Mary Landrieu

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Then I would be happy to yield to Senator Kennedy.

Ms. LANDRIEU. I would only need 2 or 3 minutes.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Ohio for those remarks, and, of course, for his hard work on this amendment. I often say to our other colleagues that any Senator who is a father of eight children certainly is an expert when it comes to the matters of children and families. He has demonstrated that over and over again. I see my colleague from Mississippi coming in to also speak on this amendment. I am mindful of the time and his patience because our amendment has been rescheduled so many times. I would be happy to yield to him at this time or in a few moments if he wants to speak on this particular amendment because he has most certainly been a leader in this regard.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today in support of this very important piece of legislation. I would like to commend my colleagues, Senators Hutchison, Mikulski, and Boxer, for their leadership not only on this bill, but also in these issues generally. Women and children make up 80 percent of refugees worldwide. In Afghanistan, twenty years of civil war, political turmoil, continuing human rights violations and recent drought have already displaced more than five million of the Afghani population. Some four million refugees are displaced in neighboring countries and across the world, while another one million people are internally displaced within Afghanistan. Before September 11, severe drought had brought the country to the verge of famine and existing Taliban restrictions on relief agencies had severely hampered the delivery of assistance and civilian access to basic services. Approximately 1 million people, the majority of them women and children, will die of starvation if aid is not given to them before the winter arrives. In addition to being denied physical needs, the women and children of Afghanistan have long been denied the freedom and respect that are also necessary to sustain human life. The oppressive rule of the Taliban removes from their lives the very freedoms we embrace, education, free speech, and the opportunity to make a living. The Taliban restrictions are so severe that they make it nearly impossible for women to exercise these and other basic human rights. Under this rule, the very lives of women are in danger. There are hundreds of stories of women being executed, raped, or beaten. Just recently, RAWA reported that at least four women in the last six months were burned alive by their husbands for their alleged infringements of Taliban law. They received no trial for these offenses and their husbands were praised, not punished for these horrible acts. The women members of the Senate and many of our colleagues have called on the U.S. to act to bring an end to these violations of basic human rights. Over the past several years, Senator Boxer, myself and others have called on the Foreign Relations Committee to take immediate action to ratify the Convention to End Discrimination Against Women, a treaty designed to stamp out this type of behavior worldwide. Over the last two months, Americans have been reminded of the importance of their freedoms. Many are prepared to die to protect them for all Americans. Yet if we are to be the true and lasting democracy that we hope to be, democracy and freedom cannot end at our borders. We must work to ensure that men, women and children everywhere know what it is like to be truly free. This bill recognizes that the war to preserve freedom must be fought on two fronts. First, through military action designed to bring an end to oppressive rule. Secondly, through targeted humanitarian aid designed to provide education, health care, food and support to the citizens so that they may one day form the base of a new and free society. In providing this type of support to the women and children of Afghanistan, the United States is protecting the principles upon which this country was founded, that each and every individual in this world is ``endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are, life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Again, I am proud to join Senators Hutchison and Mikulski in support of this important legislation and I urge that we pass it into law as soon as possible.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to express my support for a project close to the heart of the Louisiana State University AgCenter as well as many of my consitutents--the Audubon Sugar Institute. I want take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee the importance of relocating the Audubon Sugar Institute from LSU main campus to St. Gabriel Sugar Research Station as well as the need to encourage USDA Rural Development to give priority consideration to this very worthwhile project. Sugarcane is the largest economic crop in Louisiana with a gross farm income in 2000 of just under $363 million. Sugar and sugarcane research and extension education at the LSU AgCenter are conducted at the St. Gabriel Sugar Research Station, approximately 7 miles south of the LSU main campus and the Audubon Sugar Institute in the heart of the main campus. The Audubon Sugar Institute has a long history and a proud tradition of educating some of the finest sugar technologies and sugar engineers in the country. In the past, it drew many people to Louisiana, and earmarked the LSU AgCenter as a center for excellence in the sugar industry. However, the need to improve and upgrade the Audubon Sugar Institute is critical to furthering the Louisiana Sugar Industry. The first step in accomplishing the goals mentioned above is to move the Audubon Sugar Institute from the heart of the main LSU campus to the St. Gabriel Sugar Research Station. The LSU AgCenter is requesting assistance from the USDA Office of Rural Development. The equipment and laboratories at Audubon Sugar Institute are in dire need of upgrading and the building itself is in serious arrears and does not conform to safety regulations. It appears that it is no longer an option to run the factory continuously because of the environmental implications of running a sugar factory in the middle of a busy university campus. Relocating the Institute has the advantage of meeting the main campus at the same time providing the option of updating the Audubon Sugar Institute archaic design and providing a modern facility capable of handling billeted cane. It also places Audubon adjacent to the variety development and production research going on at the St. Gabriel Sugar Station. Building a new facility and moving the sugar mill to St. Gabriel would allow the Institute to function as a training ground and undertake manageable plant scale experiments. Having a fully functional small mill operation at Aubudon Sugar Institute would provide a facility unsurpassed in the world and immensely assist the sugarcane industry in Louisiana. I thank the chairman and his staff for their consideration and reiterate that it is my hope that the USDA Rural Development can be encouraged to give priority consideration to this very worthwhile project.