Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as this session of Congress comes to an end, I want to speak about my friend and colleague from the State of Minnesota, Senator Rod Grams. A former television news personality, Rod Grams, in his term in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, quickly established himself as a proponent of assistance to farmers and as an advocate for the establishment of a national nuclear waste repository. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has been an opponent of international agricultural sanctions and a strong supporter of vigorous foreign trade. He supported IMF funding, trade with China and review of the U.S.-Cuba relationship. He joined the bipartisan effort to enact strong brownfields cleanup legislation. Rod Grams earned a reputation as a strong supporter of tax relief, favoring elimination of the marriage penalty and other tax cut proposals. While Rod Grams and I have disagreed on a number of issues, I respect the commitment which he has brought to policy debate. Where we disagreed, I found Rod Grams to be a straight-talking and agreeable adversary. I wish him and his family well in the future.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and work of a truly remarkable American and long-time Detroit resident, Fred Gorospe. Born in 1902 in the Philippines, he pursued a dream to journey to America and become part of this great democracy. He overcame many obstacles as a young immigrant, and eventually was able to study mechanical engineering at Purdue University, becoming one of only three minorities hired into the engineering department of the Ford Motor Company not long after the Great Depression. He devoted himself to community and public service, and helped pave the way for many Filipino Americans like himself to assimilate into the mainstream of American life. Fred enjoyed a full life of 97 years and had the good fortune of having a loving wife, Helen, and a caring family that includes four sons and four daughters, and 10 grandchildren. He is well-remembered for his great sense of charity, and his unshakeable faith that people working together can make a difference. In his lifetime, Fred provided leadership to numerous organizations, including the Federation of Filipinos of Michigan, Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, Advisory Council of Wayne County Community College, Advisory Board and Board of Directors of Detroit Area Agency on Aging, Board of Directors of the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, President of Far Eastern Festival of Detroit, Steering Committee of Ethnic Festivals of Detroit, cofounder of Fil-Am Association, and member of the University of Michigan and American Assembly of Columbia University on Philippine-American Relations. Fred made a significant contribution to Detroit's culture, and helped to bridge understanding of and appreciation for diversity. He worked hard to advance equal opportunities for education and social and economic achievement, and promoted the American ideal of social justice. I would like to express my admiration for the life and accomplishments of Fred Gorospe. We can all benefit from his example of courage, perseverance and leadership. Fred has left an indelible mark on Detroit's history and its community. His family can be proud of his legacy. I know my Senate colleagues will join me in paying tribute to Fred Gorospe, and in congratulating his family on his exemplary and principled dedication to helping and enriching the lives of others.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as we conclude the 107th Congress, we will be saying goodbye to our colleague and friend, Senator John Ashcroft of Missouri. A former two-term Governor, John Ashcroft has earned a reputation in the Senate for his principled pursuit of conservative issues. He is also recognized as a strong proponent of the wide use of the internet by federal agencies as a way to make the government more responsive and accountable. As a leader in the term-limits movement, he carried out the innovative online petition drive. Senator Ashcroft served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Commerce and Judiciary Committees. He established himself as a leader among Republicans on a range of issues from term limits to tax reform and welfare reform. While in many instances I have found myself on the opposite side of issues from John, I have always respected his intellect, his integrity, his principled positions and his ability to disagree without being disagreeable. Since 1995, John Ashcroft and I have co-chaired the Senate Auto Caucus. In this capacity, we have worked together to provide Senators with up to date information on issues affecting the automotive industry and its employees. Through the Auto Caucus we organized informational briefings to give Senators and their staff and opportunity to better understand the auto industry's remarkable progress as well as the challenges it faces. The Caucus provides a forum for Senators to exchange ideas on issues affecting the industry such as transportation, environment, trade, technology and health care. Working together with Senator Ashcroft's, we were able to increase membership in the Auto Caucus from six Senators to twenty-eight. The Auto Caucus played a leadership role in pressing the Administration to negotiate market opening trade agreements with Japan and Korea in the automotive sector and continues to weigh in on and monitor those agreements. In addition, the Caucus hosts meetings between Senators and Automotive CEOs, provides timely briefings on US-Japan and US-Korea automotive trade negotiations, and encourages the Administration to fight to open markets to U.S. vehicles and auto parts. Last year, Senator Ashcroft and I worked together to urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to use an unbelted 25 mph barrier test instead of a 30 mph test to design air bags that will help better protect children, teenagers and small adults. Our work on this very complicated and controversial issue brought the Administration and Auto industry together to reach a result that will increase automobile safety. We also worked together to continue the moratorium on unfair and ineffective increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and worked toward a compromise in the Senate to ensure that a National Academy of Sciences study of the effectiveness and impacts of CAFE standards will include the effect of those standards on motor vehicle safety as well as discriminatory impacts of those standards on the U.S. auto industry. Also, we have worked together in the past to ensure that environmental regulations recognize and reinforce the voluntary environmental improvements and technological achievements of the automobile industry. Not only will John's contribution be missed in debate on the Senate floor, but his voice will be sorely missed, I suspect, by the ``Singing Senators'', the wonderful quartet in which he has joined with Senators Lott, Craig and Jeffords. My wife and family, join me in wishing the best in the years ahead for John, his loving wife (and co-author), Janet, and their family.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator Hatch, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to comment on a provision of the recently enacted omnibus children's health legislation (H.R. 4365; Public Law 106-310) that established a number of excellent children's health programs. The bill also included important new legislation, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act [DATA], which I authored along with Senator Hatch, working with our colleagues Senators Biden and Moynihan. It will make a revolutionary difference in the way in which we battle heroin and other opiate addiction.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when implemented, the DATA bill, as we call it, will change significantly the way opiate addiction is addressed by allowing qualified physicians, for the first time, to prescribe in their private offices, substances which block the craving for heroin and otherwise address this deadly addiction.

Mr. LEVIN. This clarification is important, both for the qualified physicians who wish to participate in this new approach to addiction treatment and for patients for whom a new treatment option may present a life-changing possibility. I know my colleague from Utah agrees that we want this legislation to work. An unauthorized and ill-advised attempt to regulate the practice of medicine, including the practice of prescribing anti-addiction medication, would make it unworkable.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it saddens me to note that the Senate will soon lose one of its most visionary and accomplished members, a great American, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. It boggles the mind just to think of all of the important positions that Pat Moynihan has held, including cabinet or subcabinet posts under four presidents: John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford. He served as Ambassador to India in the 1970's and then as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He came to the United States Senate in 1977 already a scholar, author and public official of great distinction and renown. In the 24 years he has spend here, he has only greatly expanded his enormous reputation and body of work. Pat Moynihan is a Senator's Senator. Over the years, he has earned the respect of every member of the Senate. Pat Moynihan is a person who has shown tremendous vision throughout his life. He has shown foresight about the importance of a strong family and about the importance of strong communities in America. He raised the critical important of these basic values and concerns about the deterioration of these family values, long before others. He has shown great foresight about our Constitution. One of the highlights for me in my service in the Senate was joining Senator Moynihan and Senator Robert Byrd in fighting against the line item veto as a violation of our Constitution. And, he has shown great foresight about the world and the role of the United States in international affairs. His work at the United Nations and in the Senate, as a former Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and as Chairman of the Finance Committee have been marked by his perceptive, analytical, and worldly view on trade, foreign policy, and intelligence matters. Long before others, Senator Moynihan was speaking of the economic and ultimately military weaknesses of the Soviet Union and predicting its collapse. It is virtually impossible to list all of Pat Moynihan's accomplishments in the U.S. Senate. Among the most lasting, however, will be his efforts on behalf of architectural excellence in the nation's capital. He was a crucial force behind the return to greatness of the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor between the U.S. Capital and the White House, the restoration of Washington's beautiful, elegant, and historic Union Station, and the construction of the Thurgood Marshall Judiciary Building here on Capitol Hill. The author or editor of eighteen books, Senator Moynihan has been at the forefront of the national debate on issues ranging from welfare reform, to tax policy to international relations. His most recent book, written in 1998, ``Secrecy: The American Experience'' expands on the report of the Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy of which he was the Chairman. This is a fascinating and provocative review of the history of the development of secrecy in the government since World War I and argument for an ``era of openness''. At home in New York, in a state which is known for its rough and tumble politics, he has shown leadership again and again, demonstrating the power of intellect and the ability to rise above the fray. That has been a wonderful contribution not just to New York but to all of America. As they leave the Senate family, which will never forget their huge contribution, we salute Pat and Elizabeth Moynihan.