Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the time be divided as before.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, the Senator from Iowa is correct regarding the allocation of these funds. The intention is that the funds may be used for the authorized purposes that you noted. funding of transportation security improvement measures

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, back in July and August, the Senate spent a lot of time talking about the safety of Mexican trucks. Originally, the White House wanted to allow Mexican trucks to travel throughout the United States without sufficient safety checks. That raised real safety concerns for everyone from the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety to the AAA of Texas. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, voted to prevent any Mexican trucks from traveling beyond a limited area near the border. I have always believed that we could ensure our safety and promote commerce at the same time. So Senator Shelby and I--working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle--created a commonsense safety plan. The Senate turned back several amendments--and voted twice with strong bipartisan super-majorities--to invoke cloture both on the committee substitute and the bill itself. This summer, there were several attempts to weaken the safety provisions, but the Senate consistently rejected them. And I am proud to say that the final conference agreement strictly adheres to the outlines of the Senate bill. This agreement prohibits the border from being opened to Mexican trucks until the DOT implements a number of important safety measures, and until the DOT's inspector general has concluded a thorough audit of the Department's efforts. I would like to spend a moment comparing the conference agreement with the administration's original plan. Let me start with compliance reviews, which are comprehensive inspections of a trucking firm's vehicles, its management systems, and all of its license, insurance, and maintenance records. It looks at the trucking firm's operating and violation histories and yields a decision as to whether the firm should be allowed to continue operating in the U.S. Under the administration's plans, there was never going to be a requirement that a Mexican trucking firm undergo a compliance review. The conference agreement, however, includes a requirement that each and every Mexican trucking firm undergo a compliance review before being granted permanent operating authority. There are no exceptions. Let's look at on-site inspections. The administration never intended to require that inspections by U.S. truck safety inspectors take place on-site at a Mexican trucking firm's facilities. The conference agreement, however, requires that U.S. truck safety inspectors must visit every Mexican trucking firm either when they conduct their initial safety examination or when they conduct a compliance review to determine whether the firm should be granted permanent operating authority in the U.S. The only exception is granted to the smallest independent operators in Mexico. They will be required to have these same exams conducted at the border. Even with this exception, it is likely that these smallest of firms will be visited on-site. That's because the DOT will have to conduct on-site inspections of at least half of all firms and half of all the traffic volume coming into the U.S. Originally, the administration did not intend to verify many licenses when Mexican truckers crossed the border. The DOT told us that they would verify the licenses on a random basis--but deliberately avoided defining what was meant by the word ``random.'' That could mean verifying 1 out of every 100 licenses or 1 out of every 1,000 licenses. Under the conference agreement, the DOT will be required to electronically verify at least one out of every two licenses. And the actual ratio will be even higher. That's because the conference agreement requires that border inspectors verify the license of every trucker carrying hazardous materials, and every trucker undergoing a Level I inspection, and then requires that inspectors verify 50 percent of all other vehicles crossing the border. On the issue of overweight trucks, the administration did not intend to implement any special effort to address overweight vehicles--even though Mexican weight limits far exceed those in the U.S. The conference agreement, however, requires that--within 1 year of the date of enactment--each and every truck crossing the border at the ten busiest border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico will be weighed. In fact, the conference agreement prohibits the border from being opened at all--until half of these border crossings have weigh-in- motion systems fully installed. The administration did not intend to require that Mexican trucks cross the border only where DOT safety inspectors are on duty. The conference agreement requires that the trucks cross where inspectors are on duty. It also requires that they enter the U.S. at crossings where there is adequate capacity for the inspectors to conduct meaningful inspections and, if need be, place vehicles out-of-service for safety violations. The DOT was planning to open the border whether or not a number of critical truck safety rulemakings had been finalized and published. Some of these rulemakings have been delayed for years, but the DOT planned to open the border anyway. The conference agreement, however, requires that the Secretary either implement policy directives or publish interim final rules that will immediately govern the behavior of trucking firms--before the border can be opened. Now let's look at the hauling of hazardous materials across the border. The administration had not planned on implementing any unique requirements for hazardous materials trucks even though they represent a unique and dangerous threat on our highways. The conference agreement, however, requires that even if other trucks have already been allowed to cross the border no hazardous material trucks will be allowed to enter the U.S. until the governments of the U.S. and Mexico enter into a separate agreement confirming that U.S. and Mexican drivers of these vehicles have been subjected to the same unique requirements. Finally, concerning the oversight of the inspector general, the administration was planning to open the border without regard to the long list of safety deficiencies that had been cited by the DOT inspector general. As far as the DOT was concerned, the inspector general could continue to publish as many critical audits as he wanted to--but they were going to open the border on January 1 without regard to whether any of the deficiencies had been addressed. There wasn't even a process in place to require the Transportation Secretary to acknowledge the findings of the IG. Under the conference agreement, no trucks may cross the border until the IG has completed another entire audit of the DOT's efforts. And no trucks may cross the border until the Transportation Secretary has received the IG's findings and has certified in writing, in a manner addressing each of those findings, that the opening of the border does not present an unacceptable risk to our constituents. So, the conference agreement includes a serious mechanism to hold the Transportation Secretary accountable for his decision to open the border. And you can be sure that the Transportation Appropriations subcommittee will be holding a hearing with both the Transportation Secretary and the inspector general once the IG has made his findings and the Secretary is poised to issue his certification. Some observers have suggested that the requirements of the conference agreement are not as restrictive as the measures that passed the Senate. As I view it, the safety requirements are effectively the same. The conference agreement gives the administration a degree of flexibility in implementing these safety requirements. Others have said that the border is likely to open more quickly under the provisions of the conference agreement than under the Senate-passed bill. That may be true. But I want to remind my colleagues that, it has never been our goal to keep the border closed. I voted for NAFTA. I represent a state that is highly-dependent on international trade. And I believe in the economic benefits that come with lower trade barriers. Throughout this entire process, my goal--and that of Senator Shelby-- has been to ensure the safety of our highways. And I am proud that this conference agreement makes great progress for our safety. I am prepared to yield back all of our time on the bill if there is no one to speak. I yield back the remainder of our time.

Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator is correct. The funds appropriated are intended to cover those costs.

Mrs. MURRAY. Under the authority granted to the majority leader by the unanimous consent agreement of December 3, I ask unanimous consent that the vote on adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2299, the Transportation appropriations bill occur at 12:30 p.m. today, without further intervening action, and I now ask for the yeas and nays on adoption.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to share with the Senate and the American people the remarkable work of Dr. Lee Hartwell, a respected scientist in Washington State. Dr. Hartwell was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research in cell division and cancer. I'm especially proud that Dr. Hartwell conducted much of his research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where he serves as president and director. On October 8, 2001, the Nobel Assembly announced that Dr. Hartwell, along with Paul Nurse and Timothy Hunt, has won the 2001 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. The award honors Dr. Hartwell's more than 30 years of pioneering work in yeast genetics. Dr. Hartwell's research into cell division has helped scientists throughout the world to better understand cancer and has laid the foundation for future cancer treatments. Dr. Hartwell leads one of the finest research teams in the world at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In the past five years, I've worked in Congress to double funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This investment is intended to support the kind of groundbreaking research being conducted at the Research Center. In fact, as a member of the Senate HELP Committee and the Senate Labor, H.H.S. and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I often point to the lifesaving research and care the center provides as an example of why this investment in NIH is so important. Dr. Hartwell is not just a talented scientist. He is a real champion for cancer patients and their families. During consideration of a Patients' Bill of Rights, Dr. Hartwell often spoke out on behalf of cancer patients and explained the importance of access to clinical trials, which is sometimes the only hope for patients. Thanks to the advocacy of cancer researchers like Dr. Hartwell, the final legislation included this protection for patients. Dr. Hartwell was born on October 30, 1939 in Los Angeles, California. He earned his Bachelor of Science in 1961 from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D in 1964 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1965-68, he served as Associate Professor at the University of California. In 1968, he joined the faculty of the University of Washington and became a professor of genetics in 1973. In 1997, he became President and Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In 1987, he became a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He has received numerous honors including: the General Motors Sloan Award (1991), Gairdner Foundation International Award (1992), Genetics Society of America Medal (1994) and the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award (1998). Dr. Hartwell will be presented with the award on December 10, 2001, which is the 100th anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, after whom the award is named. The Nobel Committee has recognized what we in the Northwest have known for a long time; namely that because of Dr. Hartwell's hard work and dedication, the world is a better place. It is an honor and a distinct pleasure to join with the Nobel Committee in formally recognizing Dr. Lee Hartwell's many accomplishments.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services be authorized to meet on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Current and Future Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation Threats.''

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Business Rights and Competition be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 2 p.m., in Dirksen 226. Tentative witness list for ``International Aviation Alliances: Market Turmoil and the Future of Airline Competition'': Donald Carty, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Airlines; Leo Mullen, Chief Executive Officer, Delta Airlines; Richard Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Airlines; Richard Branson, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic Airlines; Roger Maynard, Director of Alliances and Strategy, British Airways; and Larry Kellner, President, Continental Airlines.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to hold a closed hearing on intelligence matters on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 3:30 p.m.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 10 a.m., in Dirksen room 226, to consider the nominations of Joe L. Heaton, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, Clay D. Land, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, Frederick J. Martone, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona, Danny C. Reeves, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Julie A. Robinson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Kansas, and James Edward Rogan, of California, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Witnesses will include Senators Don Nickles, Mitch McConnell, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Sam Brownback, Pat Roberts, Max Cleland, Jim Bunning, and Zell Miller.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 2 p.m., to hold a nomination hearing. Agenda Nominees Panel 1: John Marshall, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator (Management) of the United States Agency for International Development and Constance Newman, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Administrator (for Africa) of the United States Agency for International Development. Panel 2: Cynthia Perry, of Texas, to be United States Director of the African Development Bank for a term of five years; Jose Fourquet, of New Jersey, to be United States Executive Director of the Inter- American Development Bank for a term of three years; and Jorge Arrizurieta, of Florida, to be United States Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 7, 2001. The purpose of this hearing will be to continue markup on the next Federal farm bill.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Chair. (The remarks of Mrs. Murray and Ms. Snowe pertaining to the introduction of S. 1643 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I intend to speak as in morning business. I believe the Senator from Minnesota would like to propound a unanimous consent request.