Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today I join my good friend and colleague, Senator Harkin, in introducing a bill to allow for coverage of acupuncture services under Part B of Medicare and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). I am proud to be the lead cosponsor of this legislation. I like this bill for three reasons: it gives patients access to affordable, quality health care; it offers patients choice of treatment; and it lets patients decide what treatment works for them. Some years ago I had some very severe illnesses. Western medicine was of limited utility for me and I turned to acupuncture. Acupuncture helped me get well and has helped me stay well. Time after time, constituents have confirmed what I already know about acupuncture--it is an effective treatment for a number of conditions. Last November, the Western medical establishment formally endorsed what American consumers have been saying for a long time. The National Institutes of Health convened a federal panel of experts in medicine, anthropology, biostatistics, epidemiology and other scientific disciplines to discuss the validity of acupuncture as an effective treatment option. The panel concluded that there is clear evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for certain kinds of pain and nausea and may be effective for other conditions. Equally important, acupuncture has fewer side effects and is less invasive than many ``traditional'' medical practices. The panel decided that, given its good safety profile and the fact that it is often less expensive than conventional medicine, it's time to take acupuncture seriously. I think it's time that the federal government take it seriously, too. The time has come for Medicare and FEHBP to cover acupuncture for American patients who seek this treatment option. I urge the Senate to approve this legislation to allow American patients to choose this less invasive, less costly, and effective treatment option. I applaud Senator Harkin for taking the lead on this important effort.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President: Twenty four years ago today, Turkish troops invaded and divided the nation of Cyprus. This illegal and immoral division of Cyprus continues today--dividing a country and creating instability in the Mediterranean. During the early days of the Turkish occupation, six thousand Greek- Cypriots were killed. Over two hundred thousand were driven from their homes. Many of the missing, including some Americans, have never been accounted for. Little has changed in the past quarter century. Today, forty thousand Turkish troops remain in Cyprus. The Greek-Cypriots who remain in the northern part of the island are denied basic human rights such as the right to a free press, freedom to travel, and access to religious sites. I am disappointed that we have made no progress in ending the occupation of Cyprus. Earlier this year, there were reasons to be hopeful. We thought that possible European Union membership would made Turkey more receptive to peace talks. but Turkey is not on the short list for EU membership--and Turkey responded by imposing preconditions on any negotiations. So we are far as ever from a peaceful solution for Cyprus. This year, as we mark this somber anniversary, I urge my colleagues to join me in recommitting ourselves to bring peace to Cyprus. First of all, we must continue to make the resolution of the Cyprus problem a priority. President Clinton and Secretary of State Albright have focused more attention on this region that any other Administration. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Ambassador Tom Miller have done an excellent job trying to bring both sides together. As Ambassador Holbrooke assumes his new responsibilities at the United Nations, we must encourage the Administration to replace him with an emissary of equal stature. The secondary priority is that we must continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Cyprus. Each year, Congress provides fifty million dollars to foster bicommunal cooperation in Cyprus. These funds are used for education, health care, and to help both communities to solve regional problems--such as to improve water and energy supplies. The third priority is that Congress should pass the Enclaved People of Cyprus Act. Senator Olympia Snowe and I introduced this legislation to call for improved human rights for the Greek Cypriots living under Turkish control. Mr. President: The crisis in Cyprus has brought two NATO allies to the brink of war. The occupation is also a human tragedy that should enrage all of us who care about human rights. I urge my colleagues to continue to work toward a peaceful and unified Cyprus.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I inserted a provision in this legislation to prohibit our government from sending our great Navy ships overseas--where they are dismembered in a dangerous, irresponsible and immoral manner. The export of misery and the exploitation of workers is beneath the dignity and honor of our nation. I'd like to give the Senate some background on this issue. With the end of the Cold War the number of ships to be disposed of in the military arsenal is growing. There are 180 Navy and Maritime Administration ships waiting to be scrapped. These ships are difficult and dangerous to dismantle. They usually contain asbestos, PCB's and lead paint. They were built long before we understood all the environmental hazards associated with these materials. This issue was brought to my attention by a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles that appeared in the Sun written by reporters Gary Cohn and Will Englund. They conducted a thorough and rigorous investigation of the way we dispose of our Navy and maritime ships. They traveled around the country and around the world to see firsthand how our ships are dismantled, and Mr. President, I must advise that the way we do this is not being done in an honorable, environmentally sensitive, or efficient way. I believe when we have ships that have defended the United States of America, that they were floating military bases--and they should be retired with the same care and dignity with which we close a military base. Let me read from the Sun series: As the Navy sells off warships at the end of the Cold War, a little known industry has grown up. In America's depressed ports and where the ship breaking industry goes, pollution and injured workers are left in its wake. The Pentagon repeatedly deals with ship breakers with dismal records, then fails to keep watch as they leave health, environmental and legal problems in their wake. Of the 58 ships sold for scrapping since 1991, only 28 have been finished. And oh, my God, how they have been finished. I would like to turn to my own hometown of Baltimore. In Baltimore the dismantling of the Coral Sea has been a disaster. There were fires, lawsuits, delays--and injuries. The Navy inspector refused to board the Coral Sea because he was afraid it was too dangerous. I am quoting now the Sun paper. ``September 16, 1993, the military sent its lone inspector for the United States to the salvage yard in Baltimore. He didn't inspect it because he thought it was too dangerous.'' The inspector was right to be concerned about his own safety. The next day a 23 year-old worker found out how safe it would be. He walked on a flight deck and he dropped 30 feet from the hangar. ``I felt the burning feeling inside,'' he said, ``blood was coming out of my mouth, I didn't think I would live.'' He suffered a fractured spleen, pelvis, and broke his arms in several places. At the same time we had repeated fires that were breaking out. In November of 1996, a fire broke out in the Coral Sea's engine room. No one was standing fire watch. No hose nearby. The blaze burned quickly out of control and for the sixth time Baltimore City's fire department had to come in and rescue a shipyard. At the same time the owner of the shipyard had a record of environmental violations - a record for which he ultimately was sentenced to jail. While all of this has been going on, the Navy also planned to send our ships overseas--where worker and environmental safety are virtually ignored. In India, the Sun paper found a tidal beach where 35,000 men scrapped the world ships with little more than their bare hands. They worked under wretched conditions. They often dismantle ships with their bare hands. They earn just a couple of dollars a day. They have no hard hats, no training. Every day, someone dies breaking these ships. I will quote from the Sun series: They live in hovels built of scrap, with no showers, toilets or latrines. They have come from poor villages on the other side of India, lured by wages that start at one dollar and fifty cents a day, to work at dangerous jobs, protected only by scarves and sandals. They suffer broken ankles, severed fingers, smashed skulls, malaria fevers, dysentery and tuberculosis. Some are burned and some are drowned. Nobody keeps track of how many die here from accidents and disease. Some say a worker dies every day. This is an international disgrace. So I introduced legislation to prohibit the overseas sales of government owned ships to countries with poor labor and environmental records. I inserted similar language in the VA-HUD appropriations bill that we are considering today. This is not a ban on exports. Ships could be exported to countries that can break ships responsibly. This limitation on exports would only be in effect for one year. This would enable the Navy to come up with a more ethical, workable plan for exports. This one year pause in exports would also enable us to improve our ability to dispose of ships here in the U.S. This will provide American jobs, and will strengthen our shipbuilding industrial base. Some say that it is cheaper to send our ships to India and other developing countries. It is cheaper. Why? Because workers earn one dollar and fifty cents a day. They work eighteen hours a day. They have no training and no protection. They die or are maimed in terrible, preventable accidents. It is always cheaper to exploit workers--and it is always wrong. I would like to thank the Sun paper for their outstanding service in bringing this not only to my attention but to America's attention. Now the Senate must act to end these shameful policies. The Sun reporters won the Pulitzer prize. But I want the United States of America to be sure that we win a victory here today for workers, the environment--and especially for the Navy. Because I know our Navy wants to do the right, honorable thing. I hope my colleagues will agree with me that the practice of exploiting foreign workers and ignoring the environment is beneath the dignity of our great Navy, and of our nation. (At the request of Ms. Mikulski, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I stand in opposition to the Nickles amendment. Let me share why I support the FHA loan limit increase included in the Appropriations Committee bill. FHA is a critical tool for first time home buyers, low and moderate income buyers, and minority buyers. FHA will help us meet new market realities, but in a way that does not expose taxpayers and communities to a big buck liability in the event of FHA foreclosures. Our Senate bill will raise the FHA loan limit in high cost areas from $170,000 to $197,000. It will also raise the limit in low cost areas from $86,000 to $108,000. Mr. President, home ownership is a critical step in a person or family's attempt to obtain assets and to becoming a more permanent fixture in a community. Like many of my colleagues, I share the concern about the affect that foreclosures can have on individuals' credit and the stability of a community. My own hometown of Baltimore has been a victim of foreclosures harming neighborhoods. But in our bill we have provided a modest increase that does not raise the limit too much too quickly. Our objective is clear, for those who FHA serves, ensure that it is a useful tool. The objective is not to put the private mortgage insurance companies out of business or to move FHA away from providing for low and moderate income buyers. I believe that the FHA provision included in the Senate bill before us is good for Maryland and good for the nation. I believe that this is a positive step in rewarding investment and provides relief to working families. I encourage my colleagues to oppose the Nickles amendment and support the Appropriations Committee's attempt to help home buyers across the country. Mr. President, what this legislation does is provide an opportunity for first-time home ownership. It does not put private mortgage insurance companies out of business. It is a good thing to do.

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 oppose the amendment and support the motion to table. Yes, this subcommittee is a strong supporter of space and science and technology. We put $150 million more in the NASA budget. But we object to offsetting and cutting national service that provides the opportunity to pay for college education, in which 50,000 have earned their educational awards, a modest amount of money that could be used to help them continue their education. We have worked to improve 100,000 people who have participated in this program. Don't cut the habits of the heart. Don't cut the habits of the heart for space. Mr. President, I am a strong supporter of space programs and strongly support investments in science and technology. That's why I worked with Senator Bond to find a $150 million increase for NASA. But, I must strongly oppose cuts to the Corporation for National Service. The National Service helps to promote the habits of the heart and fosters the volunteer spirit that helped make this country great. To date nearly 100,000 people have participated. They have helped to generate thousands of un-paid volunteers in communities across the country. The National Service provides assistance to programs like the one run by the Sisters of Notre Dame in Baltimore. This is a critical tutoring service of young people. Each year over 400,000 young children are tutored by AmeriCorps volunteers who work to help prepare our children to be literate and functional in the 21st century. Volunteers also work with well respected organizations like the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA, and provide real help to meet compeling human needs. In addition the National Service also provides an opportunity for participants to pay for their college education. To date 50,000 have earned their educational awards. A modest amount of money is used to help our young adults. I urge my colleagues to stand with me as I stand behind our kids. Vote to table the Sessions amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I thank the Senator from Connecticut for raising this issue. It is never too late to raise the issue about the quality of care that our veterans get. That means we need to be able to retain the very best from our nurses. The Senator has brought to our attention an issue which I believe has not been raised before. As we move to conference, you have the assurance of your colleague on this side of the aisle, we will look into the matters raised and see how we can do the redress in conference, if a remedy is necessary. But you have really brought something to our attention. It is important to the nurses who give care that they get paid and are retained, and we say thank you by adequate pay. Second, it has a direct impact on veterans' care, because the more we retain the best, the better care they get. So I thank the Senator from Connecticut.