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the Senate adjourns Senator Bob Kerrey will be retiring from the Senate. Bob Kerrey served his beloved state of Nebraska as a highly popular and successful governor from 1982 to 1987. As governor, he was widely credited for his efforts to balance the budget and for educational and welfare reform. In 1988, he was elected to the Senate. But, Bob Kerrey established himself as a man of great courage and intellect long before he was elected governor or entered the U.S. Senate. He was an American hero long before he became a Senate hero. Now he's both. Time and time again, he earned his reputation as one of the most courageous members of this body by taking on the toughest issues around--from entitlements to health care, and speaking his mind no matter what. He took on sacred cows where others feared to act. He did so with tremendous dash and daring, with a wonderful youthfulness and enthusiasm. His speeches against amending the First Amendment of our Constitution relative to flag burning, for instance, have been speeches which I have often used as a resource back home to prove that the most courageous among us--those that have put their lives on the line for this country--also believe in its Constitution with great passion and believe we must not reduce its protections of our freedoms in response to the behavior of a few misguided or extreme individuals. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee, Bob has earned a reputation as a proponent of tax reform, Medicare and Social Security reform, and as a tireless advocate for the nations' farmers. The Senate will sorely miss Senator Bob Kerrey's wise and experienced voice on national security matters. And, I will deeply miss his presence, although I trust that we will see him often and that his new role at the New School University will not keep him from weighing in on public policy issues that so need his special touch. I have often thought, only half in jest, that Senator Kerrey should be awarded a second Congressional Medal of Honor for his many brave stands in the Senate to match the one he won in war. It has truly been a privilege to serve with Bob Kerrey and I will miss the noble passion and purpose he has brought to so many causes.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as this session of Congress ends, Senator Slade Gorton of Washington will leave the Senate. Senator Gorton has long been a leader among the Republicans and a thoughful voice in the Senate. Senator Gorton, a hard-worker, has served not only on the Senate Approriations Committee, where he chairs the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, but on the Budget Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Indian Affairs Committee. He has carried an impressive workload. In addition, Slade Gorton, a former Attorney General in the State of Washington, earned a reputation as a tough proponent of fighting violent crime, particularly international terrorism. While proud of his conservative credentials, Slade Gorton was often willing to reach across party lines to work with Democrats on issues like consumer affairs and an increase in the minimum wage . I admired Slade Gorton's work along with Senator Joe Lieberman to fashion a sensible, balanced and expeditious way to consider the impeachment resolution sent to the Senate by the House of Representatives in 1998. While the plan was ultimately not adopted by the Senate, the careful and judicious effort to put such a plan forward reflected Slade's commitment to the dignity of the United States Senate. As this year winds to an end, I know that I am joined by my colleagues in the Senate in wishing Slade Gorton and his wife, Sally, their three children and seven grandchildren, the very best in the years ahead.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to pay tribute today to a colleague and good friend who will be leaving the Senate when the 106th Congress adjourns sine die, Connie Mack, the junior senator from Florida. I have served with Connie Mack on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where, on the important issues of national security it considers, he can be counted upon to set partisanship aside, roll up his sleeves and get to work. In the United States Senate we are called upon to work with colleagues of many differing points of view. While Connie Mack has served as a key member of the Republican leadership as Republican Conference Chairman, and he and I often disagree on the issues before the Senate, it has always been a pleasure to deal with him. Always an able advocate for his point of view, he is a willing listener, open to compromise and when an opponent, always gracious, reasonable and fair. Connie Mack has made a name for himself in the Senate on public housing and health care issues, particularly his efforts to make FDA- approved drugs available for other uses, especially in the fight against cancer. He and his wife, Priscilla, both cancer survivors, have been inspirational in their dedication to delivering the message to all Americans that early detection of cancer is a life-saver. Connie Mack and I have shared a special bond, one of those inside jokes which create strong personal ties. Whenever I hear of someone making a great speech, I shall smile inwardly, think of Connie and miss his warm smile and the kind word he has for all of his Senate colleagues. I hope that in the years ahead, Connie and Priscilla will visit often.