means of getting from one island to another, to fall disproportionately on our citizens. This bill would correct any injustice that the citizens of Hawaii and Alaska were, perhaps inadvertently, subjected to as a result of last summer's passage of increased excise taxes on air transportation. Specifically, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997's provision for the collection of an additional segment tax for each segment of air travel among the Hawaiian Islands disproportionately penalized Hawaii citizens. In addition, the current law definition of ``rural airports'' is under inclusive. Under the current law, Hawaii citizens traveling to and from an airport located within 75 miles of a high-traffic airport that is inaccessible to them because there are no paved roads connecting the two airports, are nonetheless ineligible for the reduced 7.5 percent tax. By amending the definition of ``rural airports,'' this bill will afford Hawaii citizens the same tax benefits as similarly situated citizens of other States. Therefore, I support the reinstatement of the pre-act formula for computing taxes on domestic segments that begin or end in Alaska and Hawaii, which would correct the inequitable tax treatment of Hawaii passengers under the current law. It is my hope that my colleagues will support this measure during the second session of the 105th Congress.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I would like to take this moment to remember an extraordinary and talented individual. I join the multitude of people who noted the passing of James A. Michener with much sadness. I recall my meetings with Mr. Michener during his brief residency in Hawaii, during which time, he did much of his research on his monumental opus, ``Hawaii.'' Though some may have criticized his book, it was generally received by the people of Hawaii with great enthusiasm and commendation. He captured the spirit of early Hawaii, and reminded us of the sad plight of the indigenous people of Hawaii--the proud and noble Polynesians. We shall always be indebted to James Michener for introducing to the world the Hawaiian Islands that now constitute the 50th State of our Nation.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce the Communications Satellite Competition and Privatization Act of 1997. This bill amends the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 in order to promote full competition in the global satellite communication services market by fully privatizing satellite communications. It is my intention that the introduction of this bill in the Senate will spur debate on this important issue. It is my goal to work with all of my colleagues and all other interested parties to address the issues presented in this bill. In 1962, the United States and other countries around the world recognized the increasingly important role the new and emerging satellite technology could play in facilitating worldwide communications. In enacting the Communications Satellite Act of 1962, Congress sought to improve the global communications network by implementing a global, commercial communications satellite system, expeditiously. INTELSAT, Inmarsat, and Comsat emerged as the network that would connect Americans to countries throughout the world. INTELSATE, Inmarsat, and Comsat have undoubtedly fulfilled their missions and have provided us with valuable services. Through their communications network, they have connected us whether we are on land or on water, by voice, video, and data transmissions, and across continents. They have also played a pivotal role in pioneering the delivery of satellite communications. However, in the 35 years since the act has been adopted, the marketplace has changed and the time is now ripe for us to revisit the act and put in place a policy that will take the industry and the American consumers into the future. Today, many U.S. and foreign satellite systems participate in the global satellite marketplace. There are also an increasing number of satellite systems seeking authority to participate in the marketplace. As additional satellite systems enter the marketplace, competition must continue to flourish and consumers must obtain needed services at reasonable prices. The treaty-based status and intergovernmental structure of INTELSAT, Inmarsat, and Comsat must not hinder the ability of these carriers to effectively compete in the future and must not distort competition in the marketplace. Today, many individuals in the government and in industry, nationally and worldwide are working on the privatization of INTELSAT and Inmarsat. There is a recognition that the status quo will not benefit the marketplace nor will it benefit INTELSAT and Inmarsat, or Comsat. My introduction of this bill is intended to establish a framework in which the Senate can begin a larger discussion of the issues and ultimately craft legislation that promotes the delivery of state-of- the-art satellite communications and brings innovations and cost reductions to the public. I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting a policy that will continue to allow our satellite industry to grow and flourish and for consumers to receive the benefits of such advancements. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce the Communications Satellite Competition and Privatization Act of 1997. This bill amends the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 in order to promote full competition in the global satellite communication services market by fully privatizing satellite communications. It is my intention that the introduction of this bill in the Senate will spur debate on this important issue. It is my goal to work with all of my colleagues and all other interested parties to address the issues presented in this bill. In 1962, the United States and other countries around the world recognized the increasingly important role the new and emerging satellite technology could play in facilitating worldwide communications. In enacting the Communications Satellite Act of 1962, Congress sought to improve the global communications network by implementing a global, commercial communications satellite system, expeditiously. INTELSAT, Inmarsat, and Comsat emerged as the network that would connect Americans to countries throughout the world. INTELSATE, Inmarsat, and Comsat have undoubtedly fulfilled their missions and have provided us with valuable services. Through their communications network, they have connected us whether we are on land or on water, by voice, video, and data transmissions, and across continents. They have also played a pivotal role in pioneering the delivery of satellite communications. However, in the 35 years since the act has been adopted, the marketplace has changed and the time is now ripe for us to revisit the act and put in place a policy that will take the industry and the American consumers into the future. Today, many U.S. and foreign satellite systems participate in the global satellite marketplace. There are also an increasing number of satellite systems seeking authority to participate in the marketplace. As additional satellite systems enter the marketplace, competition must continue to flourish and consumers must obtain needed services at reasonable prices. The treaty-based status and intergovernmental structure of INTELSAT, Inmarsat, and Comsat must not hinder the ability of these carriers to effectively compete in the future and must not distort competition in the marketplace. Today, many individuals in the government and in industry, nationally and worldwide are working on the privatization of INTELSAT and Inmarsat. There is a recognition that the status quo will not benefit the marketplace nor will it benefit INTELSAT and Inmarsat, or Comsat. My introduction of this bill is intended to establish a framework in which the Senate can begin a larger discussion of the issues and ultimately craft legislation that promotes the delivery of state-of- the-art satellite communications and brings innovations and cost reductions to the public. I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting a policy that will continue to allow our satellite industry to grow and flourish and for consumers to receive the benefits of such advancements. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to commend my colleagues for their work on the conference report on the Interior appropriations bill for fiscal year 1998. There are a few provisions of this bill that do not relate to matters of appropriations which would be more properly addressed by the authorizing committees of the Senate, and thus, I feel compelled to register concern that measures that are clearly substantive in nature-- such as a comprehensive settlement of the claims of the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida--do not belong in this or any other appropriations bill. I raise this matter because in last year's Omnibus Appropriations Act, there was a provision that singled out one Indian tribal government for disparate treatment--namely, to strip that tribe of benefits and privileges that have been authorized for all other tribes in the country under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. I speak of the provision affecting the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island. Last year's provision came before this body over the strenuous and adamant objections of the Narragansett Tribe, without the benefit of any hearings, in the absence of any record that would serve to justify this unusual action on the part of the Congress, and with no consultation with the affected tribe. The Narraganset Indian Tribe advises us that this provision has forever changed the lives of the members of that tribe, and has wrought devastating effects on the potential for the development and growth of the tribal economy. Mr. President, I look forward to the day when the Congress acts to rectify the effects of last year's appropriations bill as it relates to the Narragansett Tribe.