Ted Kennedy

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, as you know, fuel and power logistics support are mission critical elements for the success of the Air Force ``Air Expeditionary Force Deployment'' concept. The Defense Department has long recognized that fuel cell power systems can reduce the logistics requirements for batteries and liquid fuels, and improve operational effectiveness of various military systems. The Air Force Research Laboratory is the original developer of a polymer membrane material that can improve performance and significantly lower the cost of fuel cells. Unfortunately, reductions in the FY 2000 Air Force Science and Technology budget threaten to terminate Air Force investments in fuel cell development. I commend my good friend Chairman Stevens and my good friend and colleague in the Senate, Senator Inouye, the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for the Committee's efforts to adequately fund the Air Force's Science and Technology programs. I believe that the Air Force should continue to pursue improvements to polymer processing technique and to transition the membrane material for fuel cell production. There are several specific missions and applications that will benefit from fuel cell technology including Air Expeditionary Force Deployment (AEFD), Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE), Rapid Global Mobility (RGM) and battlefield computers that need to operate 16 to 32 times longer than heavy battery powered systems. In addition, future Air Force mission plans are based on space missions at or above the edge of the earth's stratosphere. In these missions fuel cells can play a major role in meeting the energy requirements and improving mission efficiency and effectiveness. The commercial and military fuel cell market projections are significant--greater than $100 billion per year by the year 2006. Seldom is the opportunity for across the board dual use benefit for the government and commercial sector as vivid as it is for fuel cells. Chairman Stevens, I'm sure that you will agree that the Air Force should pursue the prototype scale-up, optimization and full-scale demonstration of an advanced solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell that uses PBO based membranes.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, today the Fenway Community Development Corporation in Boston is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, and I congratulate the corporation on its impressive accomplishments. The Nation's economy is currently enjoying the longest period of peacetime expansion in the nation's history. Today, more Americans than ever have access to quality education and productive jobs and careers. But that success is no cause for complacency. Too many of our fellow citizens and too many of our communities are not full participants in the nation's overall prosperity. For them, economic growth often means higher housing costs and pressures to move out of neighborhoods which have been their homes all their lives. Twenty-five years ago, the Fenway Community Development Corporation was formed to do more to see that neighborhood development benefits the residents of the neighborhood. The Corporation stands proudly for the fundamental principle that local residents should enjoy the benefits of economic growth too, regardless of their incomes, and that neighborhood planning should always put people first. Since 1973, the Fenway CDC has worked skillfully to improve the quality of life in the community, actively encouraging residents to participate in decisions that affect it. Under its leadership, residents from different cultures, age groups, and income levels have all come together for a better Fenway. I commend them for what they have done to empower people and strengthen the fabric of their neighborhoods. A large part of this success comes from many activities to improve life in the Fenway. Protecting existing housing, actively seeking opportunities to develop affordable new housing, pursuing commercial development that meets the needs of the neighborhood--all of these are essential parts of the mission. Other activities include homebuyer counseling--the afterschool programs and playground renovation for neighborhood youth through the Fenway Family Coalition--the computer training and job opportunities with local employers through the Walk to Work Program--and the Senior Task Force, which maintains affordable housing for low income elderly residents, as well as blood pressure screenings and recreation facilities available at the Peterborough Senior Center. All of these programs have contributed immensely to the quality of life in the Fenway neighborhood, and the Corporation deserve great credit for these achievements. Fenway CDC is a respected leader of CDCs nationwide. I congratulate them for 25 years of skillful work and real results, and I know that the next 25 years will be just as successful.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. I will send the amendment to the desk and speak probably for 4 or 5 minutes on it. I think my colleague, Senator Lautenberg, may want to talk for a similar period of time. We are prepared. There is virtual support for it, and no opposition. Then we would obviously like to get a vote on it and have it at a time that is suitable with the managers any time during the course of the day.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I yield myself 4 minutes. This is an amendment on behalf of myself and Senators Lautenberg, Brownback, Gordon Smith, Moynihan, Schumer, Torricelli, Mikulski, and Kyl. This amendment states the sense of the Congress that UN Security Council sanctions against Libya should not be lifted until Libya meets all conditions specified in UN Security Council Resolutions 731, 748, and 883, and urges the Secretary of State to use all diplomatic means necessary to prevent sanctions from being lifted before these conditions are met. On December 21, 1988, 270 people, including 189 U.S. citizens, were killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 Flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. In 1991, Britain and the United States indicted two Libyan intelligence agents and sought their extradition from Libya to the United States or the United Kingdom to stand trial for this despicable act. Libyan leader Qadhafi refused to transfer the suspects, and the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Libya. The sanctions in United Nations Security Council Resolutions 748 and 883 include a worldwide ban on Libya's national airline; a ban on flights into and out of Libya by other nations' airlines; a prohibition on supplying arms, airplane parts, and certain oil equipment to Libya, and a blocking of Libyan Government funds in other countries. The Security Council demanded that Libya cease all support for terrorism and terrorist groups, turn over the two suspects, cooperate with the investigation and the trial, and address the issue of appropriate compensation for the victims' families before sanctions could be lifted. Last month, after years of intensive diplomacy, a compromise was finally reached, and Colonel Qadhafi transferred the two suspects to The Netherlands, where they will be tried under a Scottish court, under Scottish law, before a panel of Scottish judges. The United Nations Security Council, in turn, suspended its sanctions against Libya that same day. On or before July 5, the United Nations Secretary General will issue a report to the Security Council on the issue of Libya's compliance with the remaining conditions. I hope he will recommend that the sanctions against Libya should not be permanently lifted. It is clear that Libya has only fulfilled one of the four conditions--the transfer of the suspects accused in the Lockerbie bombing--in the UN Security Council resolutions. Libya has not ceased its support for terrorist groups. The State Department's ``Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1998'' clearly states that Colonel Qadhafi ``continued publicly and privately to support Palestinian terrorist groups . . .'' In addition, because the trial has not begun and is expected to last at least several months, it would be premature to conclude that Libya has fulfilled the other remaining conditions. The amendment I am offering expresses our view that the United Nations Security Council should not permanently lift the sanctions against Libya, until Libya has fulfilled all of the remaining conditions in the Security Council resolutions. It also calls upon the Secretary of State to use all diplomatic means necessary, including the use of our veto at the U.N. Security Council, to prevent the Security Council from lifting sanctions against Libya until Libya fulfills all of the conditions. The Secretary of State has steadfastly and commendably maintained a vigilant stand against Libya, and this amendment will provide the strong support of Congress for using all diplomatic means necessary, including the use of the veto, to block the lifting of the sanctions. Mr. President, it would be a gross injustice to the Pan Am 103 families, who have suffered so much in this ordeal, to reward Libya for policies it has not fulfilled. We must all remain vigilant and make sure that justice is served in all of its aspects in the Lockerbie bombing trial. We must remain vigilant and make sure that Libya ceases--not just in words, but in deeds--its support for terrorist groups. I know of no opposition to this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent my colleague, Senator Lautenberg, be able to retain his 5 minutes on this. It is the intention, if I could ask the floor managers, to ask for the yeas and nays at the appropriate time for all the amendments. Am I correct?