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues in bidding good wishes and God speed to Senator William Roth, the distinguished senior senator of Delaware. I have served with Senator Roth for most of my career on the Governmental Affairs Committee. For a significant period of that time, Senator Roth chaired that committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Senator Roth proved an able and dedicated advocate of government reform, guiding our committee through oversight hearings and investigations into how our Federal programs were or were not working. He also spearheaded a number of key efforts--many of which were successful--to change our laws to reduce opportunities for waste, fraud and abuse. When I sat in my seat on the dais of the Governmental Affairs Committee, I often heard Senator Roth argue passionately and convincingly for the enhancement of the M, or management responsibilities, in OMB, the Office of Management and Budget. As much as anyone in this body, Senator Roth truly cared about the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs. He has my deep respect and the gratitude of all of us for his efforts in this area. In addition, Senator Roth distinguished himself as a gentleman in a chamber that has sometimes lost its gentlemanly manner. Senator Roth could be tough, there's no doubt about that, on issues about which he cared, as well he should be, but he was always civil. We will miss his gentlemanly ways and his guiding hand on the important but not-always-so-visible issues of government management. I wish him well and hope he enjoys an active but less hectic life which he so clearly deserves.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the 106th Congress adjourns, we will lose my colleague from Michigan, Senator Spencer Abraham. I want to pay tribute to Spence Abraham today. Although we have divergent voting records on many national issues, when the interests of Michigan were at stake, we were usually able to work together on behalf of our constituents. We and our staffs have joined forces on efforts to bring federal resources to Michigan for our highways and transportation, to address agricultural emergencies, economic development, airport modernization, the need for infrastructure to protect the environment, particular issues affecting the health of the Great Lakes and a broad array of other projects. Spence Abraham served on the Senate Judiciary, Commerce, and Budget Committees. In addition, we served together for the past six years on the Small Business Committee where we worked together to support increased funding for the Women's Business Centers program which helps entrepreneurs start and maintain successful businesses. There are three Centers in Michigan: the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development, CEED, which houses the Women's Initiative for Self- Employment, WISE, in Ann Arbor, the Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, GROW, in Grand Rapids, and The Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute, Inc, DEO. During this session of Congress, Spence and I worked together to get $2 million added to the Interior Appropriations bill to fund a settlement between Michigan Indian tribes, the State of Michigan and the federal government concerning fishing rights and, among other things, the removal of tribal gill nets from the Great Lakes. At our urging, the FY 2001 Interior Appropriations Bill also contained report language that directed the Bureau of Indian Affairs to include the ``Great Lakes Fisheries Settlement agreement in its fiscal year 2002 budget request.'' This amount should be $6.25 million for FY 2002. We also successfully worked to continue the moratorium on unfair and ineffective increases in CAFE standards and worked out a compromise in the Senate to ensure that a National Academy of Sciences study of the effectiveness and impacts of CAFE standards will include the effect of those standards on motor vehicle safety as well as discriminatory impacts of those standards on the U.S. auto industry. Also, since Spence served as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, we worked together on amending Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to ensure that Michiganders do not face major traffic delays at the Canadian border. The Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management Improvement Act of 2000, which Spence Abraham introduced and I cosponsored, replaced the burdensome requirements of Section 110 with a more manageable approach of collecting data, one that would not result in border tie-ups or cause financial strain to Michigan jobs, exports, and tourism. We worked together on behalf of Michigan veterans. Within the past year, our staffs met with local officials to forge a successful cooperative effort to secure additional funding in Fiscal Year 2001 for the planning and construction of a national cemetery in the Detroit Metropolitan area. Approximately 927,000 veterans live in Michigan, 605,000 of whom reside in the Detroit metropolitan area and a national cemetery here is long overdue. In his six years in the Senate, Spence Abraham earned a reputation as a vigorous, perceptive and hard-working Member. He proudly holds the second longest record of consecutive votes cast among current Senators, having missed no votes in his term. He authored a number of pieces of legislation, but I suspect none more important to him than the Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 2000 named, in part, for Samantha Reid, a Rockwood, Michigan teenager who died after drinking a soft drink she didn't know had been lace with a substance called GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid). The Abraham law amended the Controlled