William Roth

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I rise to object to the unanimous-consent request made by my distinguished colleague, Senator Bob Kerrey. In doing so, let me be clear that I applaud Senator Kerrey's tremendous work and leadership, and I am grateful for the groundwork he and the commission he has chaired have laid in the important effort to reform the Internal Revenue Service. What concerns me, Mr. President, is that the legislation which is being advocated at this time is--as the Washington Post pointed out--a measure that has not been subject to the kind of scrutiny and debate that must attend such an important issue. The fact is that Congress will get only one good opportunity to pass necessary and meaningful reform to the IRS. The work accomplished by the commission chaired by Senator Kerrey and Congressman Portman disclosed a number of shortcomings within the agency. A near year-long investigation by the Senate Finance Committee and hearings that we held in September disclosed even more issues that need to be addressed. And our on-going investigation continues to turn up others on what has nearly turned into a daily basis. IRS reform must be complete. It must be accomplished thoughtfully, methodically, thoroughly--with Congress, the administration, and the taxpayers working together. Everyone knows that the last great attempt at reform, the King Commission in the 1950's, led to a major overhaul of what was then known as the Bureau of Internal Revenue. But within only a few years, the agency was once again whacked by abuse and misuse of authority. We need complete reform, Mr. President. This time, we must get it right. Among those things that we must analyze and address are: Giving the oversight board--called for in this legislation--the authority to look at audit and collection activities; Insuring that all taxpayers have due process and that the IRS does not abusively use its liens and seizures authority; Making the taxpayer advocate within the agency independent and responsible to the oversight board; Establishing an independent inspector general within the IRS, and requiring the IG--like the taxpayer advocate--to report to the oversight board; Requiring signatures on all correspondence; Banning the use of false identifications; Banning the use of Bureau of Labor Statistics as a mechanism to determine taxpayers' income; and, Banning the use of statistics and goals in determining performance of IRS employees. Mr. President, each of these represents an area where we need to make reform. And the truth is, they are only a sampling of the needed changes that emerged from our first series of hearings. I know that there will be others. They, as well as these, will have to be examined, debated and--where and when appropriate--adopted as part of a major overhaul. For these reasons, I object to the unanimous-consent request made by Senator Kerrey.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I make a point of order a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. ROTH