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

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I send an amendment for myself and the Senator from New Jersey and others to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. KENNEDY. Yes.

Mr. KENNEDY. I appreciate going first because we will be very brief.

Mr. KENNEDY. Ten minutes on our side. There is no opposition to this.

Mr. KENNEDY. If the Senator wanted to modify 10 minutes on our side, that is fine. Senator Lautenberg indicated he only wanted 5 minutes, so that would be fine.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I will only take about 4 or 5. I believe that is what the Senator from New Jersey desires. But I have not heard from him this morning. I think we could at least present the amendment, and I will speak briefly. I am trying to get the Senator from New Jersey here at the present time.

Mr. KENNEDY. This issue is sufficiently important, Mr. President, dealing with Libya that I think it is advantageous to the Secretary of State and on the whole issue of Qadhafi that we have a strong vote in the Senate. We would be glad to accommodate leaders to vote at any time during the course of the day.

Mr. KENNEDY. I thank the Chair.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I would like to submit the amendment.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I support the National Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2000. This past year has demonstrated once again how important it is for the nation to maintain a well-prepared military. There is no doubt that the Nation's armed forces are more active today than they were during cold war. Our servicemen and women are currently conducting combat operations in Kosovo and Iraq. They are serving as peacekeepers in Bosnia, and as humanitarian support personnel in Central America. All of this is taking place in addition to the day-to-day routine operations and exercises in which the military participates throughout the year in this country and in many other parts of the globe. The Nation is also calling on its National Guard and Reserve units at an increased rate. This past year, Guard and Reserve units from Massachusetts were deployed in support of operation Northern Watch in Iraq, Hurricane Mitch relief in Central America, and most recently Operation Allied Force in the Balkans. Our country is proud of their service and grateful for the sacrifices that they, their families and their civilian employers are making for all of us. Our armed forces continue to do all that is asked of them. This year, many of us in Congress have been concerned about the effects that these increased operations tempo are having on our service personnel and equipment. We have no doubt about the dedication and skills of our .14 million men and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps who make our military the most capable fighting force in the world today. But there are increasing questions about whether they are receiving the full support they need to do their job well. This bill addresses many of the current concerns about declining readiness, insufficient equipment, and inadequate recruitment and retention. It provides greater support for our military forces, while maintaining a realistic balance between readiness to take care of immediate needs, and the investments needed to develop and procure the best systems for the future. The cornerstone of the Nation's military preeminence rests on many factors, but the most critical is its people. Without men and women willing to volunteer for military duty, the Nation would not be able to respond to crises around the globe as it does today. We need to have cutting-edge weapon systems, but we also need dedicated service members to operate these systems. It is imperative for us to provide effectively for our troops and their families. Today's force is truly an all volunteer force. Its ranks contain well-educated professionals who have chosen to serve their country in the armed forces. We must treat them as professionals or we will lose them. The bill provides a fully-funded and well-deserved 4.8% pay raise for military personnel, as well as expanded authority to offer additional pay and other incentives to critical military specialities. The bill also improves retirements benefits for those who are serving by addressing concerns with the current system and allowing servicemen and women to participate in a Thrift Savings Plan. The bill also enhances the very successful Troops-to-Teachers Program. Troops-to-Teachers was established by Congress in 1993 and has enabled over 3,000 service men and women to go into the teaching profession. These teachers have filled positions in high-need schools in 48 states. The bill shifts the responsibility for this program to the Department of Education in order to see that it is coordinated as effectively as possible with our overall education reform initiatives. Well over half of today's military is married. In many cases both parent are employed. The military also contains many single mothers and fathers. Each of these constituencies has unique characteristic and need that must be recognized so that we can encourage continued service and careers in the Nation's armed forces. The bill contains a provision which I strongly support to authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide financial assistance for child care services and youth programs for members of the armed services. These expanded provisions will ensure that many more military families have access to adequate child care and worthwhile activities for their children. The Nation's service men and women operate in a demanding and stressful environment that is being exacerbated by the increased operations of the last decade. One unfortunate result has been an increase in domestic violence involving military families. We have a responsibility to these families to help them cope more effectively with this problem. An important provision in this year's bill require the Secretary of Defense to appoint a military-civilian task force to review domestic violence in the military. In addition, the bill takes other steps to guarantee that the Services are more sensitive to this problem and take steps to prevent it. This bill also moves on many fronts to address modernization requirements that have been deferred for too long. As the ranking member on the Seapower Subcommittee, I am pleased that this bill takes needed steps to ensure that the Nation's naval forces have the vessels and equipment they need to sustain naval operations throughout the world. The bill authorizes the extension of the DDG-51 destroyer procurement for fiscal year 2002 and 2003 and increases multiyear procurement from 12 to 18 ships. The bill also authorizes the Navy to enter into a 5- year multiyear procurement contract for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. In addition, it increases the budget request for the Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from 10 to 12. These are all strong steps in strengthening the readiness of the Nation's Navy-Marine Corps team. Last year, the Defense authorization bill called for a 2 percent annual increase in military spending on science and technology from 2000 to 2008. Unfortunately, the Department's proposed Fiscal Year 2000 budget reduced spending on science and technology programs. The Air Force, alone, was slated for $95 million in cuts in science and technology funding. Such a decline would be detrimental to national defense, particularly when the battlefield environment is becoming more and more reliant on technology. Fortunately, under the leadership of the Chairman of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Committee, Senator Roberts, this bill restores $70 million in Air Force Science and Technology funding, to ensure that sufficient scientists and engineers are available to conduct research to address the Defense Department's technology needs for the future. One of the most important technology fields is in the area of cyber- security. The growing frequency and sophistication of attacks on the Department of Defense's computer systems are cause for concern, and they highlight the need for improved protection of the Nation's critical defense networks. This bill includes a substantial increase in research and development on defenses against cyber attacks. This increase will greatly improve the Department's focus on this emerging threat. Existing threats from the cold war are also addressed in this legislation. The efforts to provide financial assistance to the former Soviet Union for nonproliferation programs such as the Nunn-Lugar Comprehensive Threat Reduction programs are essential for our national security. I commend the administration's plans to continue funding these valuable initiatives and the committee's support for them. One of the greatest threats to our national security is the danger of terrorism, particularly using weapons of mass destruction. We must do all we can to prevent our enemies from acquiring these devastating weapons and from being able to conduct successful terrorist attacks on the Nation. Significant progress has been made toward strengthening the Nation's response to such attacks, but more must be done. This bill strengthens counter-terrorism activities and increases support for the National Guard teams that are part of this important effort. I commend my colleagues on the committee for their leadership in dealing with the many challenges facing us on national defense. This measure is important to our national security in the years ahead and I urge the Senate to approve it.