Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1761 (Purpose: To provide funding for incremental section 8 vouchers under section 558 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998)

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I, too, lend my support for this amendment. I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for his advocacy, and I thank the Senator from Missouri for the staff, along with my own staff, who helped find the funds. For any person disabled or with AIDS, finding the kind of suitable housing with the appropriate physical architecture, the kind of things needed for the aged or for someone quite ill, is important. We need to make sure we provide the opportunity for people to be able to maintain self-sufficiency in the community and be able to get the treatment they need. This goes a long way to adding help for 1,800 more people. I am willing to accept it.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I thank the Senator very much.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I, too, would like to express my very deep appreciation to the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Senator Stevens, as well as the ranking member, Senator Byrd. On two occasions their direct intervention enabled us to move this bill, first to add the $7 billion, where we were below last year's funding. We were very appreciative because without that we could not have moved this or else we would have been in gimmicks and a variety of other things. Also, Senator Stevens and Senator Byrd gave us the opportunity to add $600 million in veterans funding. Therefore no facility will be closed. We will be able to meet the needs of our veterans. So I thank the Senator from Alaska as well as the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, for helping us to move this bill. I also express my appreciation to Senator Bond for all his help in moving this bill, the consultation with the minority party, the collegial relationships, and essentially being able to meet the needs of the American people. I thank Senator Bond's staff, Jon Kamarck, Carrie Apostolou, Cheh Kim, and Joe Norrell for all their hard work on this bill, and a special thanks to my own staff, Paul Carliner, Sean Smith, and Jeannine Schroeder. I am proud of the bill we passed today because I believe it takes care of national interests and national needs. I also believe that this bill provides a solid bridge between the old century and the new century. In the old century, we saw the ravages of war and the ravages of the environment. Now we are ready to complete our move from the industrial age to the information age, and the programs this bill funds will allow us to do that. This bill provides an opportunity structure for home ownership and wider opportunities for educational advancement. In addition, it will allow us to stay the course in technology. Our mission is to honor the old century, but move swiftly into the new one. The VA-HUD bill is about: meeting our obligations to our veterans, serving our core constituencies, creating real opportunity for people, and advancing science and technology. Perhaps the most important is the need to ensure that we keep the promises we made to our veterans. The bill we passed today provides $19 billion in funding for veterans health care, and the Byrd-Bond- Mikulski-Stevens amendment provided $600 million in additional funding, an increase of $1.7 billion over the President's request. In addition, I am pleased that we were able to maintain funding for VA medical research at $316 million. The VA plays a very important role in medical research for the special needs of our veterans, such as geriatrics, Alzheimers, Parkinson's and orthopedic research. The entire nation benefits from VA medical research--particularly as our population continues to age. We also provide full funding to treat Hepatitis C, which is a growing problem among the veterans population, particularly for our Vietnam Veterans. This bill funds the State Veterans Homes at $90 million. The State Homes serve as our long-term care and rehabilitation facilities for our veterans. I am also pleased that the bill includes important language related to the Ft. Howard VA medical center that will ensure quality care during its transition to a mixed-use facility. We have also made sure that we take care of our working families by funding housing programs that millions depend upon. The bill that we brought to the floor yesterday provides $10.8 billion to renew all existing section 8 housing vouchers. That means those who have vouchers will continue to receive them. I hope that should additional funding become available, we will be able to provide additional vouchers. I am pleased that we also maintained level funding for other critical core HUD programs. Funding for housing for the elderly and the disabled has been increased by $50 million over last year, with additional funding for assisted living and service coordinators within the section 202 program. Homeless assistance grants are funded at the President's request. In addition, we have funded drug elimination grants and Youthbuild at last year's level, and the Community Development Block Grant Program is funded at $4.8 billion. I'm pleased that we were able to provide funds for several projects in my home state: $750,000 for the Patterson Park Community Development Corporation to establish a revolving fund to acquire and rehabilitate properties in East Baltimore; $1,250,000 for the University of Maryland--Eastern Shore for the development of a Coastal Ecology Teaching and Research Center; $1,250,000 for Prince Georges County for the revitalization of the Route 1 corridor. In addition, I have included report language that directs HUD to continue its efforts to bridge the information technology gap in communities through its ``Neighborhood Networks Initiative.'' The Neighborhood Networks Initiative brings computers and internet access to HUD assisted housing projects in low income communities. This will help us to ensure that every American has the ability to cross what Bill Gates has called the ``digital divide.'' I have seen the results of the Neighborhood Networks Initiative firsthand in Baltimore, and I look forward to seeing it in many other communities across the country. With regard to NASA funding, I was extremely troubled by the House version of the bill. The House bill included devastating funding cuts to America's space agency, including the Goddard Space Flight Center and Wallops Flight Facility. The House bill cuts 2,000 jobs at Goddard and Wallops. The Senate bill we pass today will save 2,000 jobs at Goddard and Wallops. I fought hard to restore funding for NASA, and I am truly pleased that this bill will save those jobs. NASA is fully funded in this bill, at $13.5 billion, the same as the President's request. Funding for the space shuttle, space station, and critical science programs are funded at the President's request. National Service is funded at $423 million, a slight reduction from last year. I continue to hope that this funding can be increased as we move toward conference. National Service has enrolled over 100,000 members and participants across the country in a wide array of community service programs, including: AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps. With regard to the EPA, the Subcommittee has provided $7.3 billion in total funding. The Subcommittee increased funding for EPA's core environmental programs: $825 million for the drinking water state revolving fund, and $1.3 billion for the clean water revolving fund, including $5 million for sewer upgrades in Cambridge and Salisbury, Maryland. Taking care of local communities infrastructure needs has always been a priority for me and this committee. We also provided $250,000 for a Kempton Mine remediation project. Superfund is funded at $1.4 billion, down slightly from last year. I'm especially pleased that we were able to support the President's full request for the Chesapeake Bay Program Office--over $18 million-- for FY 2000. The Chesapeake Bay Program Office is a leader in efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem for future generations. We also increased funding for the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Program that helps our small communities and prevents runoff and pollution. FEMA has $1 billion in the disaster relief fund. The bill we pass today adds $300 million to the disaster relief fund. This will help people in the Eastern United States who are still dealing with the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. That is why I'm glad that this bill was passed, and that FEMA will continue to be able to help those who are affected by natural disasters. We will await any further Administration request for disaster assistance in light of Hurricane Floyd. The National Science Foundation is funded at $3.9 billion, which is $250 million more than fiscal year 1999. This funding level will allow us to make critical investments in science and technology into the next century. The funding increase for NSF is an important step for maintaining our science and technology base. Mr. President, I recognize that there may have been certain provisions in this bill that members may have disagreed with or opposed. I acknowledge their concerns. But I am very pleased that we worked together to pass this bill today, and I hope we can resolve any outstanding differences as this process continues. I believe the VA/HUD bill is good for Maryland, good for America, and good for the American people who rely on the programs it funds. I thank Senator Bond and my colleagues once again for their support for this bill.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I too will remember this request for the American Museum of Natural History when we get to conference.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I say to my colleague from Missouri, we are now working through some colloquies. Some are a little bit more chatty and we have not had a chance to review them all. We will be prepared tomorrow to present them to the Senate. Mr. President, I say to my colleague from Missouri, we have concluded our actions for today.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I compliment the Senator from Minnesota for his persistence and consistent advocacy for a group that is now called the atomic vets. He is absolutely right when he says that every year he offers the amendment and then, because of the pressures of conference, it evaporates. First of all, the atomic vets have no finer champion than the Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Wellstone. From my perspective I support him. Tomorrow, when the call of the roll is made, I will be voting aye. Mr. President, I thank our colleague from Minnesota for his eloquent comments within the timeframe that enabled Senators to move on to other responsibilities. I really appreciate his courtesy.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the Bethesda Soccer Club Falcons for winning the Under-16 girls Maryland State Cup Championship. The Falcons defeated their opponent, the Soccer Club of Baltimore Force, 11-0. This victory marked the team's seventh consecutive state title--one for every year that they have been eligible to win--which also happens to be a Maryland record. Every Falcons team member was a contributor to this important victory. On the offensive, the game's leading strikers were Audra Poulin and Jenny Potter, who had three goals apiece. Jenna Linden added two goals to the team's fight, while Christi Bird, Stephanie Sybert, and Allison Dooley chipped in the remaining scores for the Falcons. This overpowering offense was aided by the passing and play-making abilities of the Falcons' talented mid-fielders: Beth Hendricks, Tara Quinn, Jennifer Fields, Susannah Empson, and Tanya Hahnel. One of the keys to the Falcons' victory was their unwavering and steadfast defense which allowed no goals and only a few shots by the unrelenting Baltimore Force. This defense was anchored around defenders Caitlin Curtis, Amy Salomon and Alison West, while the goal posts were kept clear by goalies Anna Halse-Strumberg and Kerry York. It was a fitting ending to the tournament in which the Falcons, through five games, outscored their hard-working opponents 29-0. The following day, the Falcons continued their winning efforts by defeating the Baltimore Soccer Club Pride--another great Maryland team. The Falcons finished in first place in the Washington Area Girls' Soccer Association Under-17 Premier Division. Mr. President, as many of my colleagues know, I believe we must get behind our kids and support them in their hard work. The importance of this principle was demonstrated by Falcons coach, Richie Burke, who did just that. As a result, the team fought hard and produced a definitive victory. I'm proud to have such a great team and a fantastic coach in Maryland, and I'm proud of all the participants in the Maryland State Cup Championship for their hard work and dedication.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Senator, I really do need senatorial courtesy because there are 99 other Senators trying to figure out what we are going to do with the rest of the evening. If the Senator would just share that with me, if the Senator wants to talk 5 hours, that is his business. If he wants to talk 10 hours, that is his business. But the pending VA-HUD bill is my business.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I wish to convey to the chairman of the subcommittee that the Senator from Massachusetts said he would be ready to go first thing in the morning. So I know of no other amendments this evening where the Senators are ready to offer them. My suggestion would be that we close out this evening and begin bright and early with the Kerry of Massachusetts amendments on section 8 and also the issue of housing for AIDS patients.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, this side has reviewed the amendment. We think a GAO study on this topic will definitely be in the national interest. I am willing to accept the amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Mr. SCHUMER addressed the Chair.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1781 (Purpose: To prohibit the use of funds by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the transfer of research aircraft from Glenn Research Center, Ohio, to any other field center)

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I concur with the analysis offered by Senator Bond. Rather than simply repeat, I concur in his comments. I say that to the Senator from Ohio. You have the Ames Research Center in Ohio. It has served the Nation well. It needs to be respected for what it has given to the Nation. As we look to the future of NASA, there needs to be the kind of analysis we talked about. So I concur with both the comments and the strategy offered by the Senator from Missouri.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, first of all, I thank Senator Bond for working with the Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin. I know Senator Fitzgerald also had a keen interest in this particular issue. I am ready to also accept this amendment and wish to note, though, this seems to be a pattern with VA, where our colleagues in the Congress have to keep giving them commonsense criteria on how to decide what is the best way to serve veterans. We know we are in the veterans' health care business. We know we are not in the veterans' real estate business. But surely, clear criteria and talking with the people most affected would go a long way. There was a saying in the early Polish Parliament that said: Nothing about us without us. I think that is the way the veterans feel. That is the way the Members of the Senate feel: Hello, Veterans Administration. Please, get to work on these criteria and follow what the Senate is telling you. I am happy to accept this amendment and urge its adoption. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. If there be no further debate, the question is on agreeing to the amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I concur with its adoption and want to congratulate the Senator from Maine, Ms. Snowe, for this amendment. Her criteria on Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation--nicknamed VERA--is absolutely right. I hope the VA uses it as a model for looking at the delivery generally: Travel time to veterans' health care, waiting time for appointments, costs associated with additional community-based outpatients, and also not only the waiting period but what we heard in other debate is, sometimes they wait and then they are sent home, sending them back another 150 miles and coming back another 150 miles. I believe our veterans have marched long enough and they shouldn't have to march to get their health care. This side of the aisle accepts this amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I wish to convey to the Senator from Missouri that we are trying to reach the Senator from Massachusetts about his amendment. As you know, he was prepared to offer them and then he moved on to other constituent meetings because we didn't know if we were in a filibuster or not. I didn't even know, and we are sorry that we could not pinpoint the time. I say to the Senator from Missouri, just another few moments of patience. We are contacting Senator Kerry to see if he can break free from the meetings and come to the floor to offer his amendment within the next 20 minutes or so, or shorter. In the meantime, we also know the Senator is anxious, as I am, for a unanimous consent to be hotlined with a deadline for amendments to be filed. As I understand it, we are waiting for the majority leader to see if he is in agreement with the UC as proposed by the Democratic leader. We are waiting, one, for Senator Lott on the UC, and Senator John Kerry, the Senator from Massachusetts, to come this evening. If he can, we will keep on going. If not, I am not quite sure what the other amendments are. I know the Senator from Missouri has a whole group of constituents who are a special affinity group for him that he is anxious to get to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I think we are in agreement on this amendment. I am prepared to accept it.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, as you know, we intended to have an extended conversation about the VA-HUD bill. Obviously, I appreciate the Senators' needs to defend their constituents' interests, and the plight of people losing businesses, of course, is significant to us all. I wish I would have known the time so we could have been better able to organize and plan our amendments. I know the leadership of both parties is now consulting on what is the best way to proceed for the rest of the evening in terms of amendments to be offered. I know there are amendments that are being drafted, and I also know the two leaders are discussing what is the best way to come to closure on the number of amendments to be offered. So right this minute, because we missed a certain window to offer two important amendments, we are now involved in a process. But I am reluctant to yield the floor except to Senator Bond because I am going to stick on VA-HUD, and with all of the compelling issues in that bill. Mr. BOND addressed the Chair.