Substances Act of 1998 to add GHB, known as the ``date rape drug'' to the list of Schedule One controlled substances. Mr. President, as we note the contribution of Spence Abraham to our work, my wife Barbara and I wish him, his wife Jane, their twin daugthers, Julie and Betsy, and their son Spencer Robert well as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the 106th Congress finally adjourns sine die in the next several days, it will mark the end of the Senate service of one of this body's most thoughtful and respected members, Senator Richard Bryan. Dick Bryan came to the Senate having already distinguished himself as a popular attorney general for four years and governor for six years in Nevada. In his two terms in the Senate, Dick has fought for the protection of American consumers. His successful legislative battles include the requirement that automobiles sold in the U.S. be equipped with air bags, fair credit reporting and toy labeling legislation. He has been a pioneer in the area of internet privacy protection legislation, including his bill, the Childrens' Online Privacy Protection Act, which passed last year by the Senate. Dick Bryan has earned a reputation as a tenacious defender of the interests of the people of Nevada. Whether attempting to block the storage of federal waste at Yucca Mountain, attempting to ban internet gambling, or fighting for federal projects in Nevada, Dick Bryan has time and again been a formidable advocate for his constituents. Dick Bryan has also been a strong voice in the Senate for fiscal responsibility. A critic of excessive ``pork-barrel'' spending and wasteful programs, he help lead the fight back to a balanced federal budget. I have served with Dick on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on which he now serves as Vice-Chairman. On that Committee, Dick has led the minority while steadfastly working toward a bipartisan approach to the Committee's critical oversight of the nation's intelligence community. Mr. President, I know I speak not only for my wife, Barbara and myself, but for all of us in the Senate family, when I say that we will profoundly miss Dick and Bonnie Bryan. We wish them, their three children and three grandchildren a healthy and happy future. It was Dick's love of family and his desire for quality time with them and his desire for quality time in his beloved Nevada which takes him from us. While there will be a big hole in our Senate family with his departure, we admire his reasons for leaving, just as we admire and celebrate his contributions to the well being of our nation.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to pay tribute today to a retiring colleague, my friend, Senator Frank Lautenberg. I have served with Frank Lautenberg in the Senate for the past eighteen years and watched him grow from a man of great accomplishment and success in the private sector to a highly effective and admired public servant. Frank has left his mark of distinction on our nation's laws in a number of areas reflecting his broad interests and expertise. He has served as the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, leading the Democrats in our efforts to fashion a federal budget which meets our nation's priorities while working to pay down the national debt. In addition, Frank is a leader on transportation policy, gun safety, and environmental issues among others. Frank Lautenberg was the author of legislation which banned smoking America's airlines, a wise action which all of us who fly appreciate more and more each year as we learn about the effects of recirculated cigarette smoke. He wrote the bill which established the age of 21 as the national legal drinking age, an action clearly responsible for the saving of many American lives. And, he passed legislation to prohibit anyone convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun. Senator Lautenberg, also led efforts in the Senate culminating in passage of the transportation bill and as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee's Transportation Subcommittee, he has fought many battles for sound investment in the nations' highways and as a particular friend of mass transportation. As the Ranking Democrat on the Senate's Budget Committee, Senator Lautenberg has been a consistent voice in support of a balance budget, paying down the national debt, and investing in America's future. He coauthored the historic Balance Budget Agreement of 1997. Frank Lautenberg has served in the Senate since 1982. He is a friend and ally in many legislative battles whom I will miss deeply in the years ahead. However, Frank is a man of tremendous energy and vision. That energy and vision will continue to serve our nation because Frank Lautenberg's love of this nation is so deep and abiding that as long as he has breath he will be advancing its ideals.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my colleague on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, Senator Chuck Robb. As his career in the Senate comes to a close, Senator Robb leaves behind a career in public service that he and the Virginians he served so well should be proud of. Chuck Robb has served his nation as a United States Marine, as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for the last twelve years as a member of the United States Senate. Chuck Robb has been a public servant in the truest sense. He has always put the nation's interest first, and self-interest last. During the twelve years I have served with Senator Robb on the Armed Services Committee, he has proven himself to be a champion of a strong national defense, of the men and women who wear our nation's uniform, and of his fellow veterans. On the Armed Services Committee, he has been first and foremost a devoted advocate of a strong Navy-Marine Corps team. While Senator