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to introduce President Clinton's proposal for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the ``Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999,'' along with Senators Dodd, Daschle, Murray, Schumer, Levin, and Dorgan. This is another strong step by the President to ensure that all children have the benefit of the best possible education. Since 1993, President Clinton has consistently led the way on improving schools and making sure that all children meet high standards. Today, as a result, almost every state has established high standards for its students. ``High standards'' is no longer just a term for academics experts and policy makers--it is becoming a reality for the nation's schools and students. The recently released National Assessment of Title I shows that student achievement is improving--and that the federal government is an effective partner in that success. This result is good news for schools, good news for parents, and good news for students--and it should be a wake up call to Congress. We need to do more to build on these emerging successes to ensure that every child has the opportunity for an excellent education. At dinner tables and boardrooms across America, the topic of discussion is education. As a result of the progress we have made the past few years, we can look at the education glass on the table and say it's ``half full''--not ``half empty'' as critics of public schools would have the country believe. Since the reauthorization of Title I in 1994, a non-partisan Independent Review Panel of twenty-two experts from across the country has been overseeing the evaluation of the program. As the largest federal investment in improving elementary and secondary schools, Title I is improving education for 11 million children in 45,000 schools with high concentrations of poverty. It helps schools provide professional development for teachers, improve curriculums, and extend learning time, so that students meet high state standards of achievement. Under the 1994 amendments to Title I, states were no longer allowed to set lower standards for children in the poorest communities than for students in more affluent communities. The results are clear. Students do well when expectations are set high and they are given the support they need and deserve. Student achievement in reading and math has increased--particularly the achievement of the poorest students. Since 1992, reading achievement for 9-year- olds in the highest poverty schools has increased by one whole grade level nationwide. Between 1990 and 1996, math scores of the poorest students also rose by a grade level. Students are meeting higher state standards. According to state- reported results, students in the highest poverty elementary schools improved in 5 of 6 states reporting three-year data in reading and in 4 out of 5 states in math. Students in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, and Texas made progress in both subjects. Many urban school districts report that achievement also improved in their highest-poverty schools. In 10 of 13 large urban districts that report three-year trend data, more elementary students in the highest poverty schools are now meeting district or state standards of proficiency in reading or math. Six districts, including Houston, Dade County, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and San Francisco, made progress in both subjects. Federal funds are increasingly targeted to the poorest schools. The 1994 amendments to Title I shifted funds away from low-poverty schools and into high-poverty schools. Today, 95 percent of the highest-poverty schools receive Title I funds, up from 80 percent in 1993. In addition, Title I funds help improve teaching and learning in the classroom. 99 percent of Title I funds go to the local level. 93 percent of those federal dollars are spent directly on instruction, while only 62 percent of all state and local education dollars are spent on instruction. The best illustrations of these successes are in local districts and schools. In Baltimore County, Maryland, all but one of the 19 Title I schools increased student performance between 1993 and 1998. The success has come from Title I support for extended year programs, implementation of effective programs in reading, and intensive professional development for teachers. At Roosevelt High School in Dallas, Texas, where 80 percent of the students are poor, Title I funds were used to increase parent involvement, train teachers to work more effectively with parents, and make other changes to bring high standards into every classroom. Student reading scores have nearly doubled, from the 40th percentile in 1992 to the 77th percentile in 1996. During the same period, math scores soared from the 16th to the 73rd percentile, and writing scores rose from the 58th to the 84th percentile. In addition to the successes supported by Title I, other indicators demonstrate that student achievement is improving. U.S. students scored near the top on the latest international assessment of reading. American 4th graders out-performed students from all other nations except Finland. At Baldwin Elementary School in Boston, where 80 percent of the students are poor, performance on the Stanford 9 test rose substantially from 1996 to 1998 because of increases in teacher professional development and implementation of a whole-school reform plan to raise standards and achievement for all children. In 1996, 66 percent of the 3rd grade students scored in the lowest levels in math. In 1998, 100 percent scored in the highest levels. In 1997, 75 percent of 4th graders scored in the lowest levels in reading. In 1998, no 4th graders scored at the lowest level, and 56 percent scored in the highest levels. The combined verbal and math scores on the SAT increased 19 points from 1982 to 1997, with the largest gain of 15 points occurring between 1992 and 1997. The average math score is at its highest level in 26 years. Students are taking more rigorous subjects than ever--and doing better in them. The proportion of high school graduates taking the core courses recommended in the 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, had increased to 52 percent by 1994, up from 14 percent in 1982 and 40 percent in 1990. Since 1982, the percentage of graduates taking biology, chemistry, and physics has doubled, rising from 10 percent in 1982 to 21 percent in 1994. With increased participation in advanced placement courses, the number of students that scored at 3 or above on the AP exams has risen nearly five-fold since 1982, from 131,871 in that year to 635,922 in 1998. Clearly, the work is not done. These improvements are gratifying, but there is no cause for complacency. We must do more to ensure that all children have a good education. We must do more to increase support for programs like Title I to build on these successes and make them available to all children. President Clinton's ``Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999'' builds on the success of the 1994 reauthorization of ESEA, which ensured that all children are held to the same high academic standards. This bill makes high standards the core of classroom activities in every school across the country--and holds schools and school districts responsible for making sure all children meet those standards. The bill focuses on three fundamental ways to accomplish this goal: improving teacher quality, increasing accountability for results, and creating safe, healthy, and disciplined learning environments for children. This year, the nation set a new record for elementary and secondary student enrollment. The figure will reach an all-time high of 53 million students--500,000 more students than last year. Communities, the states, and Congress must work together to see that these students receive a good education. Serious teacher shortages are being caused by the rising student enrollments, and also by the growing number of teacher retirements. The nation's schools need to hire 2.2 million public school teachers over the next ten years, just to hold their own. If we don't act now, the need for more teachers will put even greater pressure in the future on school districts to lower their standards and hire more unqualified teachers. Too many teachers leave within the first three years of teaching--including 30-50% of teachers in urban areas--because they don't get the support and mentoring they need. Veteran teachers need on-going professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills, to integrate technology into the curriculum, and to help children meet high state standards. Many communities are working hard to attract, keep, and support good teachers--and often they're succeeding. The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program has recruited 3,600 high-ability high school graduates to go into teaching. The students agree to teach for four years in the state's public schools, in exchange for a four-year college scholarship. School principals in the state report that the performance of the fellows far exceeds that of other new teachers. In Chicago, a program called the ``Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois'' recruits promising young men and women into teaching by selecting them during their junior year of high school, then mentoring them through the rest of high school, college, and five years of actual teaching. 60 Golden Apple scholars enter the teaching field each year, and 90 percent of them stay in the classroom. Colorado State University's ``Project Promise'' recruits prospective teachers from fields such as law, geology, chemistry, stock trading and medicine. Current teachers mentor graduates in their first two years of teaching. More than 90 percent of the recruits go into teaching, and 80 percent stay for at least five years. New York City's Mentor Teacher Internship Program has increased the retention of new teachers. In Montana, only 4 percent of new teachers in mentoring programs left after their first year of teaching, compared with 28 percent of teachers without the benefit of mentoring. New York City's District 2 has made professional development the central component for improving schools. The idea is that student learning will increase as the knowledge of educators grows--and it's working. In 1996, student math scores were second in the city. Massachusetts has invested $60 million in the Teacher Quality Endowment Fund to launch the 12-to-62 Plan for Strengthening Massachusetts Future Teaching Force. The program is a comprehensive effort to improve recruitment, retention, and professional development of teachers throughout their careers. Congress should build on and support these successful efforts across the country to ensure that the nation's teaching force is strong and successful in the years ahead. The Administration's proposal makes a major investment in ensuring quality teachers in every classroom, especially in areas where the needs are greatest. It authorizes funds to help states and communities improve the recruitment, retention, and on-going professional development of teachers. It will provide states and local school districts with the support they need to recruit excellent teacher candidates, to retain and support promising beginning teachers through mentoring programs, and to provide veteran teachers with the on-going professional development they need to help all children meet high standards of achievement. It will also support a national effort to recruit and train school principals. In recognition of the national need to recruit 2.2 million teachers over the next decade, the Administration's proposal will fund projects to recruit and retain high-quality teachers and school principals in high-need areas. The Transition to Teaching proposal will continue and expand the successful ``Troops to Teachers'' initiative by recruiting and supporting mid-career professionals in the armed forces as teachers, particularly in high-poverty school districts and high-need subjects. The proposal holds states accountable for having qualified teachers in the classroom. It requires that within four years, 95 percent of all teachers must be certified, working toward full certification through an alternative route that will lead to full certification within three years, or are fully certified in another state and working toward meeting state-specific requirements. It also requires states to ensure that at least 95 percent of secondary school teachers have academic training or demonstrated competence in the subject area in which they teach. Parents and educators across the country also say that reducing class size is at the top of their priorities for education reform. It is obvious that smaller class sizes, particularly in the early grades, improve student achievement. We must help states and communities reduce class sizes in the early grades, when individual attention is needed most. Congress made a down-payment last year on helping communities reduce class size, and we can't walk away from that commitment now. The Educational Excellence for All Children Act authorizes the full 7 years of this program, so that communities will be able to hire 100,000 teachers across the country. We know qualified teachers in small classes make a difference for students. There is also mounting evidence that the President and Congress took the right step in 1994 by making standards-based reform the centerpiece of the 1994 reauthorization. In schools and school districts across the country that have set high standards and required accountability for results, student performance has risen, and the numbers of failing schools has fallen. Nevertheless, 10 to 15 percent of high school graduates today--up to 340,000 graduates each year--do not continue their education. Often, they cannot balance a checkbook or write a letter to a credit card company to explain an error on a bill. Even worse, 11 percent of high school students never make it to graduation. We are not meeting our responsibility to these students--and it is unconscionable to continue to abdicate our responsibility. Every day, children--poor children, minority children, English language learners, children with disabilities--face barriers to a good education, and also face the high-stakes consequences of failing in the future because the system is failing them now. Schools and communities must do more to see that students obtain the skills and knowledge they need in order to move on to the next grade and to graduate. If students are socially promoted or forced to repeat the same grade without changing the instruction that failed the first time, they are more likely to drop out. Clearly, these practices must end. The Administration's proposal makes public schools the centers of opportunity for all children--and holds schools accountability for providing this opportunity. It requires schools, school districts, and states to provide parents with report cards that include information about student performance, the condition of school buildings, class sizes, quality of teachers, and safety and discipline in their schools. These report cards give parents the information they need to see that their schools are improving and their children are getting the education they deserve. The proposal also holds schools and districts accountable for children meeting the standards. The bill requires schools and districts to end the unsound educational practices of socially promoting children or making them repeat a grade. States must collect data on social promotion and retention rates as an indicator of whether children are meeting high standards, and schools must implement responsible promotion policies. The proposal is designed to eliminate the dismal choice between social promotion and repeating a grade. It does so in several ways--by increasing support for early education programs, by improving early reading skills, by improving the quality of the teaching force, by providing extended learning time through after- school and summer-school programs, and by creating safe, disciplined learning environments for children. Last year in Boston, School Superintendent Tom Payzant ended social promotion and traditional grade retention. With extensive community involvement, Mayor Menino, Superintendent Payzant, and the School Committee implemented a policy to clarify for everyone--schools, teachers, parents, and students--the requirements needed to advance from one grade to the next, and to graduate from a Boston public school. The call for a new promotion and retention policy came primarily from middle and high schools, where teachers were facing students who had not mastered the skills they needed in order to go on to a higher grade. Now, all students will have to demonstrate that they have mastered the content and skills in every grade. If they fail to do so, schools and teachers must intervene with proven effective practices to help the students, such as attending summer-school and after-school programs, providing extra help during the regular school day, and working more closely with parents to ensure better results. In ways like these, schools and teachers are held accountable for results. The Administration's proposal gives children who have fallen behind in their school work the opportunities they need to catch up, to meet legitimate requirements for graduation, to master basic skills, and meet high standards of achievement. A high school diploma should be more than a certificate of attendance. It should be a certificate of achievement. Finally, the President's proposal helps create safe, disciplined, and healthy environments for children. Last year, President Clinton led a successful effort to increase funding for after-school programs in the current year. But far more needs to be done. Effective programs are urgently needed for children of all ages during the many hours they are not in school each week and during the summer. The ``Home Alone'' problem is serious, and deserves urgent attention. Every day, 5 million children, many as young as 8 or 9 years old, are left alone after school. Juvenile crime peaks in the hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. A recent study of gang crimes by juveniles in Orange County, California, shows that 60 percent of all juvenile gang crimes occur on schools days and peak immediately after school dismissal. Children left unsupervised are more likely to be involved in illegal activities and destructive behavior. We need constructive alternatives to keep children off the streets, away from drugs, and out of trouble. We need to do all we can to encourage communities to develop after- school activities that will engage children. The proposal will triple our investment in after-school programs, so that one million children will have access to worthwhile activities. The Act also requires school districts and schools to have sound discipline policies that are consistent with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, are fair, and are developed with the participation of the school community. In addition, the Safe and Drug- Free Schools and Communities Act is strengthened to support research- based prevention programs to address violence and drug-use by youth. In order to develop a healthy environment for children, local school districts will be able to use 5 percent of their funds to support coordinated services, so that children and their families will have better access to social, health, and educational services necessary for students to do well in school. In all of these ways and more ways, President Clinton's proposal will help schools and communities bring high standards into every classroom and ensure that all children meet them. Major new investments are needed to improve teacher quality--hold schools, school districts, and states accountable for results--increase parent involvement--expand after- school programs--reduce class size in the early grades--and ensure that schools meet strict discipline standards. With investments like these, we are doing all we can to ensure that the nation's public schools are the best in the world. Education must continue to be a top priority in this Congress. We must address the needs of public schools, families, and children so that we ensure that all children have an opportunity to attend an excellent public school now and throughout the 21st Century. President Clinton's proposal is an excellent series of needed initiatives, and it deserves broad bipartisan support. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make it the heart of this year's ESEA Reauthorization Bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be printed in the Record.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I welcome this opportunity to express my strong support for S. 303, the Satellite Home Viewers Act. This legislation will enable many more consumers in Massachusetts and across the nation to receive network signals by satellite. The Act achieves a fairer balance between the interests of satellite TV firms, local broadcasters and cable firms. It reverses a federal court decision that has caused millions of satellite TV subscribers throughout the country, including in many rural areas of Massachusetts, to lose their access to network television stations. Consumers will be major winners with the passage of this legislation. It means greater choice, particularly to those in rural areas. This legislation will also promote competition between the satellite and cable industries by enabling satellite providers to offer local broadcast signals in the same local market. In recent years, ``must carry'' rules have protected small broadcasters from being left by the wayside during the rapid growth of the cable industry. Similarly, this bill protects small broadcasters by requiring satellite carriers re- transmitting local signals to the local market to comply with the ``must carry'' rules by January 1, 2002. Consumers everywhere will benefit from the passage of the Satellite Home Viewers Act. I commend Senator McCain and Senator Burns for their leadership in providing more choices and better service to consumers.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep concern over the kidnapping of Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba de Castro. Senator Cordoba was abducted on May 21 by paramilitary forces under the command of Carlos Castano. I urge the Government of Colombia to take all appropriate measures to obtain her safe release and to bring those responsible for this kidnapping to justice. Senator Cordoba, as President of the Colombian Senate's Human Rights Commission, is a strong voice in Colombia for the promotion of human rights. She has also been a leader in efforts to bring peace to Colombia after fifty years of political violence. Senator Cordoba's role as a leading advocate of human rights and peace makes this crime particularly shocking. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also condemned the kidnapping of Senator Cordoba and has urged the Colombian authorities to do everything possible to obtain her release. Secretary-General Annan called Senator Cordoba ``a firm supporter of peace'' who had ``performed invaluable work towards the achievement of fundamental rights and freedom''. It is extremely disturbing to see that paramilitary forces and guerrilla groups involved in Colombia's internal conflict continue to resort to kidnapping as a means of political pressure. This violent action against a prominent human rights advocate emphasizes the importance of the efforts of President Pastrana to eliminate all links between the Colombian Government and the paramilitaries. I urge the Government of Colombia to take all necessary and appropriate measures to break these links, obtain Senator Cordoba's release, and bring to justice those responsible for her kidnapping.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to introduce President Clinton's proposal for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the ``Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999,'' along with Senators Dodd, Daschle, Murray, Schumer, Levin, and Dorgan. This is another strong step by the President to ensure that all children have the benefit of the best possible education. Since 1993, President Clinton has consistently led the way on improving schools and making sure that all children meet high standards. Today, as a result, almost every state has established high standards for its students. ``High standards'' is no longer just a term for academics experts and policy makers--it is becoming a reality for the nation's schools and students. The recently released National Assessment of Title I shows that student achievement is improving--and that the federal government is an effective partner in that success. This result is good news for schools, good news for parents, and good news for students--and it should be a wake up call to Congress. We need to do more to build on these emerging successes to ensure that every child has the opportunity for an excellent education. At dinner tables and boardrooms across America, the topic of discussion is education. As a result of the progress we have made the past few years, we can look at the education glass on the table and say it's ``half full''--not ``half empty'' as critics of public schools would have the country believe. Since the reauthorization of Title I in 1994, a non-partisan Independent Review Panel of twenty-two experts from across the country has been overseeing the evaluation of the program. As the largest federal investment in improving elementary and secondary schools, Title I is improving education for 11 million children in 45,000 schools with high concentrations of poverty. It helps schools provide professional development for teachers, improve curriculums, and extend learning time, so that students meet high state standards of achievement. Under the 1994 amendments to Title I, states were no longer allowed to set lower standards for children in the poorest communities than for students in more affluent communities. The results are clear. Students do well when expectations are set high and they are given the support they need and deserve. Student achievement in reading and math has increased--particularly the achievement of the poorest students. Since 1992, reading achievement for 9-year- olds in the highest poverty schools has increased by one whole grade level nationwide. Between 1990 and 1996, math scores of the poorest students also rose by a grade level. Students are meeting higher state standards. According to state- reported results, students in the highest poverty elementary schools improved in 5 of 6 states reporting three-year data in reading and in 4 out of 5 states in math. Students in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, and Texas made progress in both subjects. Many urban school districts report that achievement also improved in their highest-poverty schools. In 10 of 13 large urban districts that report three-year trend data, more elementary students in the highest poverty schools are now meeting district or state standards of proficiency in reading or math. Six districts, including Houston, Dade County, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and San Francisco, made progress in both subjects. Federal funds are increasingly targeted to the poorest schools. The 1994 amendments to Title I shifted funds away from low-poverty schools and into high-poverty schools. Today, 95 percent of the highest-poverty schools receive Title I funds, up from 80 percent in 1993. In addition, Title I funds help improve teaching and learning in the classroom. 99 percent of Title I funds go to the local level. 93 percent of those federal dollars are spent directly on instruction, while only 62 percent of all state and local education dollars are spent on instruction. The best illustrations of these successes are in local districts and schools. In Baltimore County, Maryland, all but one of the 19 Title I schools increased student performance between 1993 and 1998. The success has come from Title I support for extended year programs, implementation of effective programs in reading, and intensive professional development for teachers. At Roosevelt High School in Dallas, Texas, where 80 percent of the students are poor, Title I funds were used to increase parent involvement, train teachers to work more effectively with parents, and make other changes to bring high standards into every classroom. Student reading scores have nearly doubled, from the 40th percentile in 1992 to the 77th percentile in 1996. During the same period, math scores soared from the 16th to the 73rd percentile, and writing scores rose from the 58th to the 84th percentile. In addition to the successes supported by Title I, other indicators demonstrate that student achievement is improving. U.S. students scored near the top on the latest international assessment of reading. American 4th graders out-performed students from all other nations except Finland. At Baldwin Elementary School in Boston, where 80 percent of the students are poor, performance on the Stanford 9 test rose substantially from 1996 to 1998 because of increases in teacher professional development and implementation of a whole-school reform plan to raise standards and achievement for all children. In 1996, 66 percent of the 3rd grade students scored in the lowest levels in math. In 1998, 100 percent scored in the highest levels. In 1997, 75 percent of 4th graders scored in the lowest levels in reading. In 1998, no 4th graders scored at the lowest level, and 56 percent scored in the highest levels. The combined verbal and math scores on the SAT increased 19 points from 1982 to 1997, with the largest gain of 15 points occurring between 1992 and 1997. The average math score is at its highest level in 26 years. Students are taking more rigorous subjects than ever--and doing better in them. The proportion of high school graduates taking the core courses recommended in the 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, had increased to 52 percent by 1994, up from 14 percent in 1982 and 40 percent in 1990. Since 1982, the percentage of graduates taking biology, chemistry, and physics has doubled, rising from 10 percent in 1982 to 21 percent in 1994. With increased participation in advanced placement courses, the number of students that scored at 3 or above on the AP exams has risen nearly five-fold since 1982, from 131,871 in that year to 635,922 in 1998. Clearly, the work is not done. These improvements are gratifying, but there is no cause for complacency. We must do more to ensure that all children have a good education. We must do more to increase support for programs like Title I to build on these successes and make them available to all children. President Clinton's ``Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999'' builds on the success of the 1994 reauthorization of ESEA, which ensured that all children are held to the same high academic standards. This bill makes high standards the core of classroom activities in every school across the country--and holds schools and school districts responsible for making sure all children meet those standards. The bill focuses on three fundamental ways to accomplish this goal: improving teacher quality, increasing accountability for results, and creating safe, healthy, and disciplined learning environments for children. This year, the nation set a new record for elementary and secondary student enrollment. The figure will reach an