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today in support of this very important piece of legislation. I would like to commend my colleagues, Senators Hutchison, Mikulski, and Boxer, for their leadership not only on this bill, but also in these issues generally. Women and children make up 80 percent of refugees worldwide. In Afghanistan, twenty years of civil war, political turmoil, continuing human rights violations and recent drought have already displaced more than five million of the Afghani population. Some four million refugees are displaced in neighboring countries and across the world, while another one million people are internally displaced within Afghanistan. Before September 11, severe drought had brought the country to the verge of famine and existing Taliban restrictions on relief agencies had severely hampered the delivery of assistance and civilian access to basic services. Approximately 1 million people, the majority of them women and children, will die of starvation if aid is not given to them before the winter arrives. In addition to being denied physical needs, the women and children of Afghanistan have long been denied the freedom and respect that are also necessary to sustain human life. The oppressive rule of the Taliban removes from their lives the very freedoms we embrace, education, free speech, and the opportunity to make a living. The Taliban restrictions are so severe that they make it nearly impossible for women to exercise these and other basic human rights. Under this rule, the very lives of women are in danger. There are hundreds of stories of women being executed, raped, or beaten. Just recently, RAWA reported that at least four women in the last six months were burned alive by their husbands for their alleged infringements of Taliban law. They received no trial for these offenses and their husbands were praised, not punished for these horrible acts. The women members of the Senate and many of our colleagues have called on the U.S. to act to bring an end to these violations of basic human rights. Over the past several years, Senator Boxer, myself and others have called on the Foreign Relations Committee to take immediate action to ratify the Convention to End Discrimination Against Women, a treaty designed to stamp out this type of behavior worldwide. Over the last two months, Americans have been reminded of the importance of their freedoms. Many are prepared to die to protect them for all Americans. Yet if we are to be the true and lasting democracy that we hope to be, democracy and freedom cannot end at our borders. We must work to ensure that men, women and children everywhere know what it is like to be truly free. This bill recognizes that the war to preserve freedom must be fought on two fronts. First, through military action designed to bring an end to oppressive rule. Secondly, through targeted humanitarian aid designed to provide education, health care, food and support to the citizens so that they may one day form the base of a new and free society. In providing this type of support to the women and children of Afghanistan, the United States is protecting the principles upon which this country was founded, that each and every individual in this world is ``endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are, life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Again, I am proud to join Senators Hutchison and Mikulski in support of this important legislation and I urge that we pass it into law as soon as possible.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I was unable to cast my vote on H.R. 2506 and H.R. 3162. It would not change the outcome of either of the votes, so I ask unanimous consent that the Record reflect I would have voted in the affirmative on both of those measures had I been here.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, will the Senator from West Virginia yield?

Ms. LANDRIEU. I wish to congratulate our leaders, both our majority leader and minority leader, for the excellent way they have handled the quite difficult situation we are in. As a Chair of a committee that has a finished bill which has passed in committee and is ready for floor action, I thank the Senator from West Virginia for urging us to move our bills. I also assure him that the District of Columbia appropriations bill is ready to come to the floor, and I would be willing to work with him and with the leader to limit amendments so we could have votes on some of the items where there is disagreement, but there are not many items, and to remind everyone that Senator DeWine and I have worked very closely, particularly on a provision to reform and strengthen the court system in D.C. to protect children who are in foster care, to strengthen the District's school system which is so important. Most importantly, today there is money in this bill for security measures for the District of Columbia. That is very important as we work on our emergency plans regionally as well as coordinate what is happening in the postal situation today, and the Capitol complex. I thank the Senator from West Virginia for bringing this to our attention and, as one of the Chairs on our side, I am most certainly willing to work with him as to any suggestions he might have to move our bill, have limited debate, limited time and move this support bill through the process in an expedited fashion.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as we consider the issue of national security in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, one sector in particular that deserves our undivided attention is the security of our national energy infrastructure. The vulnerability of our country's energy infrastructure became more clear last week when an individual was able to cause about 150,000 gallons of oil to spill from the 800 mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline with a bullet from a high powered rifle. I believe the events of September 11 have proven that Congress has a responsibility to make sure our Nation's energy infrastructure is adequately protected from both hostile and natural attacks. We are now engaged in an operation to combat terrorism which will take considerable time and resources. Some of the emergency measures put in place at energy facilities throughout the country in response to the September 11 attacks can only be maintained for so long. For example, off the coast of my State of Louisiana the Nation's largest port for offloading crude oil was being patrolled by a military vessel. While a kind of safety zone around such areas makes sense, should we expend our military's resources in order to do so? Merely using our present available resources to operate at such high levels of alert for the duration of what all indications are will be a long term effort does not seem realistic. There is a need for a substantial commitment to the protection of our country's energy infrastructure both in scope and duration. Although 90 percent of the infrastructure in this country is privately owned and operated and industry does have an obligation to provide security, there is sufficient evidence to suggest the Federal Government should make a more significant contribution. First, our country is now experiencing an economic downturn. It is imperative for our government to continue to focus its attention on measures to increase and shore up production while keeping our domestic supply of energy steady. Second, energy infrastructure is by nature not contained within the borders of one State or region. For example, three of the country's top ten gasoline consuming States are in the Midwest. The Midwest imports 25 percent of its total demand from the Gulf Coast. While the Gulf Coast refining centers handle half of the total barrels processed in the U.S. today, there are only two pipeline systems in place to move the product from the South to the Midwest. This is a tremendous amount of pressure on Gulf Coast refineries to meet demand in the Midwest. What happens if one or both of these systems are disrupted? In addition, the only offshore oil terminal in the United States, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, LOOP, is estimated to take in 13 percent of the United States' imported oil and refining capacity and is connected by five pipelines to over 30 percent of the United States refining capacity. Imagine the impact its disruption from natural or hostile threats would have on the Nation's refining capacity. So, whether we are talking about pipelines, transmission lines, electric generators, refineries, nuclear power plants, ports, rigs or platforms, the Federal Government has a clear and compelling interest in providing the necessary resources to ensure that our energy infrastructure is sufficiently protected. Since the disruption of a particular facility or transmission line has economic consequences and could pose a significant threat to the safety of the surrounding population, as well as the effect on our economy, environment, state and local authorities must also play a role. This would require a partnership among the federal, state and local governments and industry. Today, I am introducing legislation, the National Energy Infrastructure Security Program Establishment Act, which would: Establish a multi-year