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

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, first, I thank the leadership--the Republican leader and the Democratic leader--for giving us a window of opportunity which enabled us to move the bill. Yes, it was late at night, but we did due diligence and deliberation. I am proud to support the final passage of this bill. It is good for the Nation; it is good for my own home State. We provide increases for veterans' medical care and veterans research. We fought to restore cuts in elderly housing, and we provided increases in the high-tech future through NASA and the National Science Foundation. We are going to get behind our kids in terms of the funding for national service and those wonderful informal science programs at the NSF. We worked to protect our environment, as well as stand sentry to help our communities in the event of a disaster. I was particularly pleased to work on a bipartisan effort to increase antiterrorist efforts in the FEMA program and to make sure that we protect our Nation from any foe, domestic or foreign. That is our oath, and that is what we will do. Also in this funding, we look for those important things that look out for the Chesapeake Bay and deal with important research on pfiesteria. Madam President, this is a good bill. I was pleased to work with Senator Bond. Again, this is a partisan-free zone that we had called for. I thank him. I thank his professional staff for their very professional behavior. I thank my own staff for the hard work that they put into this bill, and I look forward to working in conference and perhaps getting our conference done before the August recess. Madam President, that concludes my remarks on this bill. Again, thanks to John Kamarck, Carolyn Apostolou, Andy Givens, David Bowers, and Bertha Lopez. Mr. CRAIG addressed the Chair.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I concur with the position that we are taking here and urge the procedure recommended by the chairman.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. EPA Activities Related To CO2 Emissions