all-time high of 53 million students--500,000 more students than last year. Communities, the states, and Congress must work together to see that these students receive a good education. Serious teacher shortages are being caused by the rising student enrollments, and also by the growing number of teacher retirements. The nation's schools need to hire 2.2 million public school teachers over the next ten years, just to hold their own. If we don't act now, the need for more teachers will put even greater pressure in the future on school districts to lower their standards and hire more unqualified teachers. Too many teachers leave within the first three years of teaching--including 30-50% of teachers in urban areas--because they don't get the support and mentoring they need. Veteran teachers need on-going professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills, to integrate technology into the curriculum, and to help children meet high state standards. Many communities are working hard to attract, keep, and support good teachers--and often they're succeeding. The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program has recruited 3,600 high-ability high school graduates to go into teaching. The students agree to teach for four years in the state's public schools, in exchange for a four-year college scholarship. School principals in the state report that the performance of the fellows far exceeds that of other new teachers. In Chicago, a program called the ``Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois'' recruits promising young men and women into teaching by selecting them during their junior year of high school, then mentoring them through the rest of high school, college, and five years of actual teaching. 60 Golden Apple scholars enter the teaching field each year, and 90 percent of them stay in the classroom. Colorado State University's ``Project Promise'' recruits prospective teachers from fields such as law, geology, chemistry, stock trading and medicine. Current teachers mentor graduates in their first two years of teaching. More than 90 percent of the recruits go into teaching, and 80 percent stay for at least five years. New York City's Mentor Teacher Internship Program has increased the retention of new teachers. In Montana, only 4 percent of new teachers in mentoring programs left after their first year of teaching, compared with 28 percent of teachers without the benefit of mentoring. New York City's District 2 has made professional development the central component for improving schools. The idea is that student learning will increase as the knowledge of educators grows--and it's working. In 1996, student math scores were second in the city. Massachusetts has invested $60 million in the Teacher Quality Endowment Fund to launch the 12-to-62 Plan for Strengthening Massachusetts Future Teaching Force. The program is a comprehensive effort to improve recruitment, retention, and professional development of teachers throughout their careers. Congress should build on and support these successful efforts across the country to ensure that the nation's teaching force is strong and successful in the years ahead. The Administration's proposal makes a major investment in ensuring quality teachers in every classroom, especially in areas where the needs are greatest. It authorizes funds to help states and communities improve the recruitment, retention, and on-going professional development of teachers. It will provide states and local school districts with the support they need to recruit excellent teacher candidates, to retain and support promising beginning teachers through mentoring programs, and to provide veteran teachers with the on-going professional development they need to help all children meet high standards of achievement. It will also support a national effort to recruit and train school principals. In recognition of the national need to recruit 2.2 million teachers over the next decade, the Administration's proposal will fund projects to recruit and retain high-quality teachers and school principals in high-need areas. The Transition to Teaching proposal will continue and expand the successful ``Troops to Teachers'' initiative by recruiting and supporting mid-career professionals in the armed forces as teachers, particularly in high-poverty school districts and high-need subjects. The proposal holds states accountable for having qualified teachers in the classroom. It requires that within four years, 95 percent of all teachers must be certified, working toward full certification through an alternative route that will lead to full certification within three years, or are fully certified in another state and working toward meeting state-specific requirements. It also requires states to ensure that at least 95 percent of secondary school teachers have academic training or demonstrated competence in the subject area in which they teach. Parents and educators across the country also say that reducing class size is at the top of their priorities for education reform. It is obvious that smaller class sizes, particularly in the early grades, improve student achievement. We must help states and communities reduce class sizes in the early grades, when individual attention is needed most. Congress made a down-payment last year on helping communities reduce class size, and we can't walk away from that commitment now. The Educational Excellence for All Children Act authorizes the full 7 years of this program, so that communities will be able to hire 100,000 teachers across the country. We know qualified teachers in small classes make a difference for students. There is also mounting evidence that the President and Congress took the right step in 1994 by making standards-based reform the centerpiece of the 1994 reauthorization. In schools and school districts across the country that have set high standards and required accountability for results, student performance has risen, and the numbers of failing schools has fallen. Nevertheless, 10 to 15 percent of high school graduates today--up to 340,000 graduates each year--do not continue their education. Often, they cannot balance a checkbook or write a letter to a credit card company to explain an error on a bill. Even worse, 11 percent of high school students never make it to graduation. We are not meeting our responsibility to these students--and it is unconscionable to continue to abdicate our responsibility. Every day, children--poor children, minority children, English language learners, children with disabilities--face barriers to a good education, and also face the high-stakes consequences of failing in the future because the system is failing them now. Schools and communities must do more to see that students obtain the skills and knowledge they need in order to move on to the next grade and to graduate. If students are socially promoted or forced to repeat the same grade without changing the instruction that failed the first time, they are more likely to drop out. Clearly, these practices must end. The Administration's proposal makes public schools the centers of opportunity for all children--and holds schools accountability for providing this opportunity. It requires schools, school districts, and states to provide parents with report cards that include information about student performance, the condition of school buildings, class sizes, quality of teachers, and safety and discipline in their schools. These report cards give parents the information they need to see that their schools are improving and their children are getting the education they deserve. The proposal also holds schools and districts accountable for children meeting the standards. The bill requires schools and districts to end the unsound educational practices of socially promoting children or making them repeat a grade. States must collect data on social promotion and retention rates as an indicator of whether children are meeting high standards, and schools must implement responsible promotion policies. The proposal is designed to eliminate the dismal choice between social promotion and repeating a grade. It does so in several ways--by increasing support for early education programs, by improving early reading skills, by improving the quality of the teaching force, by providing extended learning time through after- school and summer-school programs, and by creating safe, disciplined learning environments for children. Last year in Boston, School Superintendent Tom Payzant ended social promotion and traditional grade retention. With extensive community involvement, Mayor Menino, Superintendent Payzant, and the School Committee implemented a policy to clarify for everyone--schools, teachers, parents, and students--the requirements needed to advance from one grade to the next, and to graduate from a Boston public school. The call for a new promotion and retention policy came primarily from middle and high schools, where teachers were facing students who had not mastered the skills they needed in order to go on to a higher grade. Now, all students will have to demonstrate that they have mastered the content and skills in every grade. If they fail to do so, schools and teachers must intervene with proven effective practices to help the students, such as attending summer-school and after-school programs, providing extra help during the regular school day, and working more closely with parents to ensure better results. In ways like these, schools and teachers are held accountable for results. The Administration's proposal gives children who have fallen behind in their school work the opportunities they need to catch up, to meet legitimate requirements for graduation, to master basic skills, and meet high standards of achievement. A high school diploma should be more than a certificate of attendance. It should be a certificate of achievement. Finally, the President's proposal helps create safe, disciplined, and healthy environments for children. Last year, President Clinton led a successful effort to increase funding for after-school programs in the current year. But far more needs to be done. Effective programs are urgently needed for children of all ages during the many hours they are not in school each week and during the summer. The ``Home Alone'' problem is