national energy infrastructure program overseen by the newly appointed Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, to provide funding annually to all 50 States in order to make sure that all appropriate measures from the monitoring and detection of potential threats to mitigation, response and recovery are in place against hostile and natural threats; create two funds, one for the protection of energy infrastructure located in the coastal zones of oil and gas producing States, the other for the energy infrastructure of all fifty States excluding those areas in the oil and gas producing States that would be provided for in the first fund; provide funding based on a formula related to the amount of energy infrastructure a State has as well as to the contribution of the State's infrastructure to the rest of the country; the Governor of each State would consult with Federal, State and local law enforcement, public safety, officials, industry and other relevant persons or agencies to put together a security plan to submit to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security as well as the Secretaries of Commerce, Energy and Interior detailing what measures were necessary provide adequate protection of that particular State's infrastructure; and in order to pay for this program we would use a percentage of offshore revenues from oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf. If we are truly serious about protecting our country's energy infrastructure from present and future threats, it is necessary for us to provide a commitment of significant Federal resources as soon as possible.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as we consider the issue of national security in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, one sector in particular that deserves our undivided attention is the security of our national energy infrastructure. The vulnerability of our country's energy infrastructure became more clear last week when an individual was able to cause about 150,000 gallons of oil to spill from the 800 mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline with a bullet from a high powered rifle. I believe the events of September 11 have proven that Congress has a responsibility to make sure our Nation's energy infrastructure is adequately protected from both hostile and natural attacks. We are now engaged in an operation to combat terrorism which will take considerable time and resources. Some of the emergency measures put in place at energy facilities throughout the country in response to the September 11 attacks can only be maintained for so long. For example, off the coast of my State of Louisiana the Nation's largest port for offloading crude oil was being patrolled by a military vessel. While a kind of safety zone around such areas makes sense, should we expend our military's resources in order to do so? Merely using our present available resources to operate at such high levels of alert for the duration of what all indications are will be a long term effort does not seem realistic. There is a need for a substantial commitment to the protection of our country's energy infrastructure both in scope and duration. Although 90 percent of the infrastructure in this country is privately owned and operated and industry does have an obligation to provide security, there is sufficient evidence to suggest the Federal Government should make a more significant contribution. First, our country is now experiencing an economic downturn. It is imperative for our government to continue to focus its attention on measures to increase and shore up production while keeping our domestic supply of energy steady. Second, energy infrastructure is by nature not contained within the borders of one State or region. For example, three of the country's top ten gasoline consuming States are in the Midwest. The Midwest imports 25 percent of its total demand from the Gulf Coast. While the Gulf Coast refining centers handle half of the total barrels processed in the U.S. today, there are only two pipeline systems in place to move the product from the South to the Midwest. This is a tremendous amount of pressure on Gulf Coast refineries to meet demand in the Midwest. What happens if one or both of these systems are disrupted? In addition, the only offshore oil terminal in the United States, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, LOOP, is estimated to take in 13 percent of the United States' imported oil and refining capacity and is connected by five pipelines to over 30 percent of the United States refining capacity. Imagine the impact its disruption from natural or hostile threats would have on the Nation's refining capacity. So, whether we are talking about pipelines, transmission lines, electric generators, refineries, nuclear power plants, ports, rigs or platforms, the Federal Government has a clear and compelling interest in providing the necessary resources to ensure that our energy infrastructure is sufficiently protected. Since the disruption of a particular facility or transmission line has economic consequences and could pose a significant threat to the safety of the surrounding population, as well as the effect on our economy, environment, state and local authorities must also play a role. This would require a partnership among the federal, state and local governments and industry. Today, I am introducing legislation, the National Energy Infrastructure Security Program Establishment Act, which would: Establish a multi-year national energy infrastructure program overseen by the newly appointed Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, to provide funding annually to all 50 States in order to make sure that all appropriate measures from the monitoring and detection of potential threats to mitigation, response and recovery are in place against hostile and natural threats; create two funds, one for the protection of energy infrastructure located in the coastal zones of oil and gas producing States, the other for the energy infrastructure of all fifty States excluding those areas in the oil and gas producing States that would be provided for in the first fund; provide funding based on a formula related to the amount of energy infrastructure a State has as well as to the contribution of the State's infrastructure to the rest of the country; the Governor of each State would consult with Federal, State and local law enforcement, public safety, officials, industry and other relevant persons or agencies to put together a security plan to submit to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security as well as the Secretaries of Commerce, Energy and Interior detailing what measures were necessary provide adequate protection of that particular State's infrastructure; and in order to pay for this program we would use a percentage of offshore revenues from oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf. If we are truly serious about protecting our country's energy infrastructure from present and future threats, it is necessary for us to provide a commitment of significant Federal resources as soon as possible.