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I rise today along with my colleagues, Senator Snowe, Senator Lieberman, Senator Santorum, Senator Dorgan, Senator Thurmond, Senator Durbin, Senator Craig, Senator Cleland, Senator Bond, and Senator Feinstein, to introduce the Sales Tax Holiday Act of 2001. Our economy needs a shot in the arm. The GDP is declining, consumer confidence is at a 7-year low, and consumer spending has slowed to its lowest level in 8 years. But consumer spending is just what we need to get our economy going again. In fact, two-thirds of our economy depends on consumer spending. Today, we are proposing an innovative way to get Americans back into stores and to get our economy back on its feet. What we are proposing is a national sales tax holiday, a 10-day period where every American can shop without having to pay a State sales tax. The national sales tax holiday will save one money on everything from cars and computers to books and baby clothes. It will boost retail sales and consumer confidence, and it will help everyone in the retail chain, from assembly line workers and truck drivers to shelf stockers and sales people. This national sales tax holiday we are proposing is immediate. Every American can take advantage of it. It will not break the bank, and it will directly stimulate our economy by boosting sales and supporting retail, transportation, and manufacturing jobs throughout our entire country. Many businesses rely on the holiday season to make it through the year, and many workers count on those retail jobs before the holidays. Our bill will help both. Even before September 11, this was shaping up to be a very difficult time for retail businesses and the thousands of workers they employ. This sales tax holiday will give our economy a shot in the arm and will give families a break when they need it the most. Our bill sets the date of the tax holiday from November 23 to December 2. That is the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Many Americans are looking for ways to support our country. With the sales tax holiday, we can help jump-start our economy by buying things for school, for work, or for home. It is all so easy. You do not have to wait for a check. You do not have to fit into a certain income tax bracket. You buy what you need, you put someone to work, you give our country a boost, and you save money. Seven States, plus the District of Columbia, have used these sales tax holidays, and they have had great results. Under our approach, the Federal Government will reimburse States for the lost sales tax revenue. Right now we estimate the cost to be about $6.5 billion, depending on how many States participate and how strongly consumers respond. Under our plan, every penny of the $6.5 billion will go directly into the economy. In the coming weeks, the Senate will debate legislation to stimulate the American economy and to help workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn. The final product needs to stimulate additional economic activity. It needs to boost consumer confidence and spending. It needs to encourage business investment and job creation. It needs to address the needs of workers and their families who have lost their jobs. It must maintain a commitment to fiscal discipline and the long-term economic health of this Nation. And it should help return the country to a sense of normalcy. I believe the legislation I am introducing today with Senator Snowe can be an important part of a balanced economic stimulus package. First, our proposal will stimulate economic activity and consumer confidence. States and businesses that have participated in sales tax holidays reported an increase in sales during their sales tax holiday. Most importantly, businesses have found that consumers do not just shift their spending to the holiday period, but these holidays create new spending that would not have otherwise occurred. Second, our proposal will stimulate business investment and job creation. Retail businesses will need to boost inventories to prepare for larger crowds. That is good news for manufacturers, distributors, and other businesses that help meet consumer demand for all kinds of products. Third, it benefits all Americans. Low, middle, and upper income people all pay sales taxes on the products they buy, and since the sales tax is the most regressive kind of tax, lower income consumers will benefit the most. Our proposal is fiscally responsible. This tax holiday will last for no more than 10 days in any State and, therefore, there are no exploding costs in the long term. Our proposal does not negatively affect State and local budgets. Here, in fact, is how the States will get reimbursed: Every State that participates in the holiday will receive a quick payment of their estimated lost revenue. Before the tax holiday, a State can decide if it wants to be reimbursed for the exact amount of its loss. Then after the tax holiday, those States would go through a reconciliation process with the Federal Government. We need a sales tax holiday. The economic slowdown and other factors are having a tremendous impact on the ability of State and local governments to provide critical services and to help working families who have been hurt by higher unemployment. That is why I have worked very hard to make sure that the Federal Government will fully compensate the States that take advantage of this holiday. In addition, our plan is optional so States can choose to opt in if they want to stimulate their own economy. Even without Federal incentives, seven States and the District of Columbia have already used sales tax holidays to help working families buy school clothes, computers, and to stimulate economic activity. This will help return this country to a sense of normalcy. Our Nation, and each of our lives, have been changed forever by the events of September 11. We can never go back to September 10. Those events reminded us how fragile life is. They reminded us of everything for which we have to be thankful--our family, our friends, our faith, our communities, and our democracy. But as we celebrate these important things during the upcoming holiday season, I believe it is important that we not feel guilty about getting back to business and to our daily lives. President Bush has urged all of us in the wake of the September 11 attacks to return to our daily lives and get back to business. I believe this legislation will help us get the Nation back to business. It is fair, it is responsible, it will help families, and it will stimulate our economy. I urge my colleagues to support including it in the economic stimulus package. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to express my overall support for the Labor-HHS bill currently before us. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their continued efforts to meet our county's needs. I recognize the financial limitations we faced in the subcommittee in trying to address our many concerns in labor, health and education. This appropriations bill, more than any other bill, impacts every family and every community. The programs in this bill from education and health services to workplace safety are priorities for Washington families. While I am disappointed by some areas of the bill, overall it makes critical investments in our health, safety and welfare. I would like to highlight some of my priorities in this critical legislation, starting with education. Although I appreciate the significant increase in education we provide in this bill, I hope that we will be able to put more money into education programs this year. The education reform bill now in conference would impose significant new requirements on our schools, and if we are going to ensure no child is left behind, we need to provide the money to back up that bill. I look forward to working with Senator Harkin and my other colleagues on the ESEA conference committee to fully-fund IDEA. I especially thank the Chair for working with me to ensure sufficient funding to keep our commitment of smaller classes for our young students. This investment of more than $3 billion in teacher quality and smaller classes represents the fourth year that I have successfully fought for funds to help districts continue on the path to hiring 100,000 new teachers to reduce class sizes in the early grades nationwide. By including the class size reduction program in the appropriations bills over the last 3 years, Congress has taken an important, bipartisan step to ensure our students are learning in less crowded classrooms. The first year of Federal class size reduction funds enabled schools to hire 29,000 teachers, and last year's funding added another 8,000 to that number. As a result, about 2 million students are learning in classrooms that are no longer overcrowded. On a related note, I am pleased that this bill includes funding to continue the school renovation investments we started this year. These funds are critical to ensuring students learn in safe, modern and uncrowded classrooms. I am also pleased to note that this bill includes funding for the Teacher Training in Technology Program. Helping our teachers learn to use technology is essential if we are going to use technology to improve education for all students. I will continue to work to secure this program in ESEA reauthorization, and appreciate the committee's support in that endeavor. I am disappointed that this bill does not provide more funding to support some of our most vulnerable students our homeless children. I hoped we would follow the lead of the education authorizers who accepted my amendment to double the authorization for homeless education. At the current level this program is only able to serve one- third of eligible children, and less than 4 percent of districts receive direct funding. The House mark includes $50 million for this program, and I hope that the final agreement will include a significant increase over current funding. Family homelessness is increasing. The U.S. Conference of Mayors found that demand for emergency shelter increased by 17 percent among homeless families last year. Schools are having a hard time keeping up with the increasing demand for services, and I fear that the changes in our economy will only make the situation worse. Local homeless education programs use these funds to help homeless children enroll, attend, and succeed in school in by: establishing liaisons to the homeless community to identify homeless children and connect them to school; providing school supplies and emergency needs--everything from backpacks, paper, pencils, gym clothes, math/science equipment, to eyeglasses, shoes, clothing, and hygiene supplies; offering tutorial services for homeless children at shelters and other locations; and much more. I thank the managers for adding funding for GEAR UP in this final bill, and I hope we can include additional funds in conference to avoid a cut from the fiscal year 2001 appropriated level. I have seen firsthand the great work this program is facilitating. Research has shown that reaching out to disadvantaged middle school students to let them know that the dream of college is within their grasp and supporting them in attaining that dream is the most effective way to ensure more disadvantaged students get a college degree. In the information economy of the 21st century we cannot leave children behind by denying them access to higher education. I believe we can and must do better for these children by providing an increase in funding for the GEAR UP Program. Finally, I look forward to working with Chairman Harkin and the Ranking Member, Senator Specter, to secure the funds necessary to operate Child Care Aware. Millions of children are in care outside of their home while their parents work. Yet child care is often more costly than college tuition, and quality care can be hard to find. Child Care Aware is a nonprofit initiative, operated by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, that is committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community. Next, I would like to turn to the labor provisions of this bill. I am pleased that the bill includes $1.549 billion for the Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities. This is an increase of nearly $140 million from fiscal year 2001. Unfortunately, our economy is continuing to slump. Recent indicators suggest unemployment could reach as high as 6.9 percent by the end of next year. Many of these people need help in their search for new skills and new jobs. The Boeing company has announced it will lay off more than 30,000 workers from its commercial airline business, which is headquartered in Washington. That is 30 percent of their workforce. Many other industries have announced massive layoffs. Those workers will be seeking access to the dislocated workers' program. The money in this bill is a good first step. However, we must also expand unemployment insurance, health care and job training programs to assist these newly-unemployed workers. I hope my colleagues will support such a measure as we debate an economic stimulus package. Finally, I would like to turn to some of the progress this bill makes in the area of healthcare. For years, we have known about the important role played by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the recent anthrax incidents, many Americans have learned about some of the CDC's responsibilities. This bill boosts our investment in the CDC by providing $4.4 billion for Disease Control programs--an increase of $372 million over last year. This funding will support cancer screening and education programs, including breast and cervical cancer screening; injury control and reduction, including rape prevention and education, bioterrorism, and improving our local public health infrastructure to respond to public health threats. This bill makes progress for local communities that are working to provide care to the uninsured and underinsured. The bill provides $1.3 billion for Health Centers, which is $175 million more than in fiscal year 2001. While this bill makes a lot of progress on health care issues, I am deeply disappointed that this bill falls short of our commitment to the Community Access Program, CAP, which helps communities research and coordinate care to underserved populations. I can tell you that throughout Washington state, the CAP program is allowing local officials, doctors and advocates to meet the needs of underserved patients. In fact, this program is critical in meeting the needs of the