serious, and deserves urgent attention. Every day, 5 million children, many as young as 8 or 9 years old, are left alone after school. Juvenile crime peaks in the hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. A recent study of gang crimes by juveniles in Orange County, California, shows that 60 percent of all juvenile gang crimes occur on schools days and peak immediately after school dismissal. Children left unsupervised are more likely to be involved in illegal activities and destructive behavior. We need constructive alternatives to keep children off the streets, away from drugs, and out of trouble. We need to do all we can to encourage communities to develop after- school activities that will engage children. The proposal will triple our investment in after-school programs, so that one million children will have access to worthwhile activities. The Act also requires school districts and schools to have sound discipline policies that are consistent with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, are fair, and are developed with the participation of the school community. In addition, the Safe and Drug- Free Schools and Communities Act is strengthened to support research- based prevention programs to address violence and drug-use by youth. In order to develop a healthy environment for children, local school districts will be able to use 5 percent of their funds to support coordinated services, so that children and their families will have better access to social, health, and educational services necessary for students to do well in school. In all of these ways and more ways, President Clinton's proposal will help schools and communities bring high standards into every classroom and ensure that all children meet them. Major new investments are needed to improve teacher quality--hold schools, school districts, and states accountable for results--increase parent involvement--expand after- school programs--reduce class size in the early grades--and ensure that schools meet strict discipline standards. With investments like these, we are doing all we can to ensure that the nation's public schools are the best in the world. Education must continue to be a top priority in this Congress. We must address the needs of public schools, families, and children so that we ensure that all children have an opportunity to attend an excellent public school now and throughout the 21st Century. President Clinton's proposal is an excellent series of needed initiatives, and it deserves broad bipartisan support. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make it the heart of this year's ESEA Reauthorization Bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be printed in the Record.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support this amendment, which will at long last remove the unfair ban on privately-funded abortions at U.S. military facilities overseas. This amendment will right a serious wrong in current policy, and ensure that women serving overseas in the armed forces can fairly exercise their constitutionally- guaranteed right to choose. This is an issue of fundamental fairness for the large numbers of women who make significant sacrifices to serve our Nation. They serve on military bases around the world to protect our freedoms. In turn, it is our responsibility in Congress to protect theirs. It is wrong for us to deny these women who serve our country with such distinction the same medical care available to all women in the United States. Women who serve overseas should be able to depend on military base hospitals for their medical needs. They should not be forced to choose between lower quality medical care in a foreign country, or travelling back to the United States for the care they need. Congress has a responsibility to provide safe medical care for those serving our country at home and abroad. Without proper care, abortion can be a life-threatening or permanently disabling procedure. This danger is an unacceptable burden to impose on the nation's dedicated servicewomen. They should not be exposed to substantial risks of infection, illness, infertility, and even death, when appropriate care can easily be made available to them. This measure does not ask that these procedures be paid for with federal funds. It simply asks that servicewomen overseas have the same access to all medical services as their counterparts at home. In addition to the health risks imposed by the current unfair policy, there is also a significant financial burden on servicewomen who make the difficult decision to have an abortion. The cost of returning to the United States from far-off bases in other parts of the world can often result in significant financial hardship for young women. Servicewomen in the United States do not have to bear this burden, since non-military hospital facilities are readily available. It is unfair to ask those serving abroad to suffer this financial penalty. If military personnel are unable to pay for a trip to the United States on their own, they often face significant delays while waiting for available military transportation. Each week, the health risks faced by these women increase. If there are long delays in obtaining a military flight, the women may decide to rely on questionable medical facilities overseas. As a practical matter, these women in uniform are being denied their constitutionally-protected right to choose. A woman's decision to have an abortion is a very difficult and extremely personal one. It is wrong to impose an even heavier burden on women who serve our country overseas. Every woman in the United States has a constitutionally-guaranteed right to choose whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. It is time for Congress to stop denying this right to women serving abroad. It is time for Congress to stop treating service women as second-class citizens. I urge the Senate to support the Murray-Snowe amendment and end this flagrant injustice under current law.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, first of all, I thank the Senator for offering this amendment. I am very hopeful that the Senate will adopt it. I strongly support this amendment, and I commend Senator Kerrey's leadership on this important issue of nuclear arms control. His proposal is a significant step in moving forward on the stalled process of nuclear arms reductions. Now more than ever, given the present climate of tension in the world, it is essential for the United States to reactivate arms control discussions with the Russians. It is also critical that we demonstrate to the international community our willingness to engage in continued nuclear arms reductions. This initiative offers us a major opportunity to break the current impasse that is preventing significant reductions in the stockpiles of nuclear arms. In addition, it can help to revitalize the START II debate in the Russian Duma, and move us toward greater cooperation on this critical global security issue. At the Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Military Readiness on January 5, I pressed senior military officials about spending priorities in the armed services, and questioned the need for maintaining strategic forces at the START I level. In response to my inquiries, the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. J.L. Johnson, agreed that he would prefer to reduce the number of Trident submarines from START I levels, and see some of the money currently used to maintain strategic forces at old levels reallocated to meet current and more critical needs. This amendment will give us the opportunity to do so in other parts of our strategic arsenal as well. As Senator Kerrey noted, history demonstrates the benefits of this kind of initiative in arms control, and the impact that can be made by a modest but significant gesture. In September 1991, President Bush ordered that 1,000 U.S. warheads scheduled for dismantling under START I be taken off alert, before that treaty was every ratified. This action resulted in a reciprocal response from President Gorbachev, who just one week later, designated thousands of Soviet nuclear warheads for dismantling and took several classes of strategic systems off alert. Three years after the Senate ratified START II, we still have not moved closer to the goals in that important treaty. Russia has yet to ratify this treaty, and a move by the United States toward meeting our START II goals may encourage the Russian Duma to take up its ratification, and move us closer to the creation of START III. This is an important time in our relationship with Russia. Earlier this year, we passed a bill calling for the creation of a National Missile Defense System, conditioned on an amended ABM treaty negotiated with Russia. The best way that we can more toward a new ABM treaty and work to improve global security is by demonstrating to our Russian allies that we are committed to arms control--and an effective way to demonstrate this commitment is by passing this amendment. Moving closer to implementation of START II will also provide significant savings for the American taxpayer. This amendment will open the door to savings in the cost of upkeep for many unnecessary weapons. In addition, the tritium in these weapons can be recycled, eliminating the need for production of new tritium and the associated production costs. This amendment is a constructive effort to breathe new life into the stalled arms control negotiations, move us closer to achieving the goals of START II, and send a strong signal to Russia and the international community about our commitment to these goals. It will strengthen our ability to cooperate with Russia to combat the growing threat of rogue nuclear states, and to build a more comprehensive global security system. Reducing our military stockpile, even to START II levels, will not impair our national security in any way. As Admiral Johnson explained to us last January, this amendment is in the best interest of the armed services, and it will help us to meet more critical readiness needs. I hope this amendment will be accepted. I commend the Senator for initiating it. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, so the floor managers may have the opportunity to have the consent request, would the Chair repeat the request?

