Jim Jeffords

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Daniel Smith, for his unyielding support for and commitment to the Northeast Dairy Compact. With the help of Dan Smith the Dairy Compact has become an instrument of balance that is critical to the needs of both farmers and consumers in the New England region, as well as a model of success for the rest of the country. A carpenter by trade, Dan Smith, for more than ten years unselfishly committed himself to the crafting and building of the Northeast Dairy Compact Commission. Dan's dedication to the survival of New England's small farms and his desire to finish the job has benefited all those who value the strong agricultural communities in New England. With a bachelors degree from Dartmouth College and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin, Dan served as law clerk to the Honorable Frederic W. Allen, Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. As legal counsel for the Vermont State Legislature, Dan carefully drafted the Dairy Compact legislation. He then worked as Executive Director for Dairy Compact Committee, nurturing the Compact legislation through each of the six New England state legislatures, resulting in overwhelming support in each of the states. After six years of traveling throughout New England educating legislatures and building support for the Compact, Dan turned his efforts to Washington, D.C. and to the ratification of the Northeast Dairy Compact by the U.S. Congress. Mr. President, few initiatives in my memory have sparked such a vigorous policy debate as the Dairy Compact. Dan worked closely with me and my staff to develop and execute the many strategies that helped pass the Compact. The passage of the Compact was a long shot in the minds of many, but I knew that with Dan Smith's commitment we would succeed. I am proud to have sponsored the Compact on behalf of all my colleagues from the New England delegation. Adoption of the Compact could not have happened in Congress without the help of Dan Smith, and without the years of dedicated work from a veritable army of Compact supporters throughout New England. This tribute reflects that with the success of the Dairy Compact we recognize the commitment to and importance of our dairy farmers. The Dairy Compact holds great promise for the New England region to preserve the viability of agriculture and to protect a special way of life

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a bill that my colleague Senator Baucus and I are introducing titled the, ``Community And Postal Participation Act of 1998'' (CAPPA). Coming from a small town in Vermont, I understand the importance downtowns or village centers play in the identity and longevity of a community. Downtowns are where people go to socialize, shop, learn what their elected representatives are doing, and gather to celebrate holidays with their neighbors. One of the focal points of any downtown area is the community's post office. Post offices have been part of downtowns and village centers as long as most cities and towns have existed. These post offices are often located in historic buildings and have provided towns with a sense of continuity as their communities have changed over time. The removal of this focal point can quickly lead to the disappearance of continuity and spirit of a community and then the community itself. Mr. President, this legislation will enable the inhabitants of small villages and large towns to have a say when the Postal Service decides that their local post office will be closed, relocated, or consolidated. Some of my colleagues may ask why this legislation is necessary. A few stories from my home state of Vermont will answer this question and hopefully lead to quick passage of this important legislation. A few years ago the general store on the green in Perkinsville, Vermont went bankrupt and the adjacent post office wanted to leave the small village center for a new building outside of town. By the time the community was aware of the project, plans were so far along--the new building had actually been constructed based on the promise of the post office as the anchor tenant--that there was no time to fully investigate in-town alternatives. One elderly resident wrote that in contrast to families now being able to walk to the post office, ``we certainly won't be walking along the busy Route 106 two miles or more to get our mail.'' The State Historic Preservation Officer commented that as people meet neighbors at the post office, the threads of community are woven and reinforced. ``It may be intangible, but its real, and such interaction is critically important to the preservation of the spirit and physical fabric of small village centers like Perkinsville.'' In 1988, the post office in the Stockbridge Vermont General Store needed to expand. The store owner tried to find money to rehabilitate an 1811 barn next to the store to provide the needed space, but was not successful. In 1990, the post office moved into a new facility located on the outskirts of Stockbridge on a previously undeveloped section of land at the intersection of two highways. People can no longer walk to the post office as they once were able to do when it was located in the village center. The relocation of the Stockbridge post office unfortunately removed one of the anchors of the community. These are not isolated examples. I ask unanimous consent that a description of Postal Service activities related to the relocation of post offices in the Vermont towns of Fairfax, Ascutney, Taftsville, and Huntington be included for the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, post office relocations are not only occurring in Vermont, but all across the country. My colleagues will quickly discover similar examples in their own states where the removal of the post office has harmed the economic vitality of the downtown area, deprived citizens without cars of access, and contributed to urban sprawl. The basic premise for this legislation is to give the individuals in a community a voice in the process of a proposed relocation, closing or consolidation of a post office. This community voice has been lacking in the current process. This bill does not give the citizenry the ultimate veto power over a relocation, closing or consolidation. Instead, the bill sets up a