Robb has never been one to tout his own accomplishments, his pride in and love for the United States Marine Corps is one thing he has never been able to hide. Senator Robb has worked hard on military readiness, quality of life, and modernization. He sponsored the targeted recruiting and retention bonuses Congress enacted last year for critical skills where they would have the most payoff for the military. He was a leader in providing promised health care benefits to military retirees. He has worked hard to get the Navy to develop a long term plan to fund enough ships to maintain the Navy we need for the future, and on securing additional funds to keep the ships we have today ready. And he has been a leading proponent of making our defense budget as efficient as possible and has pushed the Defense Department to rigorously examine both their strategy and their organization. Chuck Robb has devoted enormous time and energy to America's national security. He is the only Senator ever to serve on the Armed Services, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committees simultaneously. On countless occasions we have benefitted from having his voice of reason and experience at the table. Chuck Robb has never forgotten America's POWs and MIAs and their families. Both as a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on POW/MIA affairs, he has devoted himself to a full accounting for our soldiers who are still missing in action. While Senator Robb is best known as a champion of a strong national defense, he has been much more than that. During his Senate career he has worked hard to make America stronger in every way. Senator Robb has devoted himself to making the United States a more productive nation and, more importantly, a more just nation. Both as Governor and as a Senator, Chuck Robb has been a strong voice for protecting the environment, for civil rights, for improving education for both students and teachers, and for putting new technology to work for our students, our military, and our nation. Chuck Robb has been a leader in fighting discrimination against African American farmers, in expanding opportunities for women and minorities at both the federal and state government levels, and in honoring courageous civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr. He is also renowned for his steadfast devotion to fiscal discipline. Chuck Robb has never been afraid to cast an unpopular vote to restrain spending or reject unwise or unaffordable tax cuts. Senator Robb was steadfast in his belief that we have an obligation to pay for the programs we enact rather than passing the costs on to our children. I hope he will take pride in he role he played during his twelve years in the Senate in turning record deficits into a record surplus. He displayed that same political courage on the Armed Services Committee. Representing a state with numerous military installations, Senator Robb has nevertheless joined with Senator McCain and me in our efforts to allow the Defense Department to close excess military bases, because he knows it is the sensible thing to do. In his four years as the Ranking Minority Member on the Readiness Subcommittee he has also been a strong advocate of our committee's policy of only funding those military construction projects that have the highest priority in the military's plans, even though that required him sometimes to say ``no'' to his colleagues. I shall miss Chuck Robb more than these words will be able to express. He has personally inspired and supported me as ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He's the kind of man you entrust your children to, or in combat would want to be in a fox hole with. The Senate and the Nation have benefitted from the example of public service he has set. He now has the chance to spend more time with his truly remarkable wife Lynda and their beloved children. We know how much that will mean to him as he takes on the next challenge in his remarkable career of public service.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, there is a company in my home State of Michigan which is to be commended for its efforts to reduce gun injuries and deaths. Last month, Meijer Stores paired up with a coalition of law enforcement officials to implement a firearm buyback program in selected counties in Michigan. The firearm buyback program, called ``Project Homesafe,'' allows gun owners to receive a $50 Meijer cash card in exchange for every functioning firearm. Meijer Stores donated $100,000 worth of these cash cards to promote the disposal of unwanted guns. Guns turned in under this program are expected to be destroyed. Mr. President, Project Homesafe is a constructive enterprise and the kind of public-private partnership needed to promote safety in Michigan homes and communities. I applaud the initiative of Meijer Stores as well as Attorney General Jennifer Granholm, the Michigan Sheriffs' Association, Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth, and Kent County Sheriff James Dougan, all of whom were instrumental in implementing Project Homesafe.