Tim Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. In addition, the reservation's juvenile detention center is undergoing a much needed, year-long renovation that has required the tribe to find alternative housing for the residents of the facility. The annual cost of placing the up to 20 juveniles the tribe houses per day in alternative facilities will cost at least $400,000. These resources cannot be found within the tribe's existing budget. Absent additional resources, Bureau of Land Affairs [BIA] officials state the tribe will be forced to release some offenders into the community and borrow money in order to incarcerate the most violent offenders.

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support for the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH). While I am aware of the national importance of the NEH, I am particularly supportive of continued federal funding for NEH because of the regular and critical funding my state of South Dakota receives. Grants from NEH are vital to the people of my state in preserving the rich and unique cultural heritage of South Dakota and the surrounding great plains states. NEH programs exemplify the type of federal-state-local partnerships that have traditionally fostered a collective dedication to cultural and historic education. The NEH gives state humanities councils the necessary freedoms to meet local education needs. In the last five years, institutions in South Dakota have received roughly $2.7 million from the NEH and the South Dakota Humanities Council for a variety of library programs and exhibits, literary publications, and cultural heritage visitors centers. The South Dakota Humanities Council relies on the NEH for 90 percent of its funding. That support goes directly to schools and small communities for projects like ``Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend'' produced by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, and ``Lakota: Language, History, and Culture'' at the Bonesteel Fairfax School. At the same time, broader educational projects continue the literary legacy of many of this nation's most acclaimed authors and long time South Dakota residents, including Laura Ingalls Wilder, who gave us the ``Little House'' series, and L. Frank Baum, author of the classic ``The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.'' This year, South Dakota celebrated Baum's work with the Wizard of Oz Festival in Baum's hometown of Aberdeen. This festival bloomed into a statewide, year-long celebration, including reading programs in public schools, travelling educational programs, and symposiums involving scholarly interpretations of Baum's work at state colleges and universities. This far reaching festival celebrating Frank Baum's literature was made possible through several NEH grants. The many NEH-funded heritage fairs and events held throughout my state every year are endorsed by the South Dakota State Arts and Humanities Councils, as well as state and local tourism authorities. Recently, the South Dakota State Humanities Council received one of only two national awards presented at the National Conference of State Humanities Councils for the Oscar Michaux Festival'' held in Gregory, SD. These and countless other worthy public education programs will disappear in my rural State, and the creativity behind this type of education programming will be thwarted if efforts to gut or eliminate the NEH continue. Although the United States provides far less public support for the humanities than we spend on military bands, the NEH continues to play a critically important role in improving the quality of life in rural areas, such as South Dakota. I will continue to support Federal funding for the humanities because of the NEH's very positive assistance to cultural and historic organizations and schools throughout America.

Mr. JOHNSON. I thank you for adding that language to the report. While we are delighted that these emergency repairs will be made if identified as a priority, we wish to note that the BIA has determined that the entire Marty facility needs to be replaced because it is no longer economically feasible merely to shore up these very old structures. Senator Daschle and I are delighted that the replacement high school is now being constructed. However, before long the elementary school facilities must also be replaced. I recognize the shortage of Facilities Improvement and Repair funds. Senator Daschle and I would like to work with the committee and the BIA to place the Marty Indian School elementary school on the priority list for future replacement funds when that list is opened up.

Mr. JOHNSON. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their assistance.

Mr. JOHNSON

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

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, we have today an opportunity to discuss and to ultimately vote on, I think, one of the more important issues, both substantively and philosophically, within the Department of the Interior appropriations bill, that having to do with the future of Federal-State-local partnerships that have existed now for some years with the National Endowment for the Arts and funding for the arts in America. There are some who would suggest that somehow this is an elitist enterprise that involves large cities in urban areas. Coming from the State of South Dakota, I can assure my colleagues that the NEA and the funding that has gone to my home State of South Dakota has been absolutely critical as seed money for the promotion and the development of artistic efforts that have benefited virtually every school district, virtually every county, and community across my very large and rural State. We have, as so many States do, a great deal of artistic talent, commitment to the arts, but we don't have a lot of corporate sponsors, we don't have a lot of philanthropists, we don't have a lot of sources for funding that can create the seed money that we need for the arts to blossom, to bloom in places like South Dakota. The function of this funding has been absolutely critical in our State. It has gone to our school and communities, our touring artists, artisan school programs. It has gone for our Arts Corps Program for South Dakota's juvenile correctional facilities in partnership with our Department of Corrections and the South Dakota Arts Council. It has gone for the Indian services to sponsor the Northern Plains tribal art show and market, which has created a whole new environment, a whole new series of opportunities for Northern Plains Native Americans to develop their artistic skills and to market those skills. It has gone for our Youth at Risk Program. It has gone for our Arts in the Classroom Teachers' Conference, and it has created a whole new environment for the arts in our State. When I look back at what existed prior to 1965 when the NEA was created, we had people with great artistic talent in the State then, too, but we didn't have the structure to really promote the arts. Now, thanks to the seed money of the NEA over the years, we have in place the South Dakota Arts Council, we have in place the South Dakota Museum Association, the Rural Arts Presenting Program, Dakota Prairie Playhouse, the Black Hills Chamber Music Society for Big Sioux Arts Council. We have literally pages of arts organizations that now exist in every county, in virtually every community of our State that did not exist prior to the creation of the NEA. So, Mr. President, I can't emphasize too much the importance of this organization to enhance the quality of life for those who would otherwise not have great opportunities to experience performance art or art of any kind without this. I think we need to keep in mind that the issue here is really a philosophic one and not so much a budget issue. There is $100 million involved here for the Nation's entire artistic effort, less, I might add, relative to the budget and that of any other Western industrialized nation on Earth, but that portion of money has gone a long, long ways in our country. And, in fact, to keep this in some sort of perspective, we are going to be debating later on this month a defense appropriations bill where there are those in conference who would like us to purchase nine more B-2 bombers at a cost of $1 billion apiece. Our entire arts program, that goes to every school, every county and every city in our Nation costs one-tenth of one bomber. It costs less than it would cost to maintain this fleet of aircraft that the Pentagon does not even want. So this is, relative to the entire budget, a modest effort, less than what other countries devote, but yet crucially, crucially important, not just for large urban areas and large artistic organizations, but for those of us in rural America who find this an absolute lifeline. It is certainly my hope that by the time we conclude the debate on the Interior appropriations bill today that we will find our way to insist that there continues to be a strong Federal-local, public- private partnership in the arts that has gone on now for over 30 years and which has been responsible, I think, for an enormous amount of very constructive, positive effort for our children, for the quality of life in our communities, big and small. I know that there are several amendments pending. I won't go into detail about each of them, other than to say, again, I certainly ask my colleagues to very carefully review these amendments. It is critical that when the day is done that we continue to have modest but responsible funding for the arts in the United States. I yield the floor. Mr. GORTON addressed the Chair.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. I will be pleased to yield to the Senator.

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, reclaiming my time, I share the Senator's congratulations to Mary and the staff in general who have worked very hard on these and other key issues. I think the Senator from North Dakota raises an important point relative to the unique importance of these institutions, given the kinds of circumstances that the students face where there is a great need for extended family, where transportation is difficult to secure, where the extended family is necessary to make education--oftentimes far more than 4 years, oftentimes 5 and 6 and 7 years--for nontraditional students to become a reality. Were it not for these institutions, there simply would not be this level of educational achievement, there would not be these role models being created, there would not be this kind of leadership created in Indian country today. So, again, I have to thank the Senator for his leadership and insights on this issue, and I yield my time.

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I am pleased to join in the amendment of the Senator from North Dakota soon to be offered. I join Senator Dorgan in commending Chairman Stevens for his work, certainly the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, for his extraordinary leadership over the years on issues of this nature, and I look forward to working with the subcommittee chairman, Senator Gorton, to see what we can do to move this kind of amendment along. Mr. President, I represent a State, the State of South Dakota, where we have nine Indian reservations, and where levels of poverty are extraordinary. I have worked very hard over the years both in the House of Representatives prior to my service in the Senate and now in the Senate on a wide range of initiatives designed to try to improve the circumstances of the native American citizens of our Nation, and of our State--water development initiatives and efforts on housing and health care and infrastructure improvements. I think all of them are important. I have come to the conclusion after years of struggling and facing what sometimes appeared to me to be almost overwhelming circumstances of poverty, isolation, and difficulty, that if there is one area that deserves particular emphasis it needs to be education, and in this instance higher education for native American citizens of our country. There was a time when I was, frankly, a bit skeptical, there was a time when I thought that perhaps we could just better utilize the existing State and other private institutions of higher education throughout our States. And we have made some successful efforts there in our Upward Bound Programs and others that have been of some help. But, frankly, the dropout rate and the lack of success was very high over the years. Now we have 25 tribal colleges serving between 20,000 to 25,000 native American students in 11 States around the country. We have four of them in the State of South Dakota, all of them accredited, all of them providing high-quality educational opportunities not just for native American students but for many non-Indian students as well who live in those extremely rural areas and who need to have this kind of access to educational opportunity. We find that 56 percent of the American Indian population in our Nation is age 24 or younger. There is, demographically, a huge number of people of college age and younger; 90 percent of tribal college students qualify for need-based financial aid; 85 percent live in poverty; more than 50 percent are parents; 70 percent of these young people attending tribal colleges are female. As I examine what has transpired over these years that we have developed a tribal college system, I see for the first time a whole generation of native Americans who are becoming teachers and nurses and managers and entrepreneurs; who are becoming role models in their communities where none before ever existed in terms of making their way in the larger economic system of our country. We have so many people who have lived all of their lives without an economic opportunity, without jobs being available, without anyone in their family having had the opportunity to work, who have not had the skills to make it in the larger economy of our Nation, and yet now finally we are seeing this forward edge of progress being made among native Americans. It is, more than anything else, because of this opportunity to secure the job skills, the training, the education, the brainpower that is required to succeed in America, that is required to succeed in the global economy in which we live today. These colleges have made their way with very modest resources. In fact, even with the President's recommendation, we will spend only about half the dollars per student as is authorized under Federal law and far less than half of what other community colleges and other 4- year colleges in America use to educate each student. It is amazing that they have done as well as they have, that they have kept their accreditation, that they have kept the torch of hope alive for so many people and yet they have done it with far less per student than any other college in America. The $2 million request that Senator Dorgan has put into his amendment will be divided among 25 colleges, and yet they have gone so far on so little that even this will be a very significant help for them, given the fact that they have now gone 3 years in a row without any upward adjustment in their funding at all, and despite the fact that enrollment numbers have increased significantly, that this really has become the steppingstone for success and is recognized as such in tribe after tribe throughout our country.