Ms. MIKULSKI. The Senate is not in order.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, the Senator from Arkansas has stated the position well. As the ranking member on this bill, I agree we should take this amendment. There is disputed information about cost, scoring, the administration's position. But I believe we have assured everyone who has a yellow flashing light about this policy that we will consult on the way to conference, and I believe we should accept the amendment today. We will resolve this in conference, consulting with all appropriate people.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, as we close the debate on the fiscal year 1999 VA/HUD bill, I thank Chairman Bond, first, for all the courtesies that he has extended both to myself and to my staff during the entire year that we have considered this legislation--many hearings, many discussions, many issues that we ironed out so we could come to the floor with the bill that really met compelling human need and investment in the future. And at the same time, avoid a lot of the wrangling that sometimes can surround appropriations bills. I also think he handled the bill tonight with great deftness. We want to thank him. I want to thank his staff, Carolyn Apostolou and Jon Kamarck for the outstanding job they did. Of course, I could not stand here and be able to articulate the position of both my party and my own beliefs without my very able staff. I thank Andy Givens, David Bowers and Bertha Lopez, who were with me throughout the entire year as we moved this bill. So I look forward to voting for the bill tomorrow and in conference. And really, for all of the pages who have worked so late, they should know that this bill has really helped. We have housing for the poor and have saved the environment, invested in the future. I could go on, but I am going to now yield the floor.

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

Ms. MIKULSKI. I thank the Senator from New Mexico for bringing this worthy project to my attention. I am aware of the serious problems on the Navajo reservation, and I agree that this is a worthy project. The Senator from New Mexico has my commitment to work in conference to support this project should funding become available.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I concur with Chairman Bond and will work with him to ensure that the reform of the FHA property disposition program protects local communities.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I concur with the observations of the Senator from Minnesota. There is a disturbingly large gap between the number of units of affordable housing and the number of families in need. Savings from HUD property disposition reform should go to federal housing assistance in some form. As a clarification, would it be correct to say that my Colleague from Missouri agrees with the Senator from Minnesota and myself that if savings could be found within the HUD accounts, that housing programs would be a primary target for such funds? Mr. BOND: That is correct. I also want to emphasize that the reform of FHA property disposition is critical, but needs to be designed to ensure that property disposition helps to protect distressed communities, where applicable.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I gladly accept the amendment offered by my colleague from Maine. Her commitment to health care and its accessibility is long standing. To ensure that veterans don't have to drive miles and miles and miles to get the health care that they need is a very modest amendment that we could agree to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay it on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3208 (Purpose: To state the sense of the Senate that it should be the goal of the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve all veterans at health care facilities within 250 miles of their homes, and for other purposes)

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, this side of the aisle accepts the amendment offered by Senators Bond and Ashcroft. I commend the Senators from Missouri for bringing this to our national attention. It obviously points out this despicable drug has two negative consequences. It is horrendous and devastating to anyone who takes it, but it is also dangerous in where it is made, and innocent people, innocent children nearby, are unwittingly exposed to and even in additional danger around its manufacturer. We want to support this amendment. I believe we need those steps to get crime out of public housing. Public housing should be an opportunity to lead a better life, not an incubator for small business drug trafficking.

Ms. MIKULSKI. First of all, I appreciate the willingness of the Senator from Nebraska to actually withdraw the amendment. The Senator from Missouri has my absolute assurance to work for report language or another acceptable approach that would deal with the compelling issue that he raised about the State of Nebraska. This would mean working with the appropriate authorizers. It also means working with the Administrator. We are willing to work with the Senator. We understand that Nebraska comes under a rule where there are consequences with excessive copper--with nausea, diarrhea, and other things. They might not affect anybody in Nebraska, but there are consequences. We are not going to debate science tonight. What we want to let the Senator know is, first of all, we appreciate the Senator's withdrawing the amendment. The Senator has our assurance we will work with him to advance this so that Nebraska's small communities do not have to make these expensive expenditures to comply with a rule that might in that State have either no or limited utility. We all have examples in our States. And the consequences, particularly to small, rural areas, are quite severe. I have had to confront some of these issues in Maryland myself. I won't give the examples because of the time. But I know what it is like for a county not to have a lot of money, to maybe have to go into bonds to be able to do that and then, having to spend their bond money, they can't build another school, another library, buy another computer for a child. So we understand that and look forward to working with the Senator. The Senator has my assurance we will work with him in conference. Mr. BOND addressed the Chair.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Will the Senator yield for a question without in any way yielding the floor? The talented staff has come up with an idea that might help. We would like to discuss it with you by going into a quorum without you losing your right to the floor. This is no trick.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I would like you to hear this proposal and see if it would be acceptable to get out of the logjam that we are in right this minute.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Could the Senator talk to the Senator from Montana, Mr. Baucus, and the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Chafee, to see if they would accept some report language, and come back and discuss the report language?