Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is outrageous that another Congress has passed without the enactment of legislation which would resolve the problem of the interstate transportation of solid waste. The people should not be dumped on any longer. They should have some control over their own jurisdictions and over their own land. It is up to us to give them that authority. I just heard that Toronto Canada is thinking about sending its waste to Michigan and the people of Michigan have nothing to say about it. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that, under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, unless Congress acts, states and municipalities are powerless to stop trash from being brought into their jurisdictions-- powerless to protect their citizens' safety, the environment and their quality of life. So our states and municipalities rely on us to pass this protective legislation, and we let them down--again. The Senate has expressed its will on this issue over and over again--A majority of Senators support this legislation. We passed it by an overwhelming vote of 94-6. But the House has not acted. There are a few people over there who oppose it who have managed to displace the will of what appears to be a clear majority of House Members. What will it take? The problem is getting worse. Total interstate waste shipments continue to rise and there is a finite amount of landfill capacity available. Michigan, my State, imports over 12 percent of all of the solid waste it disposes of in landfills. Michigan counties and townships have plans for waste disposal. They have invested in it. They have made significant commitments to waste reduction and recycling. They have spent a lot of money on these investments to dispose of their waste locally. Those plans and those good faith investments are totally undermined when contracts to bring in waste from other states and countries are entered into without consideration by State, county, or local governments of the impact of those contracts for importing waste into those areas. When you import waste in that way, without consideration of plans, and without consideration of the efforts that local governments have made to dispose of their own waste, it totally disrupts those efforts and those expenditures. It is not right. States and local governments have a right to do that planning and to make those investments in order to dispose of their own waste and, should they see fit, not to see their own plans displaced by the import of waste from other places. I want to commend all the Senators who have been involved in this effort for so many years. Our previous vote of 96 to 4 shows that this truly is a bipartisan effort and it will continue to be. Our States are counting on us to give them the authority to protect their citizens and the environment. I can assure you that, when Congress returns in January, I will be ready to fight this battle again until we pass legislation to prevent our states from being dumping grounds.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the 106th Congress is about to adjourn without passing critical legislation to reduce the level of gun violence in this country. Over the last years, the American people have been demanding that their schools, places of worship, and other public places be better protected from gun violence. Congress had an opportunity to address the gun violence problem in our country by passing sensible gun laws that would help ensure that young people or those with criminal backgrounds do not illegally gain access to firearms. In the end, Congress failed the American people. It is very disappointing that Congress refused to act on the issue of gun violence. Too many senseless shootings have put our sense of safety in jeopardy. Here are just some of the high profile shootings that took place during this session of Congress, and the casualties that occurred as a result. In the year 1999: January 14, an office building, Salt Lake City, Utah, one dead, one injured; March 18, a law office, Johnson City, Tennessee, two dead; April 15, a library, Salt Lake City, Utah, three dead, four injured; April 20, a high school, Littleton, Colorado, 15 dead, 23 injured; May 20, a high school, Conyers, Georgia, six injured; June 3, a grocery store, Las Vegas, Nevada, four dead; June 11, a psychiatrist's office, Southfield, Michigan, three dead, four injured; July 4, multiple locations, Illinois and Indiana, three dead, nine injured; July 29, two day trading firms, Atlanta, Georgia, 13 dead, 13 injured; August 5, two office buildings, Pelham, Alabama, three dead; August 10, a Jewish Community Center, Los Angeles, California, five injured, and later in the same day, one dead; September 14, a hospital, Anaheim, California, three dead; September 15, a church, Fort Worth, Texas, eight dead, seven injured; November 2 an office building, Honolulu, Hawaii, seven dead; November 3, a shipyard, Seattle, Washington, two dead, two injured; December 6, a middle school, Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, four injured; and December 30, a hotel, Tampa, Florida, five killed, three injured. In the year 2000: January 23, a Sikh temple, El Sobrante, California, one dead, one injured; February 14, a sandwich shop, Littleton, Colorado, two dead; February 29, an elementary school, Flint, Michigan, one dead; March 1, several locations, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, three dead, two injured; March 8, the scene of a fire, Memphis, Tennessee, four dead, two injured; March 10, a high school dance, Savannah, Georgia, two dead, one injured; March 24, a State office building, Effingham, Illinois, two dead; April 18, a seniors home, Lincoln Park, Michigan, two dead, one injured; April 24, a zoo, Washington, D.C., seven injured; April 28, several locations, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, five killed, one injured; April 28, a restaurant and hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, two dead, three injured; May 11, a middle school, Prairie Grove, Arkansas, two injured; May 17, a