growing population of uninsured. During these difficult economic times, we should be strengthening our safety net programs. That is why, earlier this year, the HELP Committee adopted the amendment I offered with Senator Clinton, which assumes an authorization of $125 for the CAP program. Clearly, the $15 million in this bill falls short of our commitment. I am hopeful that we can work with the House in conference to meet our original commitment. Throughout Washington State, small and rural communities are seeing hospitals close. It is becoming more difficult for people in rural areas to get the care they need. This bill invests in rural health care. It provides more than $1.6 billion to help increase and improve access to rural health care services, providers and facilities. I am also pleased that the bill supports pediatric medical training. It provides $243 million for GME for children's hospitals. This increase of $8.45 million is important for hospitals like Children's Hospital in Seattle. In the area of AIDS, this bill provides $1.8 billion for the Ryan White AIDS programs, $75 million more than last year. This bill funds our family planning efforts at $266 million for title X, an increase of $12 million over fiscal year 2001. When it comes to supporting cutting-edge medical research, this bill keeps us on track for doubling NIH funding by fiscal year 2003. It provides a total of $23.7 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion over last year. I am proud of the research being done in Washington state including at the University of Washington, the Hutch and many biotech and biomedical research facilities throughout the state. In fact, Washington state is one of the top five recipients of NIH funding. In the area of poison control, I am pleased that this legislation provides a total of $24 million for fiscal year 2002, that's a $4 million increase over fiscal year and $7.5 million more than the administration requested. As one of the original authors of the Poison Control Prevention and Enhancement Act, I believe this additional funding will prevent unintentional poisonings from everyday products. This bill supports trauma care planning and development by providing $4 million, an increase of $1 million over fiscal year 01 and $1.5 million more than the administration's request. Finally, as any advocate can tell you, our country doesn't have enough shelter space to offer protection for abused women and children. This bill provides $122 million for battered women's shelters. That is an increase of $5 million over fiscal year 01 and the Administration's request. As many of my colleagues are aware, states are struggling to fund critical health care services with rapidly declining revenues. The economic downturn has created a budget crisis for many states including my own state of Washington. We should recognize the struggle facing many of our states and act to incorporate language into this appropriations bill to prohibit or delay any effort by CMS to reduce overall Medicaid payments. I know that many of us are concerned about efforts by CMS to further restrict the Upper Payment Limit within Medicaid. I worked with the previous Administration in 2000 to resolve this matter and phase out any potential loophole. To go back on this agreement now would mean significant Medicaid cuts for several States. This is the wrong time to cut the Federal share of Medicaid. I am hopeful that we can incorporate language in this appropriations bill to prohibit any action by CMS to reduce Medicaid funding. I believe we should be working to enhance the Federal match under Medicaid to prevent drastic reductions in health care for low income families. At a time when more families will lose health insurance, we should be acting to increase the Federal commitment to Medicaid. I realize that increasing the Federal Medicaid match is a matter which must be addressed in a stimulus package not this appropriations bill. However, we should use this appropriations bill to send a clear message to the administration that this is the wrong time to attempt to reduce Medicaid reimbursement to the States. I am pleased that this bill continues our investment in the programs that many senior citizens and their families rely on. It boosts funding for OAA nutrition programs. Specifically, it provides an increase of $30 million over fiscal year 01 for home delivered meals (to $177 million) and congregate meals (to $384 million). It also provides a 10 percent increase for aging programs under the Administration on Aging and supports other investments that assist the elderly. When we reauthorized the Older Americans Act last year, we created the Family Caregiver Support Program, which assists families caring for an aging relative. This bill provides a $20 million increase in the Family Caregiver Support Program to $140 million. This bill funds efforts to use technology to expand health care access. It provides $1 million for telehealth efforts at Children's Hospital in Seattle. And in other areas important to Washington State, this bill supports the Franciscan Health System's Program Improving Care through the End of Life demonstration program. It funds the national Asian pacific center on aging continuation of funding. And it funds a health profession and nurse retention study in Washington state. Overall, this bill makes progress for our people and our country.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding citizen of the State of Washington. Sally Skinner Behnke has been awarded the 2001 Isabel Colman Award for Excellence in Community Service for displaying significant and broad based leadership in her community. This prestigious award is given by the YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County and is reserved for an individual or organization whose efforts have contributed to enhancing the quality of life in the community. Ms. Behnke's efforts for over 20 years have done just that. Some of her many achievements include being the first woman to serve on the board of Washington Mutual, Past President of the University of Washington Alumni Association, founding member and Past President of the Northwest School for Hearing Impaired Children, and an active fund- raiser for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. The two experiences that she is most proud of are working on the board of the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and serving as Past Board Chair of Children's Hospital. These contributions to our community make her more than worthy of this award and our recognition. Ms. Behnke's work is inspiring, and her words are encouraging. She said, ``Take care of your home. Look around at this wonderful, wonderful place that is yours and mine. And if you haven't already, find a little corner of it to give your heart to.'' On behalf of the people of Washington State, I would like to thank Ms. Behnke for her time, energy and many years of dedicated service.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess for 30 minutes.