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to three outstanding people from my home state of Michigan. On December 10, 2000, Dr. Charles G. Adams, Heaster Wheeler and Wendy Wagenheim are being recognized for their outstanding leadership in this year's ``All Kids First'' campaign initiative. Dr. Charles G. Adams has served as Pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, since 1969, and is one of Detroit's pre-eminent religious and civil rights leaders. Because of his eloquence and command of the issues, he is highly sought after as a speaker on issues of faith and social justice. He served as Co-Chair of the All Kids First initiative, participating in televised debates and helped to lead the effort among his colleagues in the religious community and the community at large. Finally, I would like to add a heartfelt ``Happy Birthday'' to Dr. Adams, who will be celebrating his 64th birthday on December 13, 2000. Heaster Wheeler is the Executive Director of the Detroit Branch NAACP, the largest NAACP chapter in the United States. Wendy Wagenheim serves as Legislative Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. Their combined experience in government, community service and public relations was invaluable in the All Kids First initiative. Together, Mr. Wheeler and Ms. Wagenheim participated in more than 45 debates about Proposal 1 throughout the state of Michigan. Their efforts were instrumental in defeating the proposal and in ensuring that all of Michigan's public schools will have adequate resources to educate our children. Mr. President, I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Dr. Charles Adams, Heaster Wheeler and Wendy Wagenheim as they are honored for their leadership of Michigan's All Kids First initiative, and in encouraging them to keep fighting on behalf of Michigan's children and to improve Michigan's public schools.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, earlier in the year, when the Bankruptcy Reform bill was before the Senate, I voted in favor of the bill. I said at the time that ``over the course of debate, the Senate adopted more than 40 amendments, making this a more reasonable approach to bankruptcy reform.'' However, I also said that ``should this legislation come back from conference . . . without the modest amendments we adopted in the Senate, I will consider opposing the bill at that time.'' The bill before us is one I cannot support. The negotiators who worked out the differences between the Senate and House passed versions of the bill, deleted or weakened many of the provisions that were key components of the Senate-passed bankruptcy reform bill. Both of the amendments that I sponsored were deleted from the final version of the bill. One of those amendments simply required a study to determine if credit card companies use residences or zip codes to determine credit worthiness. The other amendment I sponsored would have prohibited credit card companies from applying interest charges on the paid portion of a balance during a so-called grace period. Another provision that was deleted was Senator Schumer's amendment, which passed by an enormous margin in the Senate. The Schumer Amendment would have ensured that perpetrators of clinic violence, who incurred debt as a result of unlawful acts, could not discharge that debt in bankruptcy proceedings. I am also concerned that the Senate-passed proposal to curb debtor abuse by closing the homestead loophole was weakened in conference. The homestead loophole permits debtors in certain states to shield luxurious homes, while shedding thousands of dollars of debt in bankruptcy. The Senate passed an amendment to create a $100,000 nationwide cap on the homestead exemption, thus closing the loophole. The conference report still allows for such abuse of the system so long as the expensive home was purchased two years in advance of the bankruptcy filing. This provision allows sophisticated debtors with the resources to plan ahead for bankruptcy to game the system. Furthermore, I am disappointed with the unusual legislative process the majority used to file this conference report. The bill before us today, H.R. 2415, was originally introduced as the American Embassy Security Act. Last August, when the Senate passed this legislation and requested a conference with the House, it dealt with State Department and international security matters. More than a year later, the House appointed conferees, stripped the international security provisions from the bill and replaced them with a version of a bankruptcy reform bill. That is the wrong way to legislate. Mr. President, I believe that bankruptcy reform could have been resolved in a fair and bipartisan way. Unfortunately, it was not handled in this way and so I cannot lend my support to the bill.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on Thursday, November 16, 2000, the people of Michigan, will pay tribute to Mr. Woodrow W. Woody, president and owner of the longest running car dealership in the Nation--Woody Pontiac Sales, Inc. Mr. Woody, who continued active participation in the business, until he was 92 years old in June 2000, when he officially closed the Pontiac dealership he opened in the city of Hamtramck, MI in 1940. Mr. Woody has come to be known as the pillar of his industry. In 1966, his dealership hit its peak year with the sale of 2,200 cars. Revered by his peers and the people of Michigan, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Over the 60-year operation of his dealership, Woody, as he is called by friends and family, estimates that he sold over 100,000 Pontiacs, one of General Motors' leading products. He says his success is due to his genuine love of life and people. This immigrant from Lebanon, embodies the ultimate success story of the American dream. Much of why he is being honored is because of his dedication and loyalty to the citizens of the city of Hamtramck and his beloved Lebanon. When the economy recessed and auto sales reflected a downturn, Woody never considered moving his dealership from the community that supported him through prosperous times. Hailed for his philanthropic activities, he spearheaded a drive to build a new facility for the Hamtramck Public Library. In addition, he has worked with Junior Achievement and the Rotary Club for more than 50 years accomplishing projects which support community growth. Woody has also been just as committed to the people of his homeland, where he has built a school and medical clinic. Although Woody promises to continue his work in the community, interacting with various civic and fraternal organizations for the good of the community, the industry has lost its senior statesman and he will be sorely missed. We all wish Woody continued health, happiness and prosperity in the years ahead. I am sure my colleagues join me in the celebration of the life of Mr. Woodrow W. Woody, extending to him the good will and wishes of the Senate.