ball park, Ozark, Alabama, two dead, one injured; May 26, a middle school, Lake Worth, Florida, one dead; June 25, a basketball court, Chicago, Illinois, seven injured; August 28, a professor's office, Fayetteville, Arkansas, two dead; September 7, a sewage lagoon, Bunker, Missouri, two dead, two injured; September 24, a high school, outside Seattle, Washington, one injured; September 26, a middle school, New Orleans Louisiana, two injured; October 20, a courthouse, Yreka, California, one dead, two injured; and October 23, a pizzeria in New Baltimore, Michigan, one dead. Gun violence is a critical issue that the majority of Americans care about deeply. The will of the majority can be frustrated in the short run, but not in the long run. This issue will not go away. If this Congress will not pass legislation addressing gun violence in America, I am confident that another Congress will, and I will continue to work toward that objective.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am delighted to rise today to acknowledge a lawyer, from my home State of Michigan, of great intellectual capacity and a passion for justice, Boaz Siegel, who dedicated his life to fighting for working men and women. On October 20th of this year, hundreds of people will gather for the dedication of the new headquarters for the Pipefitters, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Service Local 636. This dedication will also serve as a tribute to Mr. Siegel, and will culminate in his being made an honorary member of Local 636. Boaz Siegel has dedicated his academic and professional life to studying, teaching and practicing the laws that affect the well-being of all workers. Believing that the law could be a noble profession dedicated to the public good, he enrolled in the Wayne State University Law School. While in law school he balanced the responsibilities of family, work and pursuing numerous social causes. He excelled in his law studies at Wayne State University, and received his Juris Doctorate in 1941. Upon graduating law school, Boaz's plans to enter private practice were delayed as he was asked to work in the Wayne State Law Library. This quickly led to a teaching position at the law school where he taught from 1941 through 1972. During this time, he briefly left to join Samuel Schwartz and Rolland O'Hare in a private practice that my brother, Sander Levin, joined shortly after its inception. After a year in practice, Boaz returned to teaching and was made assistant to the provost and a full professor at Wayne State University Law School. Although passionate about teaching, Boaz Siegel's first love remained labor law. While teaching at Wayne State in the 1950s, he served as legal counsel to the trustees of fringe benefit, pension and health funds. One such fund, the Detroit and Vicinity Construction Workers Health and Welfare Fund, possessed 45,000 participants. In 1962, he was appointed by the United States Secretary of Labor to a position on the first U.S. Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Plans. Two years later, his considerable talents as an arbitrator were acknowledged when he became a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. However, it was his fund work that consumed most of his time, and led him to leave teaching and enter law practice full-time in 1972. His work with many unions, including Local 636, has ensured a better future for thousands of workers and their families. Boaz Siegel can take pride in his long and honorable service to the working people of Michigan. I am honored to call this man a mentor, colleague and friend. I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in saluting Boaz Siegel for his commitment to working men and women, the labor movement and teaching and practicing law.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on Tuesday, thousands of young people observed the Fifth Annual Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence. Students across the country who participated in the day's activities were given the chance to make a strong statement renouncing the violent use of guns by signing a voluntary pledge. In my own State of Michigan, high school senior Vince Villegas of Lansing worked to ensure that the anti-gun violence pledges were distributed to students in his own school district. Vince is the co- founder and current president of Students Against Firearm Endangerment, SAFE, USA, an organization whose mission is to reduce the number of gun casualties by increasing gun education in America's schools. With help from students like Vince, more than one million young people have signed the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence during this year alone. Here is what that pledge says: ``I will never bring a gun to school; I will never use a gun to settle a dispute; I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes. My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference. Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.'' Vince and students like him around the country have pledged to do what they can to reduce the toll of gun violence in their lives. Now it's up to Congress to learn from our young people and pledge to combat the gun violence that plagues the Nation's schools and communities.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, we have before the Senate the fiscal year 2001 Agriculture Appropriations conference report (H.R. 4461). Included in this bill is funding which will, among other things, assist our Nation's farmers, aid rural development, preserve delicate ecosystems and provide food assistance to our Nation's most needy individuals. However, I am concerned about several recent reports conducted by the USDA's Office of Inspector General, and a report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) that criticizes the ability of USDA's Office of Civil Rights to process and resolve civil rights cases in a timely fashion. I recognize that Secretary Glickman has done much to remedy the civil rights problems he inherited when he became Secretary, and I encourage him to continue these efforts.