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I want to quote a few sentences from this beautifully written piece. He says: The terrorists who planned and carried out the attacks of Sept. 11 showed there is no limit to the number of innocent lives they are willing to take. Their capacity for killing was restricted only by the power of their weapons. Though we may not yet know with certainty which group sponsored these attacks, we do know that Osama bin Laden declared in 1998 that acquiring weapons of mass destruction is ``a religious duty.'' This statement should not be taken lightly. We have had a look at the face of terrorist warfare in the 21st century, and it gives us little hope that if these groups gained control of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons they would not hesitate to use them. As America prepares a response, we must build a new framework for national security that protects us from the full range of the new dangers we face. Mr. President, we cannot, we should not try, it would be foolhardy to begin to try to build this framework without a strong partnership with Russia. We know of nearly 400 incidents to purchase or smuggle this material since the end of the cold war. We can safely assume that for every purchase or smuggling operation we stopped--and we stopped many--others succeeded. Yet the technology and framework for locking down these stockpiles is within our grasp. Today we fund the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at $403 million a year. We spent 100 times that amount of money in 1 day to respond to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Let me repeat that. Today we fund this Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at $403 million a year. We spent 100 times that amount in 1 day to deal with the crisis that hit us at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon 2 weeks ago. Keep in mind that this is the immediate cost only to the stabilization, rescue, and cleanup of these sites. We will be spending billions more. Now imagine the cleanup costs that result from an attack by a weapon of mass destruction. As horrific and as heartwrenching and as merciless as were the attacks and the casualties from those attacks on September 11, a weapon of mass destruction promises to be a whole scale of magnitude worse. The devastation could be beyond our imagination. Yet there have been many reports on this subject. The Baker-Cutler report notes that we need to spend, in their estimation, nearly $30 billion to address just the nuclear side of this equation over the next 8 to 10 years. At our current rate of $3 billion a year, that would require a tenfold increase. Furthermore, it is my opinion that we cannot wait 8 to 10 years, and we must address all weapons of mass destruction in a more direct, focused, urgent, and intelligent way. All of this is a long way of saying that Russia's stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction constitute a vital national security interest second to none. No resource should be spared, no bureaucratic hurdle left standing, no diplomatic initiative left unexplored to eliminate the risk these weapons represent. The preamble of our Constitution makes it incumbent on this Congress to ``provide for the common defence . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.'' If we take the lessons learned from September 11 and destroy these weapons, we will have done ourselves and our posterity a great service. As we embark on this extended and silent war against terrorism, I believe that nonproliferation represents one of the true front lines. If we lose the momentum necessary to destroy these stockpiles now, the outcome of this war must be in doubt. I know the American people understand the heavy costs we will have to bear. This is surely one of those costs, but I am confident, because I have seen on the faces of Americans everywhere--people in my home State, children who have stopped to talk with me, friends who have called, strangers who have walked in my office and left notes and missives, telephone calls I have received--that the American people are ready, they are united, they are willing, strong enough, and without fear to accomplish this goal. I believe there are a variety of answers to that question when people ask: When will we know this war has been won? I will say this: One of the best indications of whether or not we are winning this war is our success in cooperative threat reduction. The struggle is on, but this is an objective that freedom-loving people must take and hold. I have every confidence the Members of this body, both Democrats and Republicans, regardless of their views, will understand, and with new insight will appreciate, because of the tragedy that is before us, the urgency of this subject. I am looking forward to doing my part, with other committees that obviously have influence in this area, to work across party lines, to work with House leaders, to work with men and women who have served before in this body, who have quite an expertise in this area, as well as our private sector, think-tanks, our universities, to put all of our best thoughts and efforts in action and to be focused as a laser so we can provide for the common defense of this Nation, the common defense of civilizations and freedom-loving people around the world, and that Americans will do what Americans do best, which is to put our best foot forward with clarity, with commitment, with purpose, with the practical way that Americans move forward to take on this task and to do it well. I am confident that as we do, we will be successful in this endeavor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, let me begin by thanking my colleague for those eloquent and passionate and insightful remarks, and for his extraordinary leadership, not only in this time but as he shows throughout all of our work in Congress. I thank him for his guidance on this issue which is so important. I look forward to joining him on this issue when we reconvene next week. Mr. President, as the Senator from Connecticut so eloquently spoke about for the last half hour or so--about the importance of alliances at this time, the importance of international alliances, the extraordinary opportunity that has been given to us out of this tragedy to build a new framework of mutual trust and mutual cooperation for the benefit of all citizens of this world who love freedom, who hope for a better life, who want only for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren to live free of oppression, free from fear, free from hunger, free from want, it is really an extraordinary time. I want to acknowledge the leadership that I have seen in this body in a way that I never thought I would. I am certain that most people in my State and in many States don't completely really understand yet the extraordinary length to which the Members of this body, both Democrats and Republicans, have worked to overcome some very difficult issues in trying to work so closely with the President, and have done this in a remarkable way under his tremendous leadership, as the Senator from Connecticut also pointed out. I think we have made great progress in the last 2 weeks, since September 11. We are on the right track and at the right pace. We just have to steady our course and continue to support our President and debate where we need to and not give up our right to judgment, and do it in a way that will strengthen our country and will honor the spirit that Americans everywhere are showing us around the world and move forward to win this war. I want to spend a few minutes before we close today speaking about an important part of this effort, an important part of the Defense authorization bill, which we have been engaged in debating now under the great leadership of Senator Levin from Michigan and the Senator from Virginia, Senator Warner. In my mind, the cold war finally ended at 8:45 a.m. eastern time on Tuesday, September 11. Literally, up until that moment, this Congress had engaged in something akin to shadowboxing. We swung our arms about in search of enemies, and in search of a unifying purpose to our national security. Yet in life, it is often tragedy and crisis that lifts the fog from our eyes. Suddenly, we see the world with crystal-like clarity. We understand better that which is trivial and that which is absolutely essential. We look back on our priorities before this crisis, and I think many of us have been shaking our heads wondering: What could we possibly have been thinking? One truth that should now be evident to America's collective world view is that we need a strong and practical relationship with Russia. There is a bond between the United States and Russia that defies coincidence. Of course, we share the common experience of the cold war. It was not a pleasant experience, it was not a good experience, but it was an experience that we shared. Now it appears we will share the experience of fighting in Afghanistan. Russia itself has been attacked by terrorists, supported by elements of the Arab Afghan army, the very force that we trained during the cold war and now has unleashed its terror upon us. In short, our countries have a history of lashing out at each other. Yet when we do, we inevitably hurt ourselves. It is an instinct we learned