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to be a sponsor of this important bill, and I commend Senator Mikulski for her leadership on this legislation to close the critical gaps in our imported food safety laws. Citizens deserve to know that the food they eat is safe and wholesome, regardless of its source. The United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world. Yet every year, millions of Americans become sick, and thousands die, from eating contaminated food. Billions of dollars a year in medical costs and lost productivity are caused by food-borne illnesses. Often, the source of the problem is imported food. We've heard recently about the thousands of cases of illness from Cyclospora in raspberries from Guatemala. But this high profile case is by no means the only case. In 1997, school children in five states contracted Hepatitis A from frozen strawberries served in the school cafeterias. Fecal contamination is a potential source of Hepatitis A, and the strawberries the children ate came from a farm in Mexico where workers had little access to sanitary facilities. Earlier this year, cases of typhoid fever in Florida were linked to a frozen tropical fruit product from Guatemala. Again, poor sanitary conditions appear to be at the root of the problem. Gastrointestinal illness has been linked to soft cheeses from Europe. Bacterial food poisoning has been attributed to canned mushrooms from the Far East. The emergence of highly virulent strains of bacteria, and an increase in the number of organisms that are resistant to antibiotics, make microbial contamination of food a major public health challenge. Ensuring the safety of imported food is a huge task. Americans now enjoy a wide variety of foods from around the world and have access to fresh fruits and vegetables year round. In 1997, the Food Safety Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture handled 118,000 entries of imported meat and poultry. The FDA handled far more-- 2.7 million entries of other imported food. Current FDA procedures and resources allowed for less than two percent of those 2.7 million imports to be physically inspected. Clearly, we need to do better. The authority of the FDA is not sufficient to prevent contaminated food imports from reaching our shores. The Agency has no legal authority to require that food imported into the United States is prepared, packed and stored under conditions that provide the same level of public health protection as similar food produced in the U.S. Under current procedures, the FDA takes random samples of imports as they arrive at the border. The imports often continue on their way to stores in all parts of the country while testing is being done, and it is often difficult to recall the food if a problem is found. Unscrupulous importers make the most of the loopholes in the law, including substituting cargo, falsifying laboratory results, and attempting to bring a refused shipment in again, at a later date or at a different port. The legislation we are introducing today will give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the additional authority needed to assure that food imports are as safe as food grown and prepared in this country. It will give the FDA greater authority to deal with outbreaks of food-borne illness and to bar further imports of dangerous foods until improvements at the source can guarantee the safety of future shipments. This authority covers foods that have repeatedly been associated with food-borne disease, have repeatedly been found to be adulterated, or have been linked to a catastrophic outbreak of food- borne illness. It will close loopholes in the law and give the FDA better tools to deal with unscrupulous importers. It will authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to target resources toward enhanced surveillance and prevention activities to deal with food-borne illnesses, including new diagnostic tests, better training of health professionals, and increased public awareness about food safety. Too many citizens today are at unnecessary risk of food-borne illness. The measure we are proposing is designed to reduce that risk as much as possible, both immediately and for the long term. We know that there are powerful special interests that put profits ahead of safety, but Americans need and deserve laws that better protect their food supply. This is essential legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to see that it is enacted as soon as possible.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to be a sponsor of this important bill, and I commend Senator Mikulski for her leadership on this legislation to close the critical gaps in our imported food safety laws. Citizens deserve to know that the food they eat is safe and wholesome, regardless of its source. The United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world. Yet every year, millions of Americans become sick, and thousands die, from eating contaminated food. Billions of dollars a year in medical costs and lost productivity are caused by food-borne illnesses. Often, the source of the problem is imported food. We've heard recently about the thousands of cases of illness from Cyclospora in raspberries from Guatemala. But this high profile case is by no means the only case. In 1997, school children in five states contracted Hepatitis A from frozen strawberries served in the school cafeterias. Fecal contamination is a potential source of Hepatitis A, and the strawberries the children ate came from a farm in Mexico where workers had little access to sanitary facilities. Earlier this year, cases of typhoid fever in Florida were linked to a frozen tropical fruit product from Guatemala. Again, poor sanitary conditions appear to be at the root of the problem. Gastrointestinal illness has been linked to soft cheeses from Europe. Bacterial food poisoning has been attributed to canned mushrooms from the Far East. The emergence of highly virulent strains of bacteria, and an increase in the number of organisms that are resistant to antibiotics, make microbial contamination of food a major public health challenge. Ensuring the safety of imported food is a huge task. Americans now enjoy a wide variety of foods from around the world and have access to fresh fruits and vegetables year round. In 1997, the Food Safety Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture handled 118,000 entries of imported meat and poultry. The FDA handled far more-- 2.7 million entries of other imported food. Current FDA procedures and resources allowed for less than two percent of those 2.7 million imports to be physically inspected. Clearly, we need to do better. The authority of the FDA is not sufficient to prevent contaminated food imports from reaching our shores. The Agency has no legal authority to require that food imported into the United States is prepared, packed and stored under conditions that provide the same level of public health protection as similar food produced in the U.S. Under current procedures, the FDA takes random samples of imports as they arrive at the border. The imports often continue on their way to stores in all parts of the country while testing is being done, and it is often difficult to recall the food if a problem is found. Unscrupulous importers make the most of the loopholes in the law, including substituting cargo, falsifying laboratory results, and attempting to bring a refused shipment in again, at a later date or at a different port. The legislation we are introducing today will give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the additional authority needed to assure that food imports are as safe as food grown and prepared in this country. It will give the FDA greater authority to deal with outbreaks of food-borne illness and to bar further imports of dangerous foods until improvements at the source can guarantee the safety of future shipments. This authority covers foods that have repeatedly been associated with food-borne disease, have repeatedly been found to be adulterated, or have been linked to a catastrophic outbreak of food- borne illness. It will close loopholes in the law and give the FDA better tools to deal with unscrupulous importers. It will authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to target resources toward enhanced surveillance and prevention activities to deal with food-borne illnesses, including new diagnostic tests, better training of health professionals, and increased public awareness about food safety. Too many citizens today are at unnecessary risk of food-borne illness. The measure we are proposing is designed to reduce that risk as much as possible, both immediately and for the long term. We know that there are powerful special interests that put profits ahead of safety, but Americans need and deserve laws that better protect their food supply. This is essential legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to see that it is enacted as soon as possible.