Mr. LEVIN. Both the distinguished Senator from New Jersey and myself have constituents who have encountered significant delays from USDA in addressing their civil rights cases. We want to do all we can to be certain that, when applicable, the Secretary of Agriculture will ensure the Department's participation in an independent and neutral ADR process as expeditiously as possible.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the achievements of an accomplished businessman, distinguished public servant and committed philanthropist from my home state of Michigan, Ambassador David B. Hermelin. On October 22 of this year, the ORT Hermelin College of Engineering will be dedicated in Netanya, Israel. This dedication is a fitting tribute for a man, who along with his wife Doreen, has committed himself to his family, nation and charitable endeavors throughout the world. Through hard work and an unwavering commitment to the public good, David's work has made an indelible mark upon countless individuals. His keen intellect, business acumen and heart for others has led him to pursue a wide array of business and charitable efforts in the United States and abroad. David has been deeply involved with the World ORT, having served as the President of American ORT. Founded in response to a famine in Russia in the late 1860s, ORT is a private, non-profit organization that addresses the educational and technical training needs of workers, providing them with the training and self-sufficiency needed to build a meaningful existence. To achieve this goal, ORT builds schools and develops a curriculum that provides students with vital technical skills. ORT has facilities in nearly 60 nations. This year, over 200,000 students are enrolled in ORT programs. The mission of American ORT is to raise funding necessary to support the efforts of World ORT and administer domestic ORT programs. During David's tenure as President of this organization, American ORT increased its involvement in the mission of World ORT, and strengthened its ties with the larger Jewish community. These strengthened ties were evidenced by the fact that the 1999 General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities of North America was the second consecutive General Assembly sponsored by ORT. American ORT administers two post-secondary training institutes and one college in the United States. These three institutions serve 5,000 individuals annually, many from the former Soviet Union and Newly Independent States (NIS), by providing them with technical training, English language assistance and career development skills. David has been involved in many other charitable endeavors as an administrator, contributor and fundraiser. He has served on the Board of Directors for many community and national organizations including the Meyer L. Prentis Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a businessman, David has worked as a real estate developer, venture capitalist and manager of many interests. Currently, he is the co-owner of two of the largest entertainment facilities in the state of Michigan--the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons, and the Pine Knob Entertainment Centers. In addition, he sits on the board of several companies including Arbor Drugs Inc., Arena Associates, Village Green Management Company and First America Bank Corporation--Detroit. In December 1997, President Clinton recognized David's commitment to public service, and appointed him to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Norway. So extraordinary was his service in this capacity that the Norweigian people awarded him the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, which is equivalent to being knighted. David Hermelin has been a community leader for over forty years. As a fellow native of Detroit, Michigan, I have known David for over half of a century. I am pleased to call him an inspiration, a peer and a friend. I am sure that my Senate colleagues will join me in offering my congratulations to David Hermelin for the dedication of the ORT Hermelin College of Engineering, and in wishing him well in the years ahead.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, before the Senate passes the miscellaneous tariff bill, I would like to bring attention to a provision in the bill that would grant permanent normal trade relations, PNTR to the Republic of Georgia. In general, I support the proposition that the time is ripe for Georgia to receive PNTR. However, I also think we should recognize that the Republic of Georgia has demonstrated enforcement of internationally recognized core labor standards. Georgia grants its citizens the right to emigrate. It is a leader in democratic reform in the Caucuses. It has a relatively strong human rights record. It has been shedding its status as a non-market economy, and this year became a member of the WTO. And it has been an important strategic partner of the United States. To a certain extent, these accomplishments are acknowledged in the preambulatory clauses to the PNTR grant. But there is something missing. There is no recognition of Georgia's effective record of enforcing internationally recognized core labor labor standards and its demonstrated commitment to continue its protection of worker rights in the future. I hope that this gap can be filled in when the bill goes to conference. Why should a grant of PNTR to Georgia acknowledge that country's protection of worker rights and its commitment to continue protecting worker rights? Because, increasingly, U.S. trade policy is reflecting the link between trade and labor. Different countries' different levels of protection of core labor standards have an impact on trade. We cannot ignore that. Indeed, we affirmatively recognized that fact in both the China/PNTR bill and in the Africa/CBI bill. It stands to reason that when we make a significant change in our trade relationship with another country--as when we grant PNTR--we ought to take account of that country's enforcement (or lack of enforcement) of core labor standards. Here, the country in issue has a strong record in this area. We ought to recognize that fact, since it reinforces the case for granting PNTR. This sends an important signal to future PNTR candidates. Therefore, I hope that, in conference, we will be able to include a simple recognition of Georgia's record and its commitment going forward.