during the cold war, but we must unlearn that instinct to succeed in this silent war. Hopefully, on September 11, we closed for good that chapter in our relationship. There are many things that make me proud about this Defense authorization bill that we have been debating and will hopefully conclude that debate when we reconvene next week, but one of the things that makes me proudest about this year's Defense authorization bill is that even before the events of the 11th, we understood the importance of our relationship with Russia. Senators Nunn and Lugar deserve the thanks of the whole of the American public for their extraordinary foresight. They realized that at the end of the cold war, in the tremendous vacuum that was created, we needed to be aggressive in forming a new relationship with Russia. It would not be a relationship based on fear, deception, and suspicion. Rather, it would be a relationship grounded in our common history, our common roles as great powers, and our mutual interest in establishing a world where our citizens could flourish. The only way forward to this goal is up the trail blazed by Senators Nunn and Lugar. The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program sponsored by the Department of Defense has been under assault in this Congress since I joined the Armed Services Committee. It was derided as welfare to ex- Communists. We slashed and hamstrung the programs, claiming to react to mismanagement. With the hard work of my friend and now partner, Mr. Roberts, the Senator from Kansas, we reversed that trend this year. The subcommittee mark for the Emerging Threats included full funding for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at $403 million. Of these funds, $50 million is dedicated to chemical demilitarization of the Soviet Union. The facts before us should be crystal clear to everyone. There should be no more urgent priority for this country than to secure and destroy the chemical, biological, and nuclear stockpiles of the former Soviet Union. On that exact point, there was a beautifully written op-ed piece by former Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia. I ask unanimous consent to print the op-ed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, the events of last week by terrorists illustrate the worst of human nature, however, the actions of people in the wake of the disaster has shown the best. While the attacks were in the United States, they were directed at the entire civilized world. And the entire world has responded. Today, I would like to draw your attention to the response of a key ally in Central Asia. In light of the direct threat to world freedom that we faced on September 11, 2001, Kazakhstan has emerged as one of the only ``silver- linings'' in Central Asia. I am very grateful for the outpouring of support from the President of Kazakhstan, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev. Within a day of the attack President Nazarbayev said, ``Kazakhstan is ready to support measures undertaken by the United States to fight against terrorism, with all the means necessary.'' I would also ask unanimous consent to submit the President's entire statement into the Congressional Record. Kazakhstan is predominantly a muslim nation about four times the size of Texas in Central Asia. Surrounded by Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. Kazakhstan's continued economic and political stability is critical to the long-term success of the Central Asian nations. In the first few years after its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan successfully dismantled the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world with U.S. support via the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, CTR. Kazakhstan continues to set a model for the global community in its leadership on unilateral disarmament and nonproliferation. In addition, I believe our Nation needs to continue to support the Government of Kazakhstan which has begun to transform its economy from the old Soviet based communist model to a market-based economy with significant U.S. foreign direct investment, FDI. It is for these reasons that I have co-sponsored S. 168 that authorizes the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Kazakhstan. In summary, the United States must do its part to enhance cooperation and encourage prosperity and stability for the entire Central Asian region.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. I thank the Senator. Let me respond briefly. To assure the Senator from Virginia that we are up to the task and that our members are ready to go, we look forward to working with him, and I appreciate his guidance, support, and direction.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I come to the floor this afternoon to speak on the subject of our Defense authorization bill. First, let me say how appreciative I am of the leadership of Senator Levin and Senator Warner. These are two Senators who trust one another and who work beautifully together. I have personally witnessed the work they have done both publicly and during many hours of private negotiations. I cannot thank them enough for their extraordinary leadership at this very important time in our Nation. I truly think that God has blessed us at this time to have these two fine men helping lead the negotiations at this particular time on a very important bill for our country. President Kennedy reminded us during the height of the cold war that to ensure the peace we must prepare for war. September 11 seems to many of us literally years ago. It was just last week that our preparations for 21st century warfare were cut dramatically short. We had just reached the point where the American public was beginning to comprehend that future wars would, indeed, be very different; We would need a different sort of military to combat them. However, national security infrastructure is a large, lumbering ship. It takes time, focus, patience, and determination to turn its direction. On September 11, early in the morning, the attention of our Pentagon turned on a dime to this new threat. As all of us are now beginning to understand, 21st century warfare is very different. I have referred to the current attack on the United States as a silent war. People have asked me what I mean by that. I mean that the resources we employ to fight this war may not be visible on CNN. We will fight electronically, with our special forces, with our intelligence operatives, with psychological operations. It will be a war in which our greatest victories may never be fully appreciated and in which our full vulnerabilities are perceived by only a few. It is also a silent war because silence is the only real asset of our enemies. When we can identify our foes, they will be eliminated. For that reason, we must be relentless and patient. We are in a chess match with killers. A great deal rides upon its outcome. My confidence in our victory comes from one simple fact: Our opponents rely on a few pathological minds to win this war. Our Nation can call upon the minds of free-thinking, freedom-loving people around the world to ensure our victory. And ultimately we will prevail. We have a long journey in front of us. Today we take another step. I commend our chairman, Senator Levin of Michigan, and Senator Warner of Virginia for their outstanding leadership at this time. As the chairperson of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee, I am clear about the work our committee must undertake over the next few months and perhaps years until the successful conclusion of this conflict. I also sincerely thank the Senator from Kansas, Mr. Roberts, our ranking member of this important committee, for his cooperation, his insight, his vision, and his passion on this subject. His advice and counsel and our excellent working relationship have made a difficult task more bearable. It should be noted that I have determined a new policy for our subcommittee. From now on, all meetings of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee will be bipartisan in nature. We have neither the time, nor do the American people have the patience, for partisan squabbling and bickering because the stakes are so high. In