Mr. JOHNSON. I thank the Senator. That is always a well received kind of announcement from the subcommittee chairman. We find that our tribal colleges are unmatched in retention, in matriculation and job placement of American Indian students; 42 percent of these tribal college students transfer to 4-year institutions. As we undertake the welfare reform initiatives at the Federal level and which the States are carrying through, it is all the more reason we need this opportunity, this steppingstone for people to develop the skills to in fact break out of what has been a relentless, an overwhelming cycle of poverty that so many native Americans have been caught up in. But again, it is not just native Americans who benefit from this. I think of an instance of Wilma Sachtjen of Burke, SD, a displaced homemaker with a high school diploma. Wilma enrolled in the Sinte Gleska College in Rosebud, SD. A non-Indian, she was able to secure an education because of this program when no other opportunity could possibly have existed for her. She secured a bachelor's degree in human srvices. She has been employed in that field ever since. And so we have not just native Americans but the entire population of our States at many of these colleges, in most cases in remote areas, gaining opportunity. The four colleges in South Dakota: the Cheyenne River Community College at Eagle Butte; the Oglala Lakota College at Kyle; the Sinte Gleska University at Rosebud, and Sisseton Wahpeton Community College at Sisseton, have all provided key educational opportunities for the population of our State. Many of our students also attend Sitting Bull College at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota and many attend the United Tribes Technical College in Bismark as well. So these colleges serve regional populations and not simply the tribal membership of their own reservations. So I cannot share with you in stronger terms the importance of continuing these colleges with adequate funding--certainly not extraordinary funding but adequate funding--to make sure that the ladder of opportunity remains in place. This is a newfound opportunity, a newfound ladder, really, that has only been with us for a relatively recent number of years. But I think it is one of the most vital components we could possibly imagine to have if in fact we are going to break the cycle of poverty, create greater self-sufficiency, greater dignity, greater pride and greater opportunity for native American students. I simply say, Mr. President, I cannot commend in stronger terms to my colleagues the importance of the passage of the Dorgan amendment and a continuation of a strong tribal college system in America.

Mr. JOHNSON. I certainly yield to my colleague from North Dakota.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the South Dakotans associated with the Freeman wastewater treatment plant. The Freeman facility earned a first-place excellence award in a six-State region from the Environmental Protection Agency. Freeman earned an exceptional rating for its plant septage management, toxic waste control, collection system maintenance, financial management, automation, and staff training. In addition, a television-based snaking system was used to pinpoint areas in need of repair. The plant staff and town council should be commended for their foresight in planning ahead and making repairs on the city's wastewater system rather than waiting for an emergency. The efforts of these individuals saves the residents of Freeman thousands of dollars in costly future repairs and insures the health and viability of the city's wastewater system. While all the residents of Freeman should take pride in this accomplishment, I would like to mention a few individuals including Vince Kribell, chief operator of the Freeman plant, and Duane Walter. Administrative personnel include Chester Sorensen, Dean Sikkink, Steve Waltner, and Michael Schultz, who is also mayor of Freeman. The Environmental Protection Agency started the Operations and Maintenance Award in 1986 to recognize publicly owned watewater treatment facilities that demonstrate excellence in their overall operation. The program also heightens public awareness about the importance of efficient wastewater treatment.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important work of Mayor Brenda Barger in leading the residents of Watertown, SD, through winter storms and flooding. Early this year, residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced relentless snowstorms and bitterly cold temperatures. Snowdrifts as high as buildings, roads with only one lane cleared, homes without heat for days, hundreds of thousands of dead livestock, and schools closed for a week at a time were commonplace. As if surviving the severe winter cold was not challenge enough, residents of the Upper Midwest could hardly imagine the extent of damage Mother Nature had yet to inflict with a 500-year flood. Record levels on the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska forced over 5,000 residents of Watertown, SD, to evacuate their homes and left over one-third of the city without sewer and water for 3 weeks. The headline of the Watertown Public Opinion on April 6 read ``Watertown in Peril,'' and I will never forget the image of homeowners and neighbors, shrouded in a late-season snow storm, sandbagging against the rising waters of the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska. Brenda Barger held Watertown together with her strength and direction. Some 6 weeks prior to major flooding which began on April 4, Mayor Barger initiated efforts to try and minimize the impact of the impending disaster. Mayor Barger brought together local and county officials, volunteer agencies including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others, to brainstorm and compile resource lists of expected needs including equipment, people, and funds. Despite careful planning, on April 5, an unexpected blizzard hit the State, devastating the area. Everything froze, creating further concerns about what was going to happen once the water began flowing again. Mayor Barger camped out in the city's impromptu crisis center around the clock and helped to direct the efforts of a number of local volunteers, prisoners, and National Guard personnel. Mother Nature caused Mayor Barger to make a number of difficult decisions immediately following the April storm, including ordering the evacuation of nearly 5,000 residents, or one-fourth the population, of Watertown and the shutdown of the water treatment plant at Lake Kampeska. In the following days, Mayor Barger secured over 750 port-a-potties and deployed them on the lawns of those families who could return to their homes. Water trucks were brought in to provide people with a fresh water supply, and Mayor Barger oversaw repairs to the water treatment plant which were completed ahead of schedule. While those of us from the Midwest will never forget the destruction wrought by this year's floods, I have been heartened to witness first- hand and hear accounts of South Dakotans coming together within their community to protect homes, farms, and entire towns from rising flood waters. Mayor Brenda Barger truly exemplifies the role of a public servant, who, in the face of unimaginable natural destruction, placed the needs of an entire community ahead of personal concern. Now, Mayor Barger is spearheading efforts by Watertown residents to fully repair the damage from this past year and plan for future emergencies. Mr. President, there is much more to be done to rebuild and repair impacted communities. Mayor Brenda Barger illustrates how the actions of an individual can bring some relief to the victims of this natural disaster. I ask you to join me in thanking her for her selfless efforts and congratulate her on being recognized during the National Association of Towns and Townships convention in Washington, DC, this week.