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I join many of my colleagues in commemorating National Hispanic Heritage Month. The nationwide celebration of Hispanic heritage was initiated by the 90th Congress in 1968, which designated National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, the 100th Congress transformed this week into a month, designating the period of September 15 to October 15 as a time to recognize the Hispanic influence in and contributions to our culture and society. For over 400 years, Hispanic Americans have played a fundamental role in the history of the United States. The first European expedition in recorded history to land in what is today the continental United States was led by the former Spanish Governor of the Island of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Leon. America's diverse and vibrant Hispanic population has made an enormous contributions to the building and strengthening of our nation, its culture, and its economic prowess. As we cross the threshold of a new century, we look to the outstanding contributions of Hispanic Americans for inspiration and leadership. My hometown, Detroit, was made great in the twentieth century in part by immigrants who went there to find work and provide for their families. This great dream lives on today as thousands of immigrants come to Detroit every year from countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Cuba. In fact, Southwest Detroit, known as Mexicantown by its residents, is the fastest growing part of Detroit. Hispanics who have come to Detroit have opened businesses, bought homes and turned a once neglected urban neighborhood into a thriving community that has become one of the centers of the city. One woman, Maria Elena Rodriguez, has had a lot to do with this turnaround. Her hard work as president of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation has helped to provide the spark needed to reinvigorate a community. Ms. Rodriguez is currently in the process of helping to build a welcome center for people coming into Detroit across the Ambassador Bridge, an effort she hopes will fulfil her mission to bring more business and visitors to her neighborhood. Hispanic contributions to Michigan businesses abound. The Kellogg Company, founded and headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, has millions of customers in over 160 countries, and is the world's leading producer of cereal. Its CEO is Carlos Gutierrez, who started with Kellogg's as a sales representative in Mexico City, and after 25 years with the company is now in charge of this global giant. Education has long played a prominent role in Hispanic culture. The first free integrated public school was established in St. Augustine, Florida in September of 1787. On March 31, 2000 Rebecca Arenas was awarded the ``Caesar Chavez Civil Rights Achievement Award'' for her work to better the lives of Hispanics in general, and migrant workers in particular. Rebecca's parents brought her to Michigan at the age of 5 from Crystal City, Texas. Her parents were migrant workers who chose to stay in Michigan because they believed it would allow Rebecca to have a better education. Because of the actions of her parents, Rebecca developed a commitment to education that would last a lifetime. Rebecca passed this commitment to education onto her children, all seven of whom have received a post-secondary education. In addition to the ``Caesar Chavez'' award, Rebecca has received recognition on numerous other occasions because of her work in education, health care, and voter registration. For these and countless others reasons, it is a pleasure for me to stand today with my Senate colleagues in commemorating National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, over the last few years, high profile school shootings across this country have left teachers, parents, and students scared and confused. In response, the FBI has conducted an exhaustive study on school shootings in an effort to assess, intervene and prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. The report, entitled, ``School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective,'' recommends specific steps for school officials to take to prevent youth violence. The report notes that in the vast majority of cases, kids do not turn violent overnight. Instead, those who become violent tend to exhibit increasingly disturbing patterns of behavior as their fascination with violence builds. By learning to recognize these behavioral signs, teachers and students can be prepared to investigate and intervene before potentially violent situations get out of control. The FBI report goes on to suggest specific measures schools can take to head off potential shootings. The report recommends that students and faculty should be trained to recognize certain warning signs that students may be considering committing violent acts; groups of faculty and students should be established to encourage students not to keep silent when they recognize potential threats; programs should be developed to teach parents to recognize