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

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. These hearings have been conducted to the highest standard. They have addressed the most contentious and potentially divisive dimensions of NATO enlargement. They have provided a powerful podium for skeptics and for those who simply want to be sure that all the ``i's'' have been dotted. Mr. President, I firmly believe that NATO enlargement will yield a stronger alliance, a more peaceful and more stable Europe, and a Europe that will be an even more effective partner for the United States in a world where our shared interests are increasingly global in nature. I am not going to burden this Chamber with another rendition of why I support NATO enlargement. However, I have followed these hearings closely, and I would like to address what I think one should draw from their deliberations on three of the most important issues of NATO enlargement: the cost; its relationship to America's global interests; and, the future of Russia. Costs has been the most debated dimension of NATO enlargement. However, the Senate's examination of this issue so far leaves me even more confident that this will be a most worthwhile investment. Earlier this year, the President, at the request of Congress, estimated that NATO enlargement will cost the United States some $100- 200 million per year over the next decade. Last month, Secretary Cohen and Secretary Albright testified to the Appropriations Committee that the costs to the United States may be less because some if not much of the infrastructure existing in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary is more capable than previously estimated. More detail on the costs of NATO enlargement is an urgent priority. NATO will soon complete its own estimate of the costs of integrating the three nations. This report is due before the December NAC ministerial. It is imperative that this study is fully transparent, clear, and specific. With that said, even if NATO enlargement were to cost the United States some $500 million a year over the decade, that yearly cost would still amount to about a quarter of the cost of one B-2 bomber. That is not a bad deal considering the gains we will attain in solidifying peace and stability in post-cold-war Europe. The Senate hearings have also reaffirmed my confidence that NATO enlargement will enhance America's ability to secure its vital interest around the globe--not just those in Europe. NATO enlargement is critical step toward a more unified and more peaceful Europe. It is, thus, fundamental to Europe's evolution into a partner that will more effectively meet global challenges before to the transatlantic community. An undivided Europe at peace is a Europe that will be better able to look outward, a Europe better able to join with the United States to address necessary global security concerns. A partnership with an undivided Europe in the time-tested architecture of NATO will enable the United States to more effectively meet the global challenges to its vital interests at time when our defense resources are increasingly strained. This was a, if not the, central theme of former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski's recent presentation before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. To use his words: NATO expansion is central to the vitality of the European- American connection, to the scope of a secure and democratic Europe, and to the ability of the America and Europe to work together in promoting international security. European instability, which is inherently more likely should we fail to extend Alliance membership to the democracies of Central Europe, portends to be the greatest of drains upon U.S. defense resources, energy, and effort. This has already proven to be the case in Bosnia. We must take the pro-active steps necessary to consolidate and widen the zone of security and, thus, peace and stability in Europe. NATO enlargement is the most effective step we can take toward this end. Third, these Senate hearings have constructively and aggressively addressed concerns that have been voiced about the potential impact of NATO enlargement upon Russia's future. Testimony from Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, our former Ambassador to Moscow, emphasized that NATO enlargement has not produced a revanchist Russian foreign policy nor undercut democracy in Russia. In fact, let me quote directly form Ambassador Pickering's testimony. He stated: Over the last 18 months, precisely, when NATO enlargement has been a salient point of our agenda, Russian reform and security cooperation have moved forward, not backward. This former ambassador to Russia added that in the course of NATO enlargement, Yeltsin was reelected as Russia's president and that since then he has elevated reformers in his government. Moreover, Yeltsin has appointed a new defense minister, one who publicly supports START II. Most importantly, last May Russia signed the Founding Act, an agreement that offers an unprecedented opportunity for a new era of cooperation and partnership between the Alliance and Russia. Mr. President, too many times this year Congress has been accused of paying inadequate attention to the policy of NATO enlargement. The fact is that Congress has aggressively addressed this matter. Congress has not only been engaged in this policy its bipartisan leadership on this matter has actually been a catalyst of action. Much commendation is due to the Senate leadership and the Chamber as a whole for the sustained attention that has been directed to the many facets of this issue. The amount of consultation that has occurred between the administration and Congress makes NATO enlargement a model of how to approach the executive-legislative dimension of U.S. security policy. I fully recognize that our deliberations on NATO enlargement are far from over. More hearings are sure to be held on this important policy, as they should be. However, I thought it important to highlight the tremendously effective efforts that this Chamber has already directed to this matter of national security.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent my staffer, Bob Nickel, be permitted to be on the floor during this speech.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I make a point of order a quorum is not present.

Mr. ROTH. I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period of morning business until 1 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I say to my distinguished friend from Nebraska that, as he knows, we are beginning to hold hearings on the important problems of reconstructing the IRS. I think that the House legislation is good legislation. It's a good beginning, but, frankly, it does not address all the problems that were uncovered in the hearings held by the Finance Committee a few weeks ago. We will proceed very expeditiously with the hearings on this matter. We will seek to respond to all of the problems that were raised in our hearings. We think it is important to strengthen the authority, that there is nothing more important to reorganizing and reforming the IRS than providing for independent oversight. So, while I think it is a good beginning in that action that was taken by the House, much remains to be done to reform the IRS in a manner that it will provide true service to the American taxpayers.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. ROTH. I object.

Mr. ROTH. I ask unanimous consent that the vote occur on or in relation to the motion to proceed to S. 1269 at 4:20 today, with Senator Dorgan or his designee in control of 40 minutes, and Senator Roth or his designee in control of the remaining time, with the 5 minutes prior to the vote in control of Senator Roth and the 5 minutes prior to Senator Roth's time in control of Senator Dorgan.

Mr. ROTH. I now yield 10 minutes to Senator Chafee.

Mr. ROTH. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROTH

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, and Government, of the Senate Judiciