Jim Jeffords

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Yes.

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

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, in the long tradition of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to amend the amendment by deleting the word ``unnecessary'' as it first appears in the amendment.

Mr. JEFFORDS. It applies to the amendment I had pending on the list. I guess that is the best way to describe it.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I hope Members understand that this amendment would be perfectly appropriate to make this bill a more useful document. I understand the strong desires of some not to have this amendment apply, but it is an amendment which has over 50 cosponsors. It is only appropriate that this body have the right to exercise their will on a vote which will let them modify this bill in a manner which they think will make it more appropriate. I urge all Members, especially the 50 cosponsors, to join with me on appealing the ruling of the Chair to allow this amendment to be placed upon the bill. It is only appropriate considering that the only problem we had was the one word ``unnecessary'' which made it subject to a point of order because the CBO ruled that the word ``unnecessary'' would prevent the funding and, therefore, would not be appropriate. I believe very strongly we ought to have an opportunity for the majority of this Senate to express their will on this bill. Therefore, I am appealing the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I did not hear the request.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Fine.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I will do that.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I am happy to yield.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Objection.

Mr. JEFFORDS. If you are saying without my amendment being voted on? You are saying we will vote your amendment and then we can go to final vote? That would be fine with me. Several Senators addressed the Chair.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Have a final vote on my amendment, yes, I would like that.

Mr. JEFFORDS. A vote on my amendment? I have no problem with that.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I understand. I just wanted to make it clear. But what I do want to have everyone understand is that this modification of the amendment is by taking one word out in order to meet a requirement of the budget. The budget requirement may or may not be valid, but once you get it, there is not much you can do about it. The whole disagreement here is with respect to the one word ``unnecessary,'' which we want to delete, because by using that word we inadvertently created a budget point of order. Because as far as the Budget Committee is concerned, there is never any unnecessary use of the airplane, or travel by the Department of Energy, even though they spent some $250 million traveling where and why and who I do not know, which was more than enough, with a reasonable cut in the use of their airplanes, to fund a very important amendment dealing with more emphasis on renewable resources. I would like to, certainly for a question, yield to the Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I point out that it was because of my amendment, which was adopted last year. I appreciate the Senator being aware of that. I wish we would take the same approach this year and adopt this amendment, and then we will make sure we have a much better prospect for the future.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I yield for a question.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, at this time, I would like to take the floor to discuss the amendment that I have just withdrawn. I do so with some reluctance, but denying a Senator the right to amend his own amendment is such a rare situation--if not unprecedented--that I think it is only fair and appropriate for those of us who have worked long and hard on this amendment and know they have sufficient votes to pass it, as modified, to have the opportunity to at least discuss and to let this body know what they are being prevented from doing by virtue of this rare use of the rules.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

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

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New York for bringing up the role that former Senator Bob Dole played in this whole process. It was his leadership and his constant reminder to me of the need to continue to go forward that I took on that role and now feel so good that tomorrow we are at the point of succeeding. I thank the disability community. I have never seen such an effort as that provided by those in the disability community of this country to make sure we did not forget our role and our goal. I also thank Pat Morrisey of my staff who has been an incredible workhorse on this matter. She has done a tremendous job in keeping me on the right track. This is the final great step in assuring that the disabled community of our country has reached the goal from which they have been precluded by the mobility to get health care--to be fully reentered into life. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I said yesterday, ``The time has come.'' And, now finally it has. I said yesterday, ``Our friends with disabilities have waited patiently.'' I say today, They are more than patient. They are saints with tolerance for congressional schedules. Everyone here--everyone in the White House, everyone in the other body, and because of e-mail, everyone in the country--knows I am referring to our pending consideration of landmark legislation, S. 331, the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. When I came to Congress in January 1975, one of my legislative priorities was providing access to the American dream for people with disabilities. Well, today, after 3 long years, endless hours of discussion and drafting, and redrafting, we are about to remove the biggest remaining barrier to the American dream for individuals with disabilities--access to health care if they work. What we are about to do was long in coming. It is so important. During the process that got us to this point, I have learned a great deal. I suspect the same holds true for the 77 other cosponsors of this bill. People with disabilities want to work, and will work, if given access to health care. This bill does just that--it gives workers with disabilities access to appropriate health care--health care that is not readily available or affordable from the private sector. People with disabilities want to work, and will work, if given access to job training and job placement assistance. This bill does just that--it gives individuals with disabilities training and help securing a job. The work Incentives Improvement Act empowers people with disabilities to control the quality of their lives, to pay State and Federal taxes, to return the investment that society has made in them, and most of all, the bill empowers them so they can go to work. I thank my bipartisan original cosponsors Senators Kennedy, Roth, and Moynihan who, with me, created a sound piece of legislation to address this real problem for millions of Americans with disabilities. Their commitment represents the best of what the Senate can accomplish when sound policy is placed above partisanship and beyond who gets credit. I also thank the additional, original 35 cosponsors of this bill and the subsequent 42 cosponsors who represent a total of over three quarters of this body, perhaps a Senate record on health care legislation. Over the last two weeks the majority leader has been the driving force that urged us to work out policy differences that were delaying floor consideration. We did so through good faith efforts that broadened support for the bill and reduced its overall modest cost. In particular, I want to recognize Senators Nickles, Bunning and Gramm for their willingness to reach consensus with us on policy without compromising the integrity of the legislation, thus, allowing S. 331 to move forward. I especially give a heartfelt thanks to people with disabilities who worked with us, trusted us to do the right thing. With their support, encouragement, and energy we have done the right thing. Yesterday the President asked us to give him a bill by July 4th, or at least July 26th, the 9th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. We can. We should, with 100 votes. I reserve the remainder of my time. Mr. KENNEDY addressed the Chair.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I see Senator Roth is on the floor. I control the time. I yield to him 5 minutes.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I am pleased that this weekend I will be helping to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of Vermont's farmer owned Cabot Creamery Cooperative. The Cabot Creamery Cooperative was founded in 1919 by 94 farmers, who came together with a vision of a better way to operate a dairy. The original farmers each pledged $5 per cow and a cord of firewood to fire the boiler. The total investment was $3,700. Today, over 1,600 farm families from all of the New England States and upstate New York belong to the cooperative. The creamery and the Cabot brand name are internationally known, having been named ``World's Best Cheddar'' in 1997 and ``Best Cheddar in the USA'' in 1998. Their outstanding products can be found in stores across the country. The cooperative is a shining example of farmers working together for a common good. Together they control their own financial destiny by owning a brand name, the facilities to produce a high quality product and a cooperative to supply the needed milk. Their way of doing business continues to secure a sound future for their family farms and the unique rural way of life of their communities. Just as the original 94 farmers were visionary in the early part of the century, 80 years later their cooperative has taken the leading role in working for the Northeast Dairy Compact, ensuring a bright future for the dairy industry in the Northeast. During its history, the profits, size and scope of Cabot Creamery Cooperative may have grown, but its small town values and sense of community have continued to dictate the way it does business. These values have kept the original purpose and intent of the cooperative intact over the years and have allowed it to remain a locally owned creamery. For all of these reasons, I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate Cabot's eightieth anniversary than through the upcoming ``Cabot Creamery Heritage Festival,'' in conjunction with the Vermont Heritage Weekend. I am delighted that the Vermont Historical Society, along with thirty-six community historical societies, will be helping Cabot celebrate by showcasing Vermont's community treasures. These communities will provide examples of the best of Vermont's history, traditions and scenery, ranging from granite artisans, Morgan horses, agricultural exhibits, small town museums, covered bridges, and the beautiful Green Mountains. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Cabot Creamery Cooperative on its eightieth anniversary and commend it for its positive influence on the past, present, and future of Vermont.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 250th anniversary of the Town of Bennington, Vermont. On behalf of all Vermonters, I want to wish this historical town a very happy anniversary. In 1749, the Governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, chartered the first town in the territory that would eventually become the State of Vermont. In 1761, the town was named Bennington in his honor. With its access to the Walloomsac River as a power source, the new town quickly built up industries such as paper mills, pottery, grist mills, and the largest cotton batting mill in the United States. It became an important gateway to the region. During the Revolutionary War, Bennington gained great notoriety with the Battle of Bennington. As the British General, John Burgoyne, marched his troops south from Canada with the plans to capture Albany, they stopped in Vermont intending to forage for supplies. However, they underestimated the strength of their enemy. On August 16, 1777, John Stark, leading a militia of 1500 men, including the Green Mountain Boys, attacked. After two days of fighting, the militia defeated the British with the first decisive victory for the Americans. This critical battle is seen as the turning point in the war because it greatly weakened the British forces, revitalized languishing spirit of the revolutionaries, and ensured another victory at Saratoga. Bennington was also the base of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys who led the taking of Fort Ticondaroga. To celebrate Bennington's vital role in the American Revolution, I've enjoyed marching in many Bennington Battle Day parades. The Town of Bennington holds a special place in the Vermont history books. On Bennington's village green stands the meeting house where legislators in 1791 voted for the Independent Republic of Vermont to become the 14th state. In addition to the town's historical significance, Bennington has a rich cultural heritage. The buildings found in Old Bennington form one the greatest concentrations of early Federal and Georgian architecture in the state. In North Bennington is the Park-McCullough House, built in 1865, which served as home to two Vermont governors. The Bennington Museum houses a collection of paintings by the celebrated folk artist, Grandma Moses, known for her depictions of rural life and the countryside. Today, Bennington offers much to both its residents and to visiting tourists. Continuing a long tradition of artistic appreciation, the new Arts Center helps promote a variety of exhibits, threatre productions, literary readings, artists' work space, and dance and musical performances. Bennington also boasts two private colleges: Bennington College, a small liberal arts school with a strong performing arts program; and Southern Vermont College, a small college that prides itself on providing resources to and giving back to the Bennington community. But the heart of this small town has always been its indomitable people and its close-knit community. It is a community dedicated to improving the lives of all its citizens. This dedication can be seen in several innovative Bennington educational programs, in the town's collaborative approach to helping children and families, and in the significant progress made toward meeting the community's needs for affordable housing. It gives me great pleasure to recognize the Town of Bennington's 250th anniversary, its significant role in both the history of our country and of the State of Vermont, and its strong, diverse citizens.