behavior that may indicate that their children are prone to acts of violence. In addition to these preventive measures, the FBI recommends that schools establish specially trained Threat Assessment Teams to handle evaluating and responding to threats if and when they arise. The FBI warns teachers, parents, and students that they should not ignore any threat of violence. We in Congress should follow the same advice. Yet, while parents and school officials are pursuing more vigorous responses to potential violence, we in Congress seem to be less responsive to such danger. Over the last few years, many of us in Congress have continually tried to close the loopholes in our laws that permit school children to gain access to firearms. Unfortunately, our efforts have been stymied by the leadership in the House of Representatives. In a few weeks, this session of Congress will come to an end. Before we adjourn, let's do our part and reduce the threat of gun violence in our schools and communities. (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. And back to Senator Cleland for 10 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. I will speak with Senator Byrd about the amount of time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, if the Senator from Virginia will yield for an additional minute, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Allard be recognized immediately after Senator Robb for up to 5 minutes, and then that Senator Byrd be recognized immediately after Senator Allard. I will talk to Senator Byrd about the time situation in which we find ourselves.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Harkin for his wonderful commitment to the workers, particularly in his State, but really the workers in America. He noticed something in our bill which inadvertently could have left out some workers we wanted to cover and he wanted to cover. We worked out the colloquy with Senator Harkin which will be made a part of the Record. I thank Senator Harkin for his intrepid effort on behalf of the workers of America and Iowa. It has really paid off.

Mr. LEVIN. If I could just ask my friend from Virginia to yield, let me join in his thanks to our good friend from Georgia for the really not only invaluable but unique contribution based on his experience, as well as his judgment, on so many issues that come before us. It is hard to imagine the committee without the Senator. I just want to add my thanks.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, first, on the hate crimes legislation issue, my good friend from Virginia has accurately presented the facts. There are some additional facts, though, which should also be brought to bear. I can't remember a time, although there may have been one, when the Senate has adopted language, as we did by a vote of 57-42, and when the House of Representatives has adopted language, as they did by 30 or 40 votes--when I say ``adopted language'' in the House, let me be clear, what the House of Representatives did was even more precise than adopt the hate crimes language; they instructed their conferees to agree to our hate crimes language by 30 or 40 votes--I cannot remember a time when one body has adopted language and the other body has instructed their conferees to yield to the first body's language where that language has then been dropped in conference. I am not saying that has never happened because I haven't checked the records to be sure. I can say I can never remember it happening. Think about it. We had a big debate on this issue. We adopted Senator Kennedy's hate crimes language by a vote of 57-42 in this body. Then the House had a debate, instructing their conferees to agree to our language, and somehow or other it is dropped in conference. Let it be clear as to what happened. The House conferees would not accept our language, despite the instruction from the House of Representatives. Then we were faced with the question, Do we then give it up, despite the vote in the Senate? There was a vote among Senate conferees. Ten Republicans and one Democrat voted basically to give it up, which was the 11-vote majority. Eight Democrats and one Republican voted not to give it up; let us maintain this fight; let us bring this language back in the conference report. If someone wants to filibuster a conference report, they have that right. But this legislation is too important. This is the hate crimes bill that this body adopted. It is simply too important a subject to be dropped because of the threat of a filibuster after being adopted in the Senate and having the House telling their folks to yield to us. If we refused to adopt important legislation around here whenever there was the threat of a filibuster, we would never adopt anything important. The civil rights legislation of the 1960s was adopted after weeks of debate, a filibuster that lasted weeks, with numerous cloture votes, because it was important legislation. Let me say this about our chairman: He is absolutely correct that he felt that his responsibility was such that he had to bring a bill to the floor. He made the judgment, as he indicated, and it was a good faith judgment. I may disagree with him, which I do, but I don't in any way disagree with the fact that the chairman made a good faith judgment that it was necessary to drop this language because the House would not accept it. And even though I disagree with it and think we should have put this language in here and let someone filibuster, nonetheless, I surely agree that as always he acts in the best of faith.

Mr. LEVIN. Reserving the right to object, and I will not object, I just want to, while the Senator from Alabama is on the floor, alert him that this will delay his place. He has been very patient here.