formulating the Department of Defense budget for the next fiscal year, we considered five priorities. Sadly, recent events have brought three of those priorities to the forefront. We have done very good work recently in ensuring that our military is ready to meet nontraditional threats and to ensure that our Armed Forces are ready to defend our Nation on a moment's notice. Now is the time to enact all of our plans and defend America and its values against this unprecedented challenge to our Nation. In addition, we have sought to improve the quality of life for our service men and women and their families. It is the service family who will keep the hearth warm while our fighting men and women are deployed. We must provide them with the quality of life they deserve. In almost every war of which we are aware and have studied--and many have actually participated in--it was always hard on the family. I imagine and predict that in this war, in some ways it will be harder on families because the intelligence, the secrecy of what we have to do, while it was always important in past wars, is going to be more so. There will be families separated from loved ones for long periods of time and children who will never be able to receive a letter from a father or a mother or to hear their voice for long periods of time. I urge that our Nation give some extraordinary and new thinking to what we might do to support the families who are going to be called to the front lines and, in addition, to recognize while my committee only supervises and oversees the military operations, as our President and as our leaders have so eloquently stated recently, it is not just men and women in uniform who are on the front line, but our firefighters, our local elected officials, our National Guard, business people, in many instances, are on the front line, depending on what their business is. Their families need special consideration. We have also done important work in improving the efficiencies of the Department of Defense. This will become more crucial in the coming days as our Nation commits its treasury to the present struggle. We must ensure that we invest wisely in the best possible means toward ensuring absolute victory. There are a few aspects of this legislation of which I am particularly proud. We have made a significant investment in upgrading and sustaining our fighters and our bombers. Any student of modern history cannot overlook how important these are to conducting modern war and how vital they will be to achieving victory in this new type of war. In this bill, we have authorized a 5-percent pay raise for all of our service personnel. Perhaps it can be more. Perhaps 5 percent is not enough. We can revisit that issue. It is another step along with an 8- percent pay raise that was done the year before and raises the year before to make the paycheck begin to match--which it can never quite do, obviously--the sacrifices our men and women are called on to perform. As we contemplate the tasks that our men and women in uniform face, we are made aware of our duty to properly compensate them and their families and to support them financially, psychologically, emotionally and, in many ways, spiritually. We have provided a guarantee that our fighting men and women will be able to fully participate in democracy while being deployed abroad. We included language in this bill to ensure that their right to vote will be uninhibited, barriers taken down, and that valid votes will be counted. This Nation set a precedent in 1864, when we conducted a Presidential election in the midst of a paralyzing war. This bill ensures that we will not allow the current crisis to disrupt our democratic process. I now focus, briefly, and in conclusion, on the work done by the Emerging Threats Subcommittee in the last few months. Our committee is charged with the task of concentrating on the efforts of the Department of Defense to counter new and emerging threats to our national security interests. Our jurisdiction includes terrorism, the subject that is absorbing the attention of the entire world at this time. I stress that as the threat of terrorism has emerged in a most horrific way, we must not overlook our other jurisdiction of counterproliferation and chemical warfare. Those responsible for the tragic events of last Tuesday know they must find new ways to threaten our security, and we must be ready for them. I will concentrate on the subcommittee's work on counterterrorism initiatives just for a moment. The threat of terrorism can no longer be described as emerging. It has, unfortunately, emerged. The subcommittee has done substantial work in protecting our Nation from the terrorist threat, but it is obvious that we must do more. There is no doubt in my mind that in the coming days we will see the work of this committee increase and our efforts redouble to stem the tide of terrorism here on our homeland. We have sought to meet the immediate needs of the services and commanders for counterterrorism initiatives and force protection. These initiatives include $14.3 million to fund enhanced counterterrorism training for the special operations command--a very special command now in this new war with this emerged threat --which has a mission of defeating terrorist actions. This is a crucial investment. There will be more to be made in the future, and I call on all Members of Congress and the President to understand the critical importance of significant investment in this particular area. In our bill, we have $10 million to increase and formalize the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff combating terrorism readiness initiative fund, which allows commanders in the field to fund emergent, high-priority requirements. Again, this was the amount of money put in prior to 9/11. I am certain, as we have time to confer with each other and revisit the budget allocations again, there can be additional funding authorization so that our commanders in the field have no barrier to protect their forces and to protect Americans wherever they may be in the world. We also devoted $107 million to the Departments of Defense and Energy for detecting, defending against, and responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction. This includes funds allocated for chemical and biological detection and prevention. The attack initiated against the United States last week was committed with a rather crude weapon of mass destruction. It is important that we keep our guard up against other more sophisticated weapons. Additionally, we have devoted over $77 million to establish minimum access and entry controls at military installations abroad. As security is increased on installations both domestically and abroad, these funds are needed now more than ever. But while we focus on the threat that has emerged, it is important that we also address the proliferation of nuclear weapons. As our enemy searches for new and innovative and very destructive ways to attack us, it is important that we deny him access to the most destructive weapons. The markup package fully funds--and I am very proud that this decision was made last week--the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at the DOD budget request level of $403 million. Included in the $403 million is $50 million for destruction of Russian chemical munitions. Before the program can spend the money to destroy the Russian chemical munitions, however, DOD must meet certain prerequisites. These prerequisites include a Russian commitment to contribute $25 million to the program per year. These prerequisites are based on those originated by Senator Roberts last year. We also cannot overlook chemical and biological weapons that can inflict unthinkable, unbearable harm on our civilian population and our men and women in the field. That is why our committee devoted over $1.2 billion for demilitarization. Additionally, we have acquired vaccines to combat the threat of chemical and biological weapons and are in the process of making that entire system much more robust, and that work is well underway. Let me close by proclaiming my extreme confidence and admiration for the men and women of our Armed Forces. They have trained day in and day out for their ultimate mission. And now we must all call on them to fulfill that mission. I am confident they are up to the task because, as I said in my opening, this war that we fight does not necessarily rely on the genius and strength of our President, although he showed great strength and genius last night. It doesn't just rely on the great strength of the 100 of us in this Chamber, but it rests squarely and stably and securely on the shoulders of every American everywhere, our allies, and of free-thinking people who have been inspired by God over the centuries to fight this war. That is why I know we will win and we will all do our part. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. It is my understanding that of the $31 million provided for ``Coastal Protection and Restoration Project'' in the National Ocean Service Account of the Senate Committee Report of the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2002, $15 million is to be provided to the State of Louisiana and $15 million is to be provided to the State of Alaska for coastal impact assistance. This funding is to be allocated to and used by the States of Alaska and Louisiana in accordance with the coastal impact assistance program authorized in the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill, fiscal year 2001.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, let me begin by thanking the distinguished Senator from New Mexico for that eloquent comment, thank him for his extraordinary leadership on this particular subject, and for the years he has served as a leader to our Nation. Let me begin by thanking the many people in Louisiana, first our spiritual leaders, our military leaders, our elected officials at every level, our emergency personnel, every citizen who through prayer or action is engaged in helping this Nation at this time. We all appreciate their efforts. In the darkest hours, America has always risen to her promise. We find ourselves again in the very darkest of times. For only the second time in American history, our borders have been penetrated and Americans attacked. The greatest generation of Americans responded to the first attack, Pearl Harbor, with an unwavering commitment to defend the ideals of democracy around the globe. Our generation will be remembered for how we respond to this attack against our Nation, our liberty, and our freedom. I have no doubt our Nation will rise to the challenge and find light in our darkest hour. Through the endeavors of our people and the providence of God, our Nation prevailed in the struggle with the Soviet Union. It was a struggle lasting over 40 years, spread over every continent, costing this Nation the treasure of its youth and resources beyond imagination. After yesterday, the American people must understand that today we begin to undertake a task no less daunting. President Kennedy's inaugural address is remembered for its impact in rallying the resolve of our Nation at that time. I can think of no better place to turn to today. His eloquence is as relevant this morning as it was 40 years ago: Now the trumpet summons us again. Not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are, but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in our tribulation, a struggle against the common enemies of man--tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Yesterday we heard the pages of history turn in explosions which brought down skyscrapers. The sound heard around the world was deafening, perhaps a fitting beginning to what we may come to know as the silent war; a silent war where cowardice of our enemies is their greatest asset. Yet no deception, no amount of subterfuge, no resort to villainy will protect our enemies from the righteous anger of the American people called to war. It is important for our people to know we are all being called into this struggle. In a silent war, we are all targets and, therefore, we are all combatants. Sacrifices to the unparalleled freedom that we enjoy, costly expenditures, and the employment of our military men and women may all be required before this war is over. Yesterday's terror may have broken the hearts of American families, but it will not break the American family. Yesterday's terror may have destroyed lives but it will not destroy this Nation's destiny. Yesterday's terror may have shattered buildings, but it will not shatter the American spirit. This morning, not that long ago, over the crater that used to be part of the Pentagon, the Sun broke and hit an American flag flying over the rubble. It is in that spirit America will prevail. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

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

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I rise to urge passage of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Commission Act. This legislation creates a commission to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. I am honored to have sponsored this legislation with Senators Breaux, Lincoln, Hutchinson, Domenici, Baucus, and Hatch. The passage of this legislation voices appropriate celebration on the value of the United States' peaceful expansion westward. The Louisiana Purchase cost the United States $15 million but it doubled the size of the country overnight and brought vast natural resources that had been as yet untapped. To quote Tallyrand, ``You have made a noble bargain for yourselves and I suppose you will make the most of it.'' For the United States, it was only the beginning of an expansion that would stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. All or part of 15 States were created from the land acquired in this purchase. It made possible the travels of Lewis and Clark, whose invaluable insight into the peoples and land beyond the Mississippi River emboldened many Americans to search for a new life out West. Around the world, the American Frontier became synonymous with the search for spiritual, economic, and political freedom. The Louisiana Purchase helped shape the American destiny. Commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase and the related opening of the West can enhance public understanding of the impact of the democratic westward expansion on American society. This bill creates a Commission that will edify, publish, and display the importance of the Louisiana Purchase to all Americans. This bipartisan commission is partially modeled after the celebration of the American Bicentennial--striving to be inclusive of Americans. The commission will include important officials from each state created from the Purchase, museum and education officials, as well as members of Native American Tribes originating on the lands included in the Purchase. These officials will work together to recommend, organize, and oversee the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Commission tasks include planning the issuance of coins, stamps, medals, and certificates of recognition. Under a coordinated effort with libraries, museums, and historical sites, they will develop education programs for exhibit and display. The commission will produce and publish educational materials focusing on the history and the impact of the Louisiana Purchase. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, the commission will be tasked with many efforts. but, it is an insight into the important role that the commission will fulfill. I thank the Judiciary Committee in their preparation and passage of this bill. Together, the chairman and the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee were incredibly supportive. This was truly a bipartisan effort. I thank my colleagues for recognizing the great value of honoring this momentous occasion, and together, as Americans, we can celebrate the breadth and distance of our Nation's vision.