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it has been over a year since the Columbine tragedy, but still this Congress refuses to act on sensible gun legislation. Since Columbine, thousands of Americans have been killed by gunfire. Last Tuesday, on Election Day, voters in Colorado and Oregon fed up with such violence voted overwhelmingly to close the gun-show loophole, which extends background checks to all prospective purchasers of firearms at gun shows. Voters in those states recognized the need to pass responsible gun laws that can keep our schools and streets safe. Now, Congress should follow their lead. Until Congress acts, those of us in the Senate who are committed to enacting responsible gun laws, will read the names of a number of those who have lost their lives to gun violence in the past year. The following are the names of some of the people who were killed by gunfire one year ago today. November 14, 1999 Kenneth Jeffcoat, 18, Washington, DC; George Jones, 20, Washington, DC; Derrick Rogers, 43, Detroit, MI; Andrian Thomas, 23, Detroit, MI; Unidentified male, 25, Long Beach, CA; Unidentified male, 20, Norfolk, VA; and Unidentified male, San Francisco, CA. Following are the names of some of the people who were killed by gunfire one year ago on November 2, 1999, the last day the Senate was in session. November 2, 1999 Robert Lee Covington, 51, Memphis, TN; Carey Jackson, 34, Fort Worth, TX; Eddie Kennedy, 28, Atlanta, GA; Victor Killebrew, 36, St. Louis, MO; Dwayne Lemon, 36, Chicago, IL; Douglas Pendleton, 30, Chicago, IL; Joseph Slater, 19, Kansas City, MO; Angel Walker, 20, St. Louis, MO; Charles Watts, 19, Philadelphia, PA; Unidentified female, San Francisco, CA; Unidentified male, 40, Honolulu, HI; Unidentified male, 30, Honolulu, HI; Unidentified male, 58, Honolulu, HI; Unidentified male, 54, Honolulu, HI; Unidentified male, 46, Honolulu, HI; Unidentified male, 36, Honolulu, HI; and Unidentified male, 36, Honolulu, HI. The deaths of these people are a reminder to all of us that Congress must enact sensible gun legislation now.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Would the chairman and ranking member also concur that it is not the intent of this provision to pre-empt the need for future appropriate congressional actions in this area?

Mr. LEVIN. I also wish to thank my colleague from Michigan for joining in the effort to clarify the intent of this provision. I still have reservations as to whether this provision represents the best approach to addressing the issue of water diversion and export which faces the Great Lakes region today, but these clarifications of the intent of the provision relieve some of my concern.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Water Resources Development Act addresses many of the water resource needs of our nation. But it also includes a provision relating to the export of water from the Great Lakes which needs some clarification. Would the distinguished chairman and ranking member be willing to join Senator Abraham and myself to clarify a few points about this language?

Mr. LEVIN. First, we need to make it clear that the phrase ``and implementation'' in the findings of subsection(a) does not constitute a ``pre-approval'' of standards which are being developed by the Governors of the Great Lakes States. Would the chairman and ranking member concur that it is not the intent of this provision to grant pre- approval to standards which we have not seen?

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, last week I submitted a list of some of the high profile shootings that took place over the past two years and the casualties that occurred as a result. That list was long, far too long. The number of shootings, in schools and public places, have claimed the lives of too many Americans, especially our young people. I believe all of us want to know why children in the United States seem more vulnerable to gun violence than children in other industrialized nations? Some would argue that it is because American children are watching movies and television programs that are disturbingly violent. Some say that our children are lacking in religious influences. Certainly, these may be factors, and we should do everything we can to steer our kids in the right direction, but if we are going to protect children's lives, we must first and foremost limit our children's access to guns. I have repeatedly made the point that Canadian children, who play the same video games and watch the same movies are much safer than their American counterparts. The reason-- Canadian laws successfully limit minors' access to firearms while American laws do not. How else can one explain that during the year 1999 in Detroit, Michigan there were 337 homicides committed with firearms (Source: Michigan State Police). For the same year, in Windsor, Ontario, a city less than half a mile away from Detroit, there was just a single firearm homicide (Source: Windsor Police Services). In one year, 337 firearm homicides in Detroit versus one in Windsor, even though the children in these cities often listen to the same radio stations and watch the exact same television programs. That is a shocking statistic, one that should jolt this Congress to action. Unfortunately, to my great disappointment, this Congress will adjourn without doing a single thing to protect our children from gun violence in Detroit or anywhere else in America.