Mr. LEVIN. It will just take me 10 minutes more when Senator Wellstone has finished. I thank my friend from Alabama.

Mr. LEVIN. I will be happy to comment on the request of the Senator from Alabama because he is correct. As I understand it, the order now is that at the end of my remarks Senator Wellstone is to be recognized, the Senator from Alabama is to be recognized, and then the Senator from Kansas is to be recognized. What I am suggesting is that the remarks of the Senator from Minnesota come now in the middle of my remarks, I then complete my remarks following the Senator from Minnesota, and then we go back to the Senator from Alabama and the Senator from Kansas; if that is all right?

Mr. LEVIN. Actually, if the Senator from Minnesota is ready to speak at this time, it will work to my convenience if I interrupt myself at this moment and yield to the Senator, but I ask unanimous consent I then be given back the floor for perhaps 10 more minutes of remarks following the Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I apologize to my good friend from Minnesota. I assumed he had yielded the floor. Has the Senator yielded?

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Nevada. He is always thoughtful and on the point. He joins those of us who have commented on the tragic loss of our sailors and on the injuries to our sailors on the U.S.S. Cole because not only is it happening at the moment--this act of terrorism--but it is dramatizing what the major threats to our security are. But it is just another reminder of the sacrifices of the men and women of our military and the risk that they face every day in this world. I thank him for his comments. I am happy to yield to the Senator from New York.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, while the Senator from New York is still on the floor, I commend him for his thoughtful comments about the Middle East. I was not only struck by the content of his comments, but also by the way in which they were so forcefully and calmly delivered, which I think will reverberate throughout this Chamber. These are times of great violence in the Middle East. One of the most striking things to me is the silence of Chairman Arafat relative to violence. Prime Minister Barak has said to his own citizens, ``I urge our Jewish citizens to refrain from attacking Arabs and their property under any circumstances.'' From Chairman Arafat, we have had silence about the actions of the Palestinians in the streets. That silence speaks volumes. It was referred to by the good Senator from New York, and I want to again say that I thought his comments were exactly the right substance and tone. I also want to expand on that one thought, about what we have not heard once from Chairman Arafat, which is a statement saying that violence--by whoever--is wrong. We have not even gotten that much from Chairman Arafat, and it is a huge and very obvious and intentional omission on his part, which speaks very loudly about what his intentions are. I would be happy to yield to my friend from Nevada.

Mr. LEVIN. That was indeed the next point. We are blessed with a committee which operates on a bipartisan basis. The members of the committee work well together. The chairmen of our subcommittees work well. Our staffs work well together. We have many blessings to count being able to serve in this body and to serve our Nation, but surely one of our great blessings is being on a committee which is able to operate on such a bipartisan basis. I echo Chairman Warner's comments about the tragedy in Yemen this morning that involved the Navy ship, the U.S.S. Cole. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those who have been lost in this despicable act of terrorism. Our hearts and prayers go out to the sailors who have survived who are now struggling for life. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families. We are in, as we surely understand, for a long battle against terrorist acts. I notice my good friend from Kansas on the floor, chairman of the subcommittee that addresses new threats we face. The terrorist threat which was exemplified this morning in Yemen has been repeatedly pointed out by him and other members of the subcommittee and of the Senate as being the type of threat that we face. That kind of terrorist act is a real world threat which is here and now. That was not a weapon of mass destruction, but it was a weapon that caused massive injury, massive death. We must put our brains and our resources together with allies to try to prevent these kinds of actions from occurring and, when they do occur, to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Senator from New York has requested that I yield 5 minutes to him so he may make a statement at this time. The order that we had established by unanimous consent was that after my opening statement the Senator from Minnesota would be recognized, and then the Senator from Alabama would be recognized. I want someone on the other side of the aisle to hear this, but I ask unanimous consent that that be modified at this time so I may defer my opening statement to yield to the Senator from New York 5 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, first let me congratulate Senator Warner, our chairman, for his distinguished service, as always, for his total commitment to the men and women in the military, for trying to produce a bipartisan product which we have produced again this year. Without his leadership, this would not be possible. I, first and foremost, thank my good friend John Warner for again coming through with a really good bill that I think will command the large number of votes which will be forthcoming.