process that makes sure community voices and concerns are heard and taken into account by the Postal Service. Additionally, this act will require the Postal Service to abide by local zoning laws and the historic preservation rules regarding federal buildings. Because it is a federal entity, the Postal Service has the ability to override local zoning requirements. In some cases this has lead to disruption of traffic patterns, a rejection of local safety standards, and concerns about environmental damage from problems such as storm water management. Mr. President, post offices in Vermont and across the nation are centers of social and business interaction. In communities where post offices are located on village greens or in downtowns, they become integral to these communities' identities. I believe that this legislation will strengthen the federal-local ties of the Postal Service, help preserve our downtowns, and combat the problem of sprawl. I urge my colleagues to join Senator Baucus and I in support of this important legislation.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, post office relocations are not only occurring in Vermont, but all across the country. My colleagues will quickly discover similar examples in their own states where the removal of the post office has harmed the economic vitality of the downtown area, deprived citizens without cars of access, and contributed to urban sprawl. The basic premise for this legislation is to give the individuals in a community a voice in the process of a proposed relocation, closing or consolidation of a post office. This community voice has been lacking in the current process. This bill does not give the citizenry the ultimate veto power over a relocation, closing or consolidation. Instead, the bill sets up a process that makes sure community voices and concerns are heard and taken into account by the Postal Service. Additionally, this act will require the Postal Service to abide by local zoning laws and the historic preservation rules regarding federal buildings. Because it is a federal entity, the Postal Service has the ability to override local zoning requirements. In some cases this has lead to disruption of traffic patterns, a rejection of local safety standards, and concerns about environmental damage from problems such as storm water management. Mr. President, post offices in Vermont and across the nation are centers of social and business interaction. In communities where post offices are located on village greens or in downtowns, they become integral to these communities' identities. I believe that this legislation will strengthen the federal-local ties of the Postal Service, help preserve our downtowns, and combat the problem of sprawl. I urge my colleagues to join Senator Baucus and I in support of this important legislation.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a bill that my colleague Senator Baucus and I are introducing titled the, ``Community And Postal Participation Act of 1998'' (CAPPA). Coming from a small town in Vermont, I understand the importance downtowns or village centers play in the identity and longevity of a community. Downtowns are where people go to socialize, shop, learn what their elected representatives are doing, and gather to celebrate holidays with their neighbors. One of the focal points of any downtown area is the community's post office. Post offices have been part of downtowns and village centers as long as most cities and towns have existed. These post offices are often located in historic buildings and have provided towns with a sense of continuity as their communities have changed over time. The removal of this focal point can quickly lead to the disappearance of continuity and spirit of a community and then the community itself. Mr. President, this legislation will enable the inhabitants of small villages and large towns to have a say when the Postal Service decides that their local post office will be closed, relocated, or consolidated. Some of my colleagues may ask why this legislation is necessary. A few stories from my home state of Vermont will answer this question and hopefully lead to quick passage of this important legislation. A few years ago the general store on the green in Perkinsville, Vermont went bankrupt and the adjacent post office wanted to leave the small village center for a new building outside of town. By the time the community was aware of the project, plans were so far along--the new building had actually been constructed based on the promise of the post office as the anchor tenant--that there was no time to fully investigate in-town alternatives. One elderly resident wrote that in contrast to families now being able to walk to the post office, ``we certainly won't be walking along the busy Route 106 two miles or more to get our mail.'' The State Historic Preservation Officer commented that as people meet neighbors at the post office, the threads of community are woven and reinforced. ``It may be intangible, but its real, and such interaction is critically important to the preservation of the spirit and physical fabric of small village centers like Perkinsville.'' In 1988, the post office in the Stockbridge Vermont General Store needed to expand. The store owner tried to find money to rehabilitate an 1811 barn next to the store to provide the needed space, but was not successful. In 1990, the post office moved into a new facility located on the outskirts of Stockbridge on a previously undeveloped section of land at the intersection of two highways. People can no longer walk to the post office as they once were able to do when it was located in the village center. The relocation of the Stockbridge post office unfortunately removed one of the anchors of the community. These are not isolated examples. I ask unanimous consent that a description of Postal Service activities related to the relocation of post offices in the Vermont towns of Fairfax, Ascutney, Taftsville, and Huntington be included for the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I want to thank all my colleagues for their support on this bill. It is an excellent bill. I appreciate Senators having the confidence in us. We hope to move expeditiously in getting to conference. I yield to Senator DeWine.