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, before leaving for the recess, I, too, wanted to address a couple of points on my mind and I am sure on the minds of the people of Louisiana. We have enjoyed, as a State, some success this session on many different issues. Of course, some of them are not resolved. Senator Breaux and I have been very involved with the issue of education and health care. As we wind down this particular part of our session, I wish to speak for a moment on the area of agriculture. The Senator from Washington just spoke. She says she is leaving town with some disappointment. I add my voice to say I, too, am disappointed in the outcome of our Agriculture supplemental appropriations bill. We seem to have room in the budget for many other items, but sometimes when it comes to our farmers and agriculture, they are cut short or draw the short straw. That is very unfortunate because, according to the budget outline, there was money available to allocate in an emergency and supplemental way to meet the needs of farmers, not only in Louisiana and throughout the South but, as the Senator from Washington said, the farmers and agricultural interests in her State and throughout the Nation. The House adjourned, setting the floor quite low at $5.5 billion. The Senate, in a bipartisan fashion and with bipartisan support, went on record as supporting a higher number of $7.5 billion. When $2 billion is cut out, a lot of farmers in Louisiana are shortchanged. Our AMTA payments were reduced substantially. The conservation programs, so important to farmers in Louisiana because of our tremendous wetlands conservation efforts, are shortchanged. The public/private partnerships that farmers and landowners can enter into with the Government to reduce production and help keep prices high, was curtailed because of our lack of commitment to this funding level. In addition, because of the unfortunate timing, we are not going to be able to come back in the fall and recoup the lost ground because we will be past the September deadline. I have here an interesting letter from the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers, National Association of Wheat Growers, and, of course, the National Cotton Council. This letter says: We would rather have $5.5 billion than nothing, and so would I. But they should not have had to settle for the $5.5 billion when even settling for $7.5 billion is not enough to meet the needs and the emergencies being experienced by farmers everywhere who are, frankly, entitled to more. I most certainly do not blame these associations for saying, listen, we are between a rock and a hard place. They are saying, ``The House has adjourned. It has approved $5.5 billion. We would just as soon take that.'' I know if they could stand here and speak their minds, and speak the truth, they would say $5.5 billion is not enough. It is going to leave a lot of our farmers with higher debts and impact a lot of our rural communities across the Nation. In Louisiana, we have experienced some of the lowest prices in decades, and a severe drought. This drought has brought about an intrusion of saltwater into many of our marshes and farmland, creating additional problems. It is a very difficult time in agriculture. I did not want to leave without saying I am extremely disappointed we were not able to get the level of AMTA payments higher. It is very important to our farmers and our conservation programs. I think we will end up paying a higher price in the months and years to come. In addition, it is of particular disappointment we do not have included in this particular package our voluntary State-supported, State-recommended, and State-endorsed dairy compacts. Compacts are important to dairy farmers all over this Nation and come at no cost to the taxpayer. We are arguing about an agricultural funding bill because the two Houses cannot decide whether $5.5 billion is the right amount or $6.5 billion or $7.5 billion. I know money does not grow on trees, and we do not want to overspend. We want to live within budgetary constraints, but what puzzles me so much about this debate is the dairy compact does not cost the taxpayers a penny. We could have added it and not added one penny to the Agriculture supplemental appropriations bill because dairy compacts do not cost the taxpayers any money. They are a voluntary, State-run, State-supported and allow dairy farmers, along with consumers and the retail representatives, to set a price for fluid milk so we can make sure everyone in our districts and our regions have a fresh, steady supply of milk. It is a system whereby if prices go up, the producers pay out of their profits; if the prices go down, the farmers are paid out of the profits to retailers and others, therefore, leveling the price and allowing the farmers to make plans for their growth and production of dairy products. It has been proven very successful in the Northeast. The Senators from Vermont have been two of the lead sponsors and advocates. New York has petitioned to join, Pennsylvania has petitioned to join, and the Southern delegates and the Southern Senators want the South to have the same right to organize into compacts and help our farmers. In Louisiana, we have lost 204 dairy farms since 1995. We have only 468 remaining. If we do not answer in some way to the dairy farms, I am going to be back in 3 years saying: We had 468, now we are down to 250, and 3 years from now we will be down to 150. Before you know it, we will be in a position where we are importing all of our milk from other parts of the Nation. We will be paying higher prices, because there will be less competition and less of a competitive organization of dairy farmers. Had Louisiana been a member of the Southern Dairy Compact last year, our 468 dairy farms would have received almost $12 million in compact payments. That is not a huge amount of money by Washington standards. It is not in the billions, but I can tell my colleagues, $12 million means a lot to the people of Louisiana and to these farmers who are scratching out a living, trying to operate their enterprises at a profit. It not only means a lot to the farmers and their families, but to the communities in which they buy supplies, pay taxes that provide for vital community services. When a dairy farmer goes out of business, it does not just collapse that particular dairy farm and bring harm to that particular family, it affects the whole rural economy of many of our States. Northeast Dairy compact States show the compact had a steadying influence on the support of farms. Without exception, we know, based on the facts and the figures, that the Northeast experiment has been very positive. When we come back in the fall, I am not sure what we can do to restore the level of funding. As I said, this was an opportunity lost. We now have to operate under new budget constraints. I am not sure how we are going to fill in the gaps, but because the dairy compact does not cost additional funding, I am hopeful. I look forward to joining with my colleagues in building a bipartisan support for State-run, State-supported voluntary dairy compacts that do not cost the taxpayer a dime but help keep a steady, reliable source of fluid milk coming to our consumers and to consumers in every region of this Nation. I am hopeful that when we get back, we will have success. We have a farm bill to debate. There are many changes that our farmers are going to need so that we can compete more effectively. We need to open up trade opportunities, more risk management tools, and the dairy compact that can help our farmers help themselves and not just rely on a Government handout. That is all they ask. They just want to be met halfway. We can most certainly do a better job. I am going to fight as hard as I can for the Southern region of this Nation that, in my opinion, has historically been shortchanged when it comes to agriculture. I am going to join with Senators from New York, New Jersey, and Washington, and other States which have, in some way, also been shortchanged because of the lack of emphasis on speciality crops. Although I do not represent New Jersey, New York, or Washington, I think it is important for us to make sure the agriculture bill is fair and equitable to every region of this Nation. The South has been shortchanged time and again. We are going to join a coalition to make sure our farmers get their fair share and that we are providing the taxpayers a good return on the money that is invested. We need to create ways to help farmers minimize the cost to the taxpayers and maximize the total benefit.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Yes.