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important achievements of SD soybean growers in creating new uses for their agricultural products. Freeman Coop Oil/Fertilizer in Freeman, SD, recently became the first retail marketer of petroleum to offer SoyGold, a new lubricity additive in premium diesel fuel. SoyGold is a low blend of soybean methyl esters manufactured from 100 percent soybean oil for both on-farm and commercial use. The additive was developed with the use of check-off dollars, which allow farmers to work together to develop new uses for their products. The soybean growers have also worked to test soydiesel for mass transit bus systems, underground mining, and other innovative possibilities. SoyGold was developed by Ag Processors, Inc. in Omaha, NE, and will be promoted and marketed throughout seven Midwestern States initially. Bill Pape, the general manager of Freeman Coop Oil/Fertilizer, is the first to offer the product to his customers. Dennis Hardy, the chairman of the South Dakota Soybean Council, worked hard to bring this new product to the market. All of these individuals, and many more, deserve credit for their efforts to make SoyGold a reality. SoyGold is an outstanding example of the way that South Dakota's soybean farmers and their various associations can cooperate and communicate to create an exciting new product which will build demand for soybeans. Such products demonstrate the way that farmers are adapting to the changing agricultural marketplace, and I congratulate them on their foresight, their enthusiasm, and, of course, their accomplishment. Moreover, SoyGold is not only good for South Dakota farmers, but it also benefits us all by reducing harmful emissions. Mr. President, there are few industries working as hard to create new products and new markets as agriculture. The South Dakota soybean growers whose efforts created SoyGold are to be commended, and I ask you to join me in congratulating them on their success.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to express my strong support for the Senate Resolution calling for a National Day of Unity submitted by Senator Boxer. This Resolution is a direct response to the President's call for a national dialog on race, and I applaud the timeliness and the intent of Senator Boxer's efforts. The challenges associated with race relations that we have faced as a nation are apparent throughout our collective history. In my rural state, Native Americans are the largest minority, comprising nearly 8% of the population. Spurred by deep-rooted tensions between Native Americans and non-Indians in South Dakota, the late Governor George Mickelson had the foresight to declare 1990 a Year of Reconciliation on race relations. In his communications with me after this declaration, Mickelson wrote, ``* * * our successes reached beyond anyone's imagination. I do not suggest we have even scraped the surface of all that we have too, but I do suggest that there is a new awareness among the citizens of South Dakota for a need to reconcile, a need to learn about and understand one another's cultures, and a need to put aside old prejudices.'' At the request of the Governor, South Dakota's tribal leaders, and the people of South Dakota, I introduced legislation in the House of Representatives in 1992, calling for a National Year of Reconciliation to focus on healing the breach between Native Americans and non-indians nationwide. That legislation was signed into law by President Bush in May of 1992. Native Americans are a significant, culturally unique and often insular racial minority. In order to understand the history and the future of race relations in the U.S., I have long felt that we must understand the position of Native Americans and the scope of this country's oldest race relationships. The 1992 National Year of Reconciliation legislation was dedicated to the type of dialog that President Clinton has asked for in his broader initiative on race. Today, the President's Advisory Board on Race Relations has been charged with the enormous task of addressing racial tensions and the impact of race relations on every American. The first meeting of the Race Relations Board held in San Diego, California, indicated that the Board's task is indeed daunting, and that a dialog on race is potentially divisive. It is that very divisiveness which makes the President's initiative so vital. We are all aware that racism and prejudice persist in this country. A national dialog must be encouraged, and an opportunity for full participation by every American of all ethnicities must be provided. Senator Boxer's Resolution calls on the Congress to follow the President's lead in expanding the dialog and including every voice. If we are to move forward as a nation, we must address the forces that divide us, not only to recognize these forces honestly for what they are, but to strengthen our determination that such forces can be overcome. The Senate has been given a unique opportunity today to express our full support for the mission of the Race Relations Board, and requests the participation of the entire country. Mr. President, this nation's racial problems cannot be solved by a few people, no matter how well-intentioned. That is why I join Senator Boxer today in asking the country to express its dedication to solving those problems by observing a National Day of Unity.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. President, I rise to express my support for this legislation. I want to commend Chairman Roth and the ranking member, Senator Moynihan, and Senators Lott and Daschle for their leadership. A great deal of good has come from the bipartisan cooperation put together to produce this legislation. I certainly will vote for it. Much has been said by some about the historic nature of this legislation. Perhaps that is true. But I have to say, in following the comments of my colleague from North Dakota about the historic context of how we arrived at this point, that some observation needs to be made that the truly historic legislation that was passed was the 1993 Budget Act. President Clinton inherited a hemorrhaging pool of $290 billion of red ink that was projected to grow annually when he came to the White House. His first step was to work with Congress to pass a 5-year budget plan that passed without a single Republican vote. At that time, I served in the other body. I remember the immense political pressure that was brought to bear at that time. I remember the 30-second television spots that followed, accusing every Democratic Member of having cast the deciding vote on something that would be catastrophic. What happened? The $290 billion of red ink has now plummeted this year to an estimated $67 billion, perhaps as low as $30 billion. We now have the smallest Federal budget deficit relative to the size of our economy of any Western industrialized nation on Earth. We have a vibrant economy, high employment, low unemployment, low inflation, and we find ourselves now in the midst of a