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to support the amendment by the Senator from Michigan. This is an extremely important measure. The Senator from Michigan aptly described what has happened to our apple farmers across the country. In my home State of Washington, it has been a tremendous disaster with the economic loss for the young families who are working diligently to try to make ends meet in this industry for the last several years. It has been heartbreaking to watch. The Senator from Michigan talked about the dumping of apple juice concentrate by China, which contributed to the decline in our apple growing communities. Severe weather conditions this year have caused horrendous problems for these orchardists who have been struggling for the last few years anyway. The loss of markets in Asia, because of the Pacific Rim crisis, precipitated this dramatic loss for many farmers in the State of Washington. The Senator from Michigan described the process that we have been going through. Senator Cantwell from my home State and I worked hard with the Senators from Michigan, New York, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts on the emergency supplemental bill to provide $150 million for the apple industry in this country. That support was not included in the Agriculture Appropriations bill when it came out of committee because we fully expected the Administration and the House to support this as an emergency supplemental measure. Unfortunately, they did not. As a result, in August Congress recessed without the money in the emergency agricultural supplemental. This bill is now coming to the floor, and it is absolutely essential for our farmers. Senator Cantwell and I have traveled around our State. We have seen the tremendous pain and loss among our farmers, and we have seen the hardships they are experiencing today. My grandfather, back in the early 1900s, lived in central Washington and was part of the apple industry. I can tell you, when I was growing up I remember driving across central Washington and seeing our tremendous, beautiful orchards. I was so proud to be from Washington State. Today, as a Senator traveling around the world, I am proud to be able to talk about bringing our apples into markets worldwide--both for our economy and for establishing great relationships with countries everywhere. The apple is the symbol of the State of Washington. It is upsetting for me to visit central Washington today and see so many abandoned orchards. Many of the orchards have been bulldozed because farmers can't sell their apples for a fair price. Add to that the weather conditions of this year with the drought that has occurred in the State of Washington and the severe hailstorms we have seen. That means we will not have these orchards in the future if we don't provide assistance this year in the Agriculture appropriations bill. I am committed to providing it, along with my colleague from Washington State, and the Senators from Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. All of us have worked hard together with our chairman, who has been a great advocate and supporter. I thank the Senator from Wisconsin. He understands the plight of our farmers. He is committed to working with us to ensure this assistance is there for our farmers. It is essential for a way of life in Washington State and across this country. It is essential for a product that is important to my home State and to many others. I believe it is essential for the future of this industry that we have this help and assistance from this Congress this year in this appropriations bill. I thank the Senator from Michigan for offering this amendment. I thank our Chair, Senator Kohl, for his support and his assistance. I look forward to working with my colleagues to be sure we don't lose these important farmers and this important resource for our country. Thank you, Mr. President.

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

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues today to again raise the plight of women, girls and children in Afghanistan. I commend Senator Hutchison and Senator Mikulski for taking the initiative to introduce the Afghan Women and Children Relief Act of 2001. Many of us have been working since the Taliban seized control in Afghanistan to give voice to women who have been silenced, beaten, harassed and even executed. Afghanistan has been in a cycle of war and conflict for more than twenty years. These two decades have been hard on the Afghani people but especially difficult for women, young girls and children. When the Taliban seized control in Afghanistan, the plight of women, girls and children went from a crisis existence to a catastrophic one. As noted in our bill and mentioned by my colleagues, women in Kabul, Afghanistan represented 70 percent of the teachers when the Taliban came to power. Women in Kabul represented 50 percent of the public employees and more than 40 percent of the medical professionals including doctors. Women students made up 50 percent of the student body at Kabul universities. Throughout Afghan society women served their country, their culture and their families as scientists and professors, as members of parliament, as leaders of their communities. The Taliban changed all of that quickly and cruelly with little consideration for the rights of women or the many roles played in Afghan society by women. The Taliban now bans women from working as teachers, doctors or for that matter, in any profession. The Taliban closed schools to women. Not just the teachers. But to all young girls. It is against the law for a young girl to attend a school in Afghanistan. To attend school, women and young girls in Afghanistan risk floggings, death by stoning, or single shot execution. Women cannot leave their homes without the heavy veil style clothing. They must be accompanied by a male. Women must not laugh or make noise in public. The punishment for violating Taliban law as we have now seen in several informative documentary pieces can be deadly. Many of my constituents have contacted me shocked and outraged at the video clip of the woman ushered into a soccer stadium to the jeers of a crowd. She's forced onto the playing field on her knees where she is quickly executed by a single shot from a rifle. Women in Afghanistan, every generation now living, is suffering under the Taliban rule. Some have been forced from meaningful lives to absolute poverty. Others now see no future in Afghanistan for themselves and their children. Still others, war widows and elderly women, are forced into prostitution or forced to sell all of their possessions to feed themselves. Yesterday, we passed the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. I served on this subcommittee for a long time and its many programs offer hope to women in Afghanistan. The Afghan Women and Children's Relief Act notes many of these programs. We provide assistance to help educate and immunize young girls in the world. We provide assistance in the form of maternal health care and family planning in the most needy areas of the world. We support microcredit lending, particularly to women led households, in many impoverished areas of the world. We support international organizations from UNICEF and other UN entities to non-governmental organizations based here in the United States and throughout the world. Our bill would include Afghani women and girls in these vital programs. As we look to aid women, young girls and children in Afghanistan, we must not assume that simply ending the Taliban rule will cure the problem. We walked away from Afghanistan when the Cold War ended, we cannot do that again when the Taliban goes. We must ensure that women and children are fully protected in the Afghan government which will eventually follow the Taliban. Women in Afghanistan must be brought back--fully brought back--into Afghani society. All of Afghanistan will be better when women are allowed again to teach, to serve publicly, and to treat illness. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for raising this issue. I join them as an original cosponsor of this legislation and I urge its prompt passage. Further, I call on all of our colleagues to support the appropriate funding levels which will ultimately make a great difference in the lives of Afghani women, young girls and children.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I thank the chairman of the Commerce Committee for bringing this bill to the floor. Aviation security is a critical measure. I agree with the Senator that we have to do this right and we need to pass this bill. It is critical. It is critical to the American public that we bring this bill up, move it forward, and get it passed, and reassure our constituents in the country that air travel is safe because we have done our part as well. I have come to the floor to speak on behalf of the more than 100,000 American workers who are now facing layoffs as a result of much of what has happened in the last month. For weeks, these workers have been waiting for this Senate to pass a workers assistance package, and today we finally have an amendment on the floor to help them. I have come to the floor to speak on behalf of that amendment and encourage its immediate passage. For many of our workers, the clock is ticking. In fact, this Friday, 10,000 Boeing workers are going to receive notice that they are going to lose their jobs. They are very concerned about how they are going to feed their families, get health care, and how they are going to pay their mortgages. They need the Senate to take action. Just look at the layoffs that have been announced so far. On September 15, United Airlines announced it was laying off 20,000 workers. On the same date, Continental announced it was laying off 12,000 workers. On September 17, US Airways announced it was laying off 11,000 workers. On September 18, the Boeing Company announced up to 30,000 layoffs. On September 19, American Airlines announced 20,000 layoffs. On September 26, Delta announced another 13,000 layoffs. These aren't just layoffs; these are people--people with families, people who are in our communities, people who are very frightened and insecure about their future. They are workers who are losing their jobs every day, and they need our help. In my home State of Washington, we are really feeling the impact because of these layoffs in the aviation and aerospace industry. The Boeing Company plans to lay off 30,000 employees, as I said: That is 30 percent of its workforce. By the Christmas holiday season, I will have at least 10,000 of my constituents out of work. And it is not just Boeing; hundreds of suppliers across the Nation will be impacted as well. The clock is ticking. This Congress has still not passed a workers assistance package. I urge my colleagues to support the Carnahan amendment so we can help those workers. Congress, as we all know, has taken care of the airlines by passing $15 billion in assistance. I supported that package because it was the right thing to do. Getting the airlines back up and running quickly helped us avoid further layoffs. We have also recognized that we have a responsibility to help the many workers who are losing their jobs through no fault of their own. So far, this Congress has not provided any help for the 110,000 airline workers and their families who will be laid off or the 30,000 Boeing workers who will be laid off. These workers have to put food on the table; they need to make car payments and pay their rent or their mortgage. They are losing their jobs, and they need our help. The Carnahan amendment will help them. In fact, these efforts are even more important today given the underlying problems we are having with the U.S. economy. Before September 11, our economy was teetering on the edge of recession. Unemployment is currently at 4.9 percent, and that is the highest level in over 4 years. Some economists are now predicting that unemployment will reach 6.5 percent by the middle of next year. Every one of us will have families in our States who will be impacted by this. Even worse, these economic problems are affecting workers in all of the related industries, and we have heard from them--the travel agents, hotel and restaurant employees, caterers, car rental companies, and many more; the slide will keep moving. We are now working with the Senate and the House on a stimulus package that is intended to help our broader economy. Some predict the pricetag will be as high as $75 billion. I want to make sure we meet the needs of the men and women, the moms and dads, who are facing layoffs right now. We need to adopt the Carnahan amendment to assist our displaced workers. The amendment will provide an additional 20 weeks of cash payments to airlines and aircraft manufacturing employees who lost jobs directly as a result of September 11. For individuals who are laid off but who do not qualify for State unemployment assistance, our bill will provide unemployment benefits for 26 weeks. This will mean so much to those who are very worried about losing their homes and feeding their families in the coming weeks and months. Our amendment will also provide worker training benefits for laid-off employees and for those threatened by layoffs, so that they are better equipped and more confident and can find a new job as we see the economy and where it develops in coming years. Finally, this amendment will provide 12 months of COBRA health insurance payments for our affected workers. This is really critical for our families who need to know that their loved ones are not losing their health care along with their jobs. No one in our country should live with that fear right now. I urge my colleagues to adopt this much-needed amendment. The clock is ticking, and these workers facing layoffs cannot wait. We have to move forward and get these workers the help and give them the confidence they need now. I urge our colleagues to vote for this workers assistance package, to move the underlying bill and do what we need to do to get this economy back on track so that our country can be confident again. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I thank my colleague from Massachusetts. I thank all of our colleagues who have worked together in a very bipartisan manner over the last week to address the critical issues coming at us. I know we need to help the airline industry, and that is why this bill is important. I remind my colleagues that thousands of workers were left out of this bill. I have 30,000 employees in my home State of Washington at Boeing who have been left out of this bill. They are just as patriotic and they have worked just as hard. They deserve our attention just as much. We should not forget them when we are taking care of the owners of these airline companies. It is the workers who go to work every day who make this country great and strong. We need to make sure we have a commitment to them in the coming week to put together an aviation package that includes employee assistance for those who have made this country what it is. I thank my colleague from Massachusetts and Senator Cantwell from my State, and other Members, such as Senator Carnahan. I pledge my support to make sure this Senate doesn't forget the workers as we put together the aviation package that has been promised. I thank my colleague from Massachusetts, and I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I am pleased to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2002 Defense Authorizations bill improving upon a land transfer included in the fiscal year 2001 Defense Authorizations bill. Last year, I worked to include language transferring the 22 acre Mukilteo Tank Farm from the United States Air Force to the Port of Everett, Washington. The Port, in cooperation with the City of Everett, the City of Mukilteo, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, and the Washington State Ferry System, plans to redevelop the site to include a new ferry terminal, commuter rail, a marina and enhanced shoreline access. This redevelopment will revitalize Mukilteo and Everett while improving transportation in this area. An important first step in implementing these development plans is for the Air Force to convey this property to the Port of Everett. For almost 30 years, the 22 acre parcel of land has also been home to the National Marine Fisheries Service's, NMFS', Mukilteo Field Research Facility. Its laboratories are currently housed in old, run-down military barracks. Last year's land transfer legislation did not convey any of the property to NMFS. The agency was concerned that it had lost its chance to own a portion of the 22 acres, and thus to make significant improvements to the site. The facility conducts valuable marine research, which will lead to improved long-term success in protecting and restoring salmon, groundfish and other species in Puget Sound. I directed the parties involved to reach a mutually agreeable solution. I am very pleased to announce that today's amendment reflects an agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, NMFS and the Port of Everett. Upon transfer of the 22 aces, the Air Force will convey 1.1 acres to NOAA. After 12 years, any portion of the 1.1 acres not being used by NOAA shall automatically revert to the Port of Everett. In addition, the Secretary of Commerce will have the authority to exchange portions of the 1.1 acres with the Port of Everett should such an exchange be deemed mutually agreeable. This amendment reflects almost a year of negotiations and hard work on the part of many people within each organization. I would like to thank John Mohr, Executive Director for the Port of Everett, and Donna Darm, Acting Regional Administrator for NMFS in the Northwest Region. I appreciate their outstanding leadership in crafting this agreement. I look forward to continuing to work with the Port of Everett, NMFS and NOAA on this and any other issue that may arise in the future. Congratulations on working out an agreement which, I believe, is in the long-term interest of the community, the state of Washington and the nation.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to submit with Senator Warner and 27 original cosponsors a resolution that establishes October 17, 2001, as a ``Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence.'' I wish to express my appreciation to Senator Warner in joining me again by shepherding this resolution on his side of the aisle. I thank him for his assistance and support. The need for this resolution could not be more clear. Every year, our Nation loses too many young lives to school shootings and other acts of gun violence. These tragedies leave lasting scars on families and communities. The Senate must actively combat this violence and work to address the concerns of families and communities throughout our nation who worry about the safety of their children. I am introducing this resolution again because I firmly believe that we must involve our children and young people in working to end gun violence. This resolution establishes a special day that gives young people the opportunity to examine how they can help reduce gun violence that targets their peers. Additionally, this special day promotes the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, an important avenue through which young people can empower themselves and their friends to take action against these tragedies. The pledge was developed by Mary Lewis Grow, a Minnesota homemaker. Students who take the pledge agree to never bring a gun to school, to never use a gun to resolve a conflict, and to encourage their friends to do the same. Last year, more than 2.4 million students signed the pledge. The pledge has received national support from such prominent organizations as the National Parent Teacher Association, the National School Boards Association, and the American Medical Association. It is entirely appropriate that the Senate lend its powerful voice to this chorus. Just imagine how many young people would still be alive today if every student in America had signed, and lived up to, the pledge. Imagine how much safer children would feel as they go to school each day. Imagine how much happier parents would feel if they knew that their children would not be endangered as they tried to learn. It is clear that if the Senate's support can convince more young people to sign the pledge, and prevent even one more gun from coming to a school, then we have taken a step in the right direction. The Senate must continue to be active in addressing crime in many ways. We must pass strong and effective anticrime legislation that gets criminals off the streets. And we should, through supporting legislation and by example, help parents spend more time with their children and get communities to reach out to those young people who have no one to care for them. Reducing and ending youth violence will certainly not be easy. But by passing this resolution, we take an important step in the right direction. Let us join with teachers, administrators, parents, and community members around the Nation in working to empower our young people. Let us encourage all of our children to be active in reducing gun violence. By working together, we can make America safer and can secure a better future for all of our Nation's youth.