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill. It is a tremendous step forward in helping this Nation meet international competition. I praise the staff on both sides for making it possible for us to come here in this great love fest that we have had in the Chamber. Having voted it out of the committee unanimously, I hope that this body would see fit to do the same. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, because of my shared interest in providing increased access to training for incumbent workers, I look forward to working with my colleague, Senator Snowe, to address the training needs of incumbent workers, particularly those in industries that are vulnerable to the ups-and-downs of our economy.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, the Senator from Maine has properly recognized a serious need in the American workforce, and one that I hope will be strongly addressed by the Congress. Incumbent workers nationwide--and particularly those at small businesses--must be provided with increased access to training, and I commend her for raising this issue at this time, and for offering legislation that is intended to address this tangible need.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter of support from the Business Roundtable be printed in the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I yield to the Senator from South Carolina 2 minutes.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. JEFFORDS. I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his work on job training and educational issues, both in this context, and as Chairman of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over such programs. I will endeavor to work with him on enhancing the issue of pre-vocational training in conference with the House and welcome his input on this critical issue.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. President, let me just make a few more comments. I believe Senator DeWine will be here shortly. As was pointed out, there are three bills which are combined in this bill, and I want to talk a little bit about vocational rehabilitation. It is extremely important that as we move forward, we do more and more for our disabled community to give them every possible opportunity to compete for jobs and to demonstrate their capacity to help our Nation's workforce. We place these programs together, although we maintain separate streams of funding to ensure that each of these programs in adult education, vocational education, job training, and vocational rehabilitation will not feel at all threatened that money will be taken from them. It is important at the same time that we recognize the great capacity of people with disabilities to come into the workforce if they are given the opportunity. By placing them in the same bill, it is important to demonstrate that they are ready and willing to take advantage of the opportunities in the workforce in many places which they have been denied. Also, as I mentioned earlier in my statement, the problems we have with the adult workforce is literacy, to a large extent. As the demands become higher and greater on our workforce, we are recognizing that we need more people to move into the workforce to take the jobs that are available. Thus, it is incredibly important that we coordinate adult education along with vocational education. That is the purpose of this bill, to get everybody to work together to improve the workforce of this Nation to meet the competition of nations overseas. While I am pleased with the progress we have made, I believe that we have moved forward on this bill to do everything possible we can to make ourselves more competitive. I will now talk a little bit about a report released by the National Center for Research and Vocational Education which gave a good overview of training in European nations. I think it is important that my colleagues understand the kind of competition we are getting in Europe, and I will say the same is true and maybe even more so in Asia. This report highlights the importance of a cohesive partnership between educators and employers. Employers in Europe are active participants in the governance of work-related education and training in Australia, Great Britain, France and Germany. Another significant finding of the report is that European nations, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, are attempting to develop a technical education system which can survive as either a bridge to additional vocational training or pursuing college-level courses. Although we are not Europe, we are beginning to make some progress. With the passage of S. 1186, that progress will only continue to grow. I am also hopeful that passage of the Workforce Investment Partnership Act will eliminate many of the misconceptions that exist regarding vocational education, adult education and training. Some perceive vocational education as a second-rate education for students who cannot otherwise succeed in the so-called traditional academic path. Nothing--and I say nothing--could be further from the truth. In fact, the opposite in many cases is the situation now. Vocational education courses hold appeal for all students. In my home State of Vermont, over 4,500 students participate in vocational education courses of which 12 percent are adults. A strong technical education system is the best kind of training. As has been pointed out, as we move forward in our lives, the need for vocational education or skills training is going to increase. We are going to change jobs five, six, seven times during our lives as we move into the next century, and we are going to need training continuously. The same is true now with our society. However, we just do not have the appropriate training available. We need to coordinate, we need to get together and figure out how we can provide the skills that are necessary. If employment and training programs are to succeed, a simple, integrated workforce development system must be established that gives States, local communities, employers and students both the assistance and the incentives to participate in our global economy. S. 1186 is a good step in responding to this need. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the Workforce Investment Partnership Act. Before turning to others who may want to speak on this legislation, I again thank my colleagues and coauthors of the bill, in particular Senators Kennedy, DeWine and Wellstone. In particular, I thank the Employment and Training Subcommittee chaired by Senator DeWine, who has done an outstanding job in putting together this bill. Senator Wellstone, the Employment and Training Subcommittee ranking member, has also done a tremendous job in drafting key provisions of this bill. Senator Kennedy and I have been working for many years on this effort, and we are pleased to have Senators DeWine and Wellstone as our partners. I also thank the staff of Senators Wellstone, Kennedy and DeWine, and the staff of the Congressional Research Service and legislative counsel have worked tirelessly on this bill. In addition, I also thank the administration for their hard work. The business community led by the National Alliance for Business, the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers are also to be commended for their efforts and for their support. I express my appreciation to the Chief State School Officers and other educational organizations who offered constructive comments during the drafting of S. 1186. Most of all, I thank my home State of Vermont for serving as an inspiration for this legislation. Almost 1 year ago, I held a hearing in Vermont on workforce development. Over 100 Vermonters attended and offered various perspectives which have been incorporated in this bill. Also, I thank the State of Mississippi. I went down to the State of Mississippi and found that they had one of the most innovative vocational education systems that I have had the chance to observe. They are dedicated there and doing a fine job. In fact, I noted that their unemployment rate was going down, even though they were losing hundreds of jobs to Mexico. Why? Because of the business community seeing the state of their vocational training and their ability to train for the skills necessary for the jobs that are locating in Mississippi. Thus, they are losing low-wage jobs and replacing them with high-wage jobs. We have, therefore, taken a close look at the Mississippi system and have made sure our bill models their initiative. So I commend those in other States and certainly my own State of Vermont which I mentioned, who have tried to make efforts but they have been hindered to a certain extent by the problems with our present system, the inability to coordinate. This bill is designed to try and provide that coordination, to ensure that all of this country can move now to make sure that we are ready for the future. We established the goals to make sure by the next century we would have moved past our educational difficulties to the greatest extent possible, to make sure that our young people would be ready to enter the workforce, to make sure we provided them the skills not after high school but in high school, as well as to make sure this Nation would be competitive in the year ahead. I yield to my good friend, Senator DeWine, who deserves maximum credit from our side for his productive work in giving us a bill today which we can be proud of, which we can vote for with great confidence. We will improve this Nation's workforce. I yield to Senator DeWine.

Mr. JEFFORDS. On my time, I will.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, the Senate is resuming consideration of the Workforce Investment Partnership Act, S. 1186. This legislation incorporates job training, vocational education, and adult education. Last Friday, the Senate began debate on S. 1186. Amendments by Senators DeWine, Domenici, Lautenberg, and Ashcroft were adopted and made a part of this substitute. We have only today to have the final vote on the legislation, and we have 1 hour equally divided for that purpose. The legislation before this body today is one of the most important proposals we will consider this year. S. 1186 proposes a streamlined, practical, business-oriented approach to job training which empowers States with the ability to transform the current patchwork of programs into a comprehensive system. The purpose of this bill is to better coordinate and to consolidate in certain circumstances 90 federally funded programs and promote joint partnerships between education leaders in the business community in developing a workforce development system that is first rate. Perhaps the best illustration of why we need to revamp our workforce system can be clearly seen on a weekly basis in the want-ad sections of the newspapers throughout the Nation. There are presently 190,000 unfilled positions in the technology field. The reason for the difficulty in filling these positions is not because of low unemployment numbers but because of the lack of skilled workers. Many of these jobs do not require 4 years plus postsecondary education. In fact, if we had the proper high school vocational education system, these could be filled by students graduating from high school. They require an excellent vocational education system and the ability to pursue technical education following high school graduation or receive this education as high school students. One of the most fascinating facts to come out of the Senate Labor Committee's hearings on the workforce is that Malaysia has replicated our tech-prep model. In other words, we have presently a model system with a few schools using it which, if duplicated throughout this country, could provide us with what we need today. The unusual thing is that in this country it takes us a long time to replicate anything through our school systems. Malaysia came over here, studied our Tech- Prep Program, and went back to Malaysia and implemented it overnight-- again, moving them into a position to improve their competitiveness and perhaps exceed our own competitiveness. That is the kind of challenge we have now had delivered to us by our competitors in the international markets. It is up to us to take the steps necessary to ensure that we can meet the international competition which we are facing and not have 190,000 jobs out there begging because we cannot provide the skilled workforce. Fifteen years ago, ``A Nation At Risk'' was published and warned us about this problem. This report posed the question as to whether the United States would have an adequately trained workforce to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. Fifteen years later, here is what we have. According to the latest census information, 22 percent of the population in the United States aged 25 and over have completed less than 12 years of schooling. These are the kinds of problems with which we are faced. A most recent national adult literacy survey indicated that 44 million adults have literacy difficulty. This means that over 20 percent of adults in this country have trouble using reading, writing, and computation skills to say nothing of qualifying for jobs that are available, for which we should have the workforce. The same is true in my State of Vermont. All States have this very serious problem. With the statistics I just mentioned, the United States is still the most productive country in the world, but we are losing our edge to other industrialized nations such as Japan and Germany as well as other rapidly developing countries such as Taiwan, Korea, and China. Recent international exams have demonstrated that notwithstanding this warning we had 15 years ago, we have not made significant headway in being able to meet the challenge of that competition and to provide the workforce for those 190,000 jobs that are going begging right now. Over the past 25 years, the standard of living for those Americans without a 4-year postsecondary degree has plunged. In the next decade, we are in danger of being surpassed as the world's foremost economic power if we do not begin to redefine our priorities at the national, State, and local levels. This is an excellent bill, Mr. President. Senator DeWine, my good friend from Ohio, who was in charge of the subcommittee that developed this bill, along with Senator Wellstone, has produced a wonderful bill. It is going to do a great deal to bring us forward as we face the problems of the Nation and the problems of our national competitiveness. Mr. President, at this point I will be happy to yield the floor. Senator Wellstone, I believe, desires to be heard.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, first I yield to the Senator from Minnesota for a unanimous consent request.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I would like to announce for information of the Senate and the public that a hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Subcommittee on Children and Families, will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 1998, 2 p.m., in SD-430 of the Senate Dirksen Building. The subject of the hearing is ``Community Services Block Grant: Expanding Opportunities for Community and Neighborhood Partnerships.'' For further information, please call the committee, 202/224-5375. Committee on labor and human resources

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I would like to announce for information of the Senate and the public that a hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 1998, 10 a.m., in SD-430 of the Senate Dirksen Building. The subject of the hearing is ``10 Years of the SAFE KIDS Campaign.'' For further information, please call the committee, 202/224-5375. subcommittee on children and families

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I would like to announce for information of the Senate and the public that a hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources will be held on Thursday, May 7, 1998, 10 a.m., in SD-430 of the Senate Dirksen Building. The subject of the hearing is ``Better Teachers for Today's Classroom: How to Make it Happen.'' For further information, please call the committee, 202/224- 5375.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, the week of May 4, 1998 is Public Service Recognition Week. It is a time to applaud the tremendous efforts and accomplishments of government employees, and to educate the public about the far reaching capabilities and services provided by government employees. It is also a time for public servants to remind ourselves why we chose to serve society through careers in public service. This year's theme is ``Working for You, Working for America'', highlighting the commitment of public employees to work for the benefit of each individual, and for the collective benefit to improve the quality of life across our great nation. In Vermont, over 6,000 members of our workforce are federal employees. We provide technical assistance to farmers, respond to disasters, manage forest land, and deliver mail. We administer federal funds to provide educational benefits, housing assistance, job training, and school breakfast and lunch programs. We process social security survivors benefits, veterans compensation, and small business loans. We are the faces of government--caseworkers, nurses, administrators, law enforcement officers. Day to day, our jobs are rarely front page news. We are on the front line and behind the scenes, working hard to resolve problems and make systems more effective. Yet during this one week of the year, we hope to let people know how we touch their lives. We'd like the media to highlight the successes: thousands of tax refunds processed on time, hundreds of packages delivered the night before Christmas, dozens of checks issued for crop assistance after a spring flood, thousands of affordable housing units for the elderly and disabled, and upkeep of a hiking trail from one end of the state to the other providing unparalleled vistas. Federal employees tout years of experience and commitment, investing themselves to bring about positive change. Continuously striving to be more efficient, more effective and more customer-service oriented, public servants care, and know government has a role to empower citizens to make life better. Federal employees contribute to our one- of-a-kind democracy. I rise to salute Vermont's federal employees . . . you truly make a difference.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, this amendment will establish a tech- prep demonstration program that locates secondary schools on the sites of community colleges. Tech-prep is an outstanding program. I believe this amendment will enhance tech-prep activities. I ask my colleagues to support it. I know of no objection to the amendment.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask that the amendment be adopted. It is accepted on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. I yield back the remainder of my time, and I also have authority to yield back the remaining time of the minority.