remarkable era. This legislation is important legislation, but it will finish what we began in 1993 when we had a $290 billion deficit and brought it down to as low as $30 billion. This will get us from $30 billion to the finish line by the year 2002, a good thing to do, a positive thing to do. But the historic step, the politically courageous step, was taken 4 years ago. Is this legislation perfect? No. No, it isn't. That is the nature of any legislation, particularly, I suppose, of a piece of legislation that is a product of compromise between very different approaches. I think some of the high-fiving that has gone on around town may be a bit unwarranted. I would say, however, that this bill has been made much better during the course of the debate. The initial legislation, the reconciliation legislation that we dealt with in both the House and the Senate, provided very little tax relief, essentially no tax relief, for families making less than $30,000 per year. There was certainly no child tax credit for these families. Now, as I see it, this problem has been corrected, thanks to the leadership, particularly of the President of the United States, but also of Senator Moynihan and Senator Daschle, and others who worked very hard on this. Take a family, for example, with an income of $23,000 per year, perhaps a teacher, a firefighter, a policeman, a farmer, a store clerk, any number of people across our country who get up every morning--they play by the rules, they try to raise their kids with decent values, they try to keep jeans and tennis shoes on their kids, they are doing the right thing, they are not on welfare, they are working hard, oftentimes with two jobs. But wages, particularly in my State of South Dakota, are not always what we would like them to be. Farm prices are sometimes low. And these people, who are working their hearts out, oftentimes are living on very modest wages. And that family, with a father, in this case, who is earning $23,000 a year, and mom who is staying home with two kids, under the original bill and under the original Republican plan, would have gotten zero in child tax credit. Under the Clinton plan, they would have gotten $767. Well, the dust has now settled, and under the conference committee bill that we are voting on today, that family will get a $675 tax credit, a very useful sum for those families. People can make a car payment, a house payment, they can get their kids started with clothes for school, they can do some positive things. And I think we need to reward work, particularly at a time when we are reforming welfare and essentially ending the guarantee of federal support of families. We need to focus on what more can we do, then, to make work pay. Certainly this improved child tax credit, along with augmenting the funds in this legislation relative to health insurance for kids, is a positive step forward. It is true that this bill still has some unevenness to it. I have noticed that a group called Citizens for Tax Justice has an analysis out that indicates that the wealthiest 1 percent of American families will benefit by about a $16,000 tax cut because of this legislation. The average middle-class family will benefit by something less than $200. That isn't the kind of division that I would have made if it were up to me exclusively. But nonetheless, I do see the need to balance the budget by 2002, provide some key relief, not only with the child tax credit, but certainly, in the case of education assistance, to provide a $1,500 tax credit for tuition, tax-deductibility of interest on student loans, and to expand Pell grants, not only the numbers who are eligible but also the size of the grants. That is investing in kids, and investing in the brain power of this country. That is really where we must make a commitment if we are going to compete in a global economy, not just now but for generations into the future. I see positive things relative to agriculture. My colleague, Senator Dorgan of North Dakota, has gone into much of that. Capital gains relief for small businesses and family farmers will be helpful. There is also estate tax relief. Certainly, there are some targeted kinds of aid for those who have had to liquidate their herds. There is restoration of income averaging. There are a number of provisions that will be of great help. That I have to applaud. I am concerned about the backloading of some of the tax reductions which has the potential consequence of making balancing the budget post-2007 more difficult. It would be disastrous for us to have gone through all of this and then find ourselves the year after balancing the budget, or only shortly thereafter, going back into red ink again because of backloaded or phased-in tax cuts that had negative consequences in the outyears. That is something we are going to have to be very conscious of in the future. This is not a matter of turning the Federal budget over to automatic pilot and now we are home free. It is going to involve difficult, contentious, but hopefully bipartisan, annual debates about how to maintain equilibrium between our revenue and our expenditures while still using our budget for the correct priorities. I think one of the key political issues in America over these last several years has been, how do we balance the budget? There is bipartisan agreement we need to do that. But how, at the same time, do we protect Medicare, do we continue to invest in education and protect the environment? How do we do it in a way that reflects the best of our values and our priorities in this country? Can that be done? Some of us remember only a couple years ago when there was a proposal that would have arguably balanced the budget, but it would have decimated Medicare, it would have taken investment away from education, it would have been destructive to the environment, and certainly to rural Americans. Thankfully President Clinton vetoed that legislation. He said we can do better, we can do better with our priorities and still get to a zero deficit. Thankfully, this legislation, for all of its warts and all of its shortcomings, does in fact get us that remaining $30 billion to $60 billion that we need to balance the budget, and it expands the number of kids who have access to health insurance. It will be helpful to small businesses and farms. This bill will increase the tax- deductibility of health insurance premiums for the self-employed to 100 percent, something long overdue. And it will, I think, help continue the economic growth that we have seen over these last 5 years where we have had 5 consecutive years now of deficit reduction and economic growth. And so, Mr. President, I think that this is a positive piece of legislation. It is the product of bipartisan agreement. Thankfully, the President has used his leverage to make sure that we do in fact live up to these priorities and to bring some common sense back into this bill. The truly historic legislation was that of 1993, but this is important legislation. I support it. I voted earlier for the budget portion of reconciliation. I will vote for this tax portion of reconciliation. I am proud of what our colleagues on both the Republican and Democratic sides have been able to do to pull together, to set aside some of the anger and some of the hostility that too often has characterized political debate in this country, and to spend a little less time being Republicans and Democrats and a little more time being Americans. I think that is what the American people really want. And they want to see an end result that reflects the best of our cooperative efforts. This legislation does, I think, take us down that road. So, Mr. President, while there are things I would have done differently, and while we do need to understand the historic context of how we arrived here, this is good legislation, and I yield the floor expressing my support for this bill.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my congratulations to Director R. Vincent Crawford and his staff at the VA Medical and Regional Office Center [VAMROC] in Sioux Falls on receiving the Disabled American Veterans' 1997 Large Employer of the Year Award. This award is a testament to VAMROC's continuing efforts to hire disabled veterans, and I am honored that VAMROC's work was recognized by DAV. This national award is presented annually by the DAV to a business with more than 200 employees who assertively hire disabled veterans. The center's Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling Division provides veterans with valuable work experience and training positions, which opens up new employment opportunities within South Dakota's VA medical centers, and with the private sector. The per capita rate of veterans placed in employment by the VAMROC's Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling Division leads the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Offices in this category. The VAMROC works in conjunction with the local union representing its employees to ensure that disabled veterans will receive consideration for job openings at VAMROC. Recent veterans employment statistics show that of VAMROC's 704 employees, 219 were veterans for a 31-percent employment rate. Of these 219 veterans, 60 were disabled veterans and 163 were Vietnam era veterans. Mr. President, I always have felt that veterans in South Dakota are extremely fortunate to have such high quality facilities, doctors, staff, and administrators at our VA hospitals that provide care second to none. VAMROC certainly exemplifies this commitment to our veterans. Our veterans made a commitment to their Nation, trusting that when they needed help, the Nation would honor that commitment. VAMROC's leadership and dedication is an example of how our Nation can best serve the needs of our veterans. Again, I congratulate Director Crawford and his staff at VAMROC on receiving this award of accomplishment, and I thank them for their continued service to South Dakota's veterans.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important work of Sioux Valley Hospital nurses, Jean Skonhovd, Stephanie Brockhouse, Leann Prusa, and Tom Berg, in ongoing disaster recovery efforts in South Dakota. Early this year, residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced relentless snowstorms and bitterly cold temperatures. Snowdrifts as high as buildings, roads with only one lane cleared, homes without heat for days, hundreds of thousands of dead livestock, and schools closed for a week at a time were commonplace. As if surviving the severe winter cold was not challenge enough, residents of the upper Midwest could hardly imagine the extent of damage Mother Nature had yet to inflict with a 500-year flood. Record levels on the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska forced over 5,000 residents of Watertown, SD to evacuate their homes and left over one-third of the city without sewer and water for three weeks. The city of Bruce, SD was completely underwater when record low temperatures turned swollen streams into sheets of ice. The 50,000 residents of Grand Forks, ND, and 10,000 residents of East Grand Forks, MN, were forced to leave their homes and businesses as the Red River overwhelmed their cities in April. The devastation was astounding; an entire city underwater and a fire that gutted a majority of Grand Forks' downtown. Residents of both cities recently were allowed to return to what is left of their homes, and the long and difficult process of rebuilding shattered lives is just beginning. In the midst of this crisis, Jean Skonhovd, Stephanie Brockhouse, Leann Prusa, and Tom Berg scrambled to travel to Grand Forks and help the victims of the disaster. Not thinking of themselves, these nurses from Sioux Valley Hospital rearranged their personal lives to volunteer their expertise to assist others. Their skill and professionalism shone through as they admirably performed their jobs in chaotic circumstances. Their ability to perform emergency services in these trying times deserves our respect and admiration. While those of us from the Midwest will never forget the destruction wrought by this year's snowstorms and floods, I have been heartened to witness first-hand and hear accounts of South Dakotans coming together within their community to protect homes, farms, and entire towns from vicious winter weather and rising flood waters. The selfless actions of these nurses from Sioux Valley Hospital illustrate the resolve within South Dakotans to help our neighbors in times of trouble. Mr. President, there is much more to be done to rebuild and repair our impacted communities. Jean Skonhovd, Stephanie Brockhouse, Leann Prusa, and Tom Berg of Sioux Valley Hospital illustrate how the actions of a community can bring some relief to the victims of this natural disaster, and I ask you to join me in thanking them for their selfless efforts.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to Senator McCain's amendment to the Revenue Reconciliation Act that would eliminate the tax exemption for ethanol in the year 2000. Mr. President, I am proud to stand in opposition of this amendment. Over the past 3 years, we have been deluged with a deliberate misinformation campaign regarding the impact of the domestic ethanol industry. The partial excise tax exemption gasoline marketers receive for blending their fuel with ethanol has been disparagingly labeled corporate welfare. This label patently ignores the important public benefits that result from the production and use of fuel ethanol. I thought I would share some of the relevant facts. Ethanol production stimulates the economy in rural America. As a result of progressive policymakers, ethanol is now produced in 53 plants in 19 States. The production of fuel ethanol results in more than 55,000 high-wage jobs, generates greater than $2.1 billion in household income, and adds more than $7.2 billion to the economy every year. Farmers will receive an additional $2.2 billion each year because of ethanol production. Moreover, nearly all new expansion in the ethanol industry has been completed by farmer-owned cooperatives. The Department of Agriculture estimates that a 100 million gallon ethanol plant will add 2,250 jobs to a community--enhancing rural development and expansion. In short, the ethanol industry is an economic engine driving investment and opportunities across rural America. Ethanol promotes competition and reduces consumer gasoline costs. Ethanol extends gasoline supplies, provides a valuable source of octane for independent gasoline marketers, assures competition in the oxygenate market for refiners trying to meet Clean Air Act standards, and reduces consumer costs of gasoline. As noted by the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America: The federal benefits afforded ethanol-blended fuels have been an important, pro-competitive influence on the nation's gasoline markets. By enhancing the ability of independent marketers to price-compete with their integrated oil company competitors, this program has increased independent marketers' economic viability and reduced consumers' costs of gasoline. Recognizing the competitive benefits of fuel ethanol in the market, Citizen Action, the Nation's largest consumer organization and strong supporter of the ethanol tax incentive, recently stated: The use of ethanol, a domestically produced, cleaner- burning renewable fuel helps American consumers use less polluting oil and reduces dependence on costly oil imports, which are in part subsidized by huge foreign tax credits. Ethanol improves the U.S. trade balance. Ethanol competes with MTBE, a methanol-derived oxygenate, as an octane--oxygenate--additive. Imports of MTBE have risen from just 30 million gallons in 1992 to more than 700 million gallons last year, or about 25 percent of domestic consumption. By displacing the demand for MTBE that would be necessary without ethanol, the U.S. trade imbalance is reduced by approximately $1.3 billion annually. But the trade implications of ethanol do not end there. The majority of the coproducts of ethanol production--corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal--are exported, further reducing the trade deficit by earning over $800 million annually. The net effect is a benefit to the U.S. trade imbalance of over $2 billion each year. Ethanol helps reduce air pollution. Ethanol adds oxygen to gasoline which reduces exhaust emissions of ozone-forming VOC's and carbon monoxide. It is widely used in reformulated gasolines currently being sold in ozone nonattainment areas across the country. Because ethanol adds octane to gasoline, it also reduces the use of other highly toxic petroleum-derived octanes, such as benzene, toluene and xylene. Ethanol enhances our national security. This Nation spends billions of dollars to protect our oil interests around the world. It is considerably less costly to defend the corn fields of the Dakotas than it is to defend foreign oil fields. Ethanol is good for agriculture. It is good for rural America. It is good for the environment. It reduces our dependance on foreign oil. The bottom line is that the Federal tax structure for ethanol deserves our continued support. I strongly oppose this amendment. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my remarks be inserted in the appropriate place in the Congressional Record.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, in accordance with my request to be absent from the Senate during the afternoon of June 17 and June 18, pursuant to paragraph 2 of Rule VI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, to attend the funeral of Sebastian Daschle, the father of my colleague and good friend from South Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, I missed four different votes. The first three votes were related to S. 903, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1997. I would like to state for the Record how I would have voted in each of those instances. I would have voted ``yes'' on Senator Bennett's amendment No. 392 to S. 903, to express the sense of the Senate on enforcement of the Iran- Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 with respect to the acquisition by Iran of C-802 cruise missiles. I would have voted ``yes'' on Senator Feingold's amendment No. 395 to S. 903, to eliminate provisions creating a new Federal agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors. I would have voted ``yes'' on final passage of S. 903. I would have voted ``yes'' on S. 923, legislation to deny veteran's benefits to persons convicted of Federal capital offenses.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, in accordance with paragraph 2 of rule VI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, that I be permitted to be absent from the work of the Senate for this afternoon and all day tomorrow to attend the funeral of Sebastian Daschle, the father of my colleague and good friend from South Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to express my strong support for the Sense of the Senate Resolution on Indian Education submitted by Senator Domenici today. I am an original cosponsor of this resolution because of my strong commitment to prioritizing education for every American, and to bring attention to the ongoing inadequacies of education facilities and consistently feeble investment in student potential throughout Indian country. I have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of poverty and unemployment that too often result from stunted academic growth. There are nine federally recognized tribes in South Dakota, whose members collectively make up one of the largest Native American populations in any state. At the same time, South Dakota has three of the ten poorest counties in the nation, all of which are within reservation boundaries. Unemployment on these extremely rural reservations averages above 50%. Yet economic depression on rural Indian reservations is not unique to my state. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this Resolution because Native Americans across the nation have been, and continue to be, disproportionately affected by both poverty and low educational achievement. In 1990, over 36% of Indian children ages 5-17 were living below the poverty level. The high school completion rate for Native Americans aged 20 to 24 was 12.5% below the national average. Indian students, on average, have scored far lower on the National Assessment for Education Progress indicators than all other students. In 1994, the combined average score for Indian students on the Scholastic Achievement Test was 65 points lower than the average for all students. These problems are compounded by the grave school facilities and construction backlog facing Indian Country. Currently, $680 million is needed for facilities construction, maintenance, and repair for the 185 BIA-funded schools and for public schools located on and near Indian reservations. These statistics reflect the continued neglect of America's under-served Indian population and are unacceptable. Congress must continue to promote the self-determination and self- sufficiency of Indian communities, in keeping with our special trust responsibility to sovereign Indian nations. Education at every level is absolutely vital to this effort. Education is the cornerstone of the success of great nations and is a basic right of all persons. At a time when education is at the top of the agenda both at the White House and in Congress, we must work together to focus national attention on education, on and off reservations. Our goal must be the creation of academic environments where every student will have the opportunity to reach their full potential and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to create better opportunities for themselves and their children. With this Resolution, Senator Domenici is calling on the Congress to bring equity to education for all students of every age nationwide. Mr. President, I am extremely pleased that my colleague has recognized the national need to improve education in Indian Country. Senator Domenici has developed this legislation in close consultation with Indian leaders, and I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this resolution.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important work of Lloyd Weaver in ongoing flood recovery efforts in the Dakotas. Early this year, residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced relentless snowstorms and bitterly cold temperatures. Snowdrifts as high as buildings, roads with only one lane cleared, homes without heat for days, hundreds of thousands of dead livestock, and schools closed for a week at a time were commonplace. As if surviving the severe winter cold was not challenge enough, residents of the upper Midwest could hardly imagine the extent of damage Mother Nature had yet to inflict with a 500-year flood. Record levels on the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska forced over 5,000 residents of Watertown, SD to evacuate their homes and left over one-third of the city without sewer and water for 3 weeks. The city of Bruce, SD was completely under water when record low temperatures turned swollen streams into sheets of ice. The 50,000 residents of Grand Forks, ND and 10,000 residents of East Grand Forks, MN, were forced to leave their homes and businesses as the Red River overwhelmed their cities in April. The devastation was astounding; an entire city underwater and a fire that gutted a majority of Grand Forks' downtown. Residents of both cities recently were allowed to return to what is left of their homes, and the long and difficult process of rebuilding shattered lives is just beginning. Lloyd Weaver lived through the 1972 flash flood that killed hundreds of people in Rapid City, SD. He knows what his North Dakota neighbors are currently experiencing. That's why Lloyd's Carpet and Cleaning Service in Rapid City chartered a plane and donated 25 large canisters of chemicals to deodorize homes in Grand Forks. Lloyd Weaver also met with relief officials and instructed them on the proper use of the chemical to help get homeowners and business people back on their feet. While those of us from the Midwest will never forget the destruction wrought by this year's floods, I have been heartened to witness firsthand and hear accounts of South Dakotans coming together within their community to protect homes, farms, and entire towns from rising flood waters. The selfless actions of people like Lloyd Weaver illustrate the resolve within South Dakotans to help our neighbors in times of trouble. Mr. President, there is much more to be done to rebuild and repair Grand Forks and other impacted communities. Lloyd Weaver illustrates how one individual can bring some relief to the victims of this natural disaster, and I ask you to join me in thanking him for his selfless efforts.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important work of Boy Scouts from Troops 48, 112, 152, 159, and 582 in ongoing flood recovery efforts in the Dakotas. Early this year, residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced relentless snowstorms and bitterly cold temperatures. Snowdrifts as high as buildings, roads with only one lane cleared, homes without heat for days, hundreds of thousands of dead livestock, and schools closed for a week at a time were commonplace. As if surviving the severe winter cold was not challenge enough, residents of the upper Midwest could hardly imagine the extent of damage Mother Nature had yet to inflict with a 500-year flood. Record levels on the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska forced over 5,000 residents of Watertown, SD to evacuate their homes and left over one-third of the city without sewer and water for 3 weeks. The city of Bruce, SD was completely under water when record low temperatures turned swollen streams into sheets of ice. The 50,000 residents of Grand Forks, ND and 10,000 residents of East Grand Forks, MN were forced to leave their homes and businesses as the Red River overwhelmed their cities in April. The devastation was astounding; an entire city underwater and a fire that gutted a majority of Grand Forks' downtown. Residents of both cities recently were allowed to return to what is left of their homes, and the long and difficult process of rebuilding shattered lives is just beginning. Heavy winter snows forced Big Stone Lake, along the South Dakota and Minnesota border, to 9 feet above flood level. The rising waters drove 40 families from their homes and caused vast amounts of damage. Volunteers from the surrounding communities quickly came to the residents' assistance, but once the flood waters began to recede, residents faced countless hours of clean up on their own. That is when the 45 young men of Troops 48, 112, 152, 159, and 582 rose to the challenge and traveled to Big Stone City to help residents clean up. While those of us from the Midwest will never forget the destruction wrought by this year's floods, I have been heartened to witness firsthand and hear accounts of South Dakotans coming together within their community to protect homes, farms, and entire towns from rising flood waters. The selfless actions of Boy Scout Troops 48, 112, 152, 159, and 582 illustrate the resolve within South Dakotans to help our neighbors in times of trouble. Mr. President, there is much more to be done to rebuild and repair impacted communities. The Boy Scout troops of Sioux Falls and Brandon illustrate how the actions of a community can bring some relief to the victims of this natural disaster, and I ask you to join me in thanking them for their selfless efforts.

Mr. JOHNSON

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the important work of South Dakota rural letter carriers in providing mail service to rural residents despite record flooding and washed-out roads. Early this year, residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota experienced relentless snowstorms and bitterly cold temperatures. Snowdrifts as high as buildings, roads with only one lane cleared, homes without heat for days, hundreds of thousands of dead livestock, and schools closed for a week at a time were commonplace. As if surviving the severe winter cold was not challenge enough, residents of the upper Midwest could hardly imagine the extent of damage Mother Nature had yet to inflict with a 500-year flood. Record levels on the Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska forced over 5,000 residents of Watertown, SD to evacuate their homes and left over one-third of the city without sewer and water for 3 weeks. The city of Bruce, SD was completely under water when record low temperatures turned swollen streams into sheets of ice. The average rural mail route is 95 miles long in South Dakota, compared to 35 miles in the rest of the country. This spring's flooding added to that distance as a number of Federal, State, and county roads were submerged under running water. I have received numerous reports of Postal Service employees taking extraordinary steps to provide service to their fellow South Dakotans during this disaster. Often, this service has been provided at their own expense. While those of us from the Midwest will never forget the destruction wrought by this year's floods, I have been heartened to witness first- hand and hear accounts of South Dakotans helping to restore the livelihood of their community. The selfless actions of individuals like the South Dakota rural letter carriers illustrate the resolve within South Dakotans to help our neighbors in times of trouble. Mr. President, there is much more to be done to rebuild and repair impacted communities. The South Dakota rural letter carriers illustrate how the actions of a community can bring some relief to the victims of this natural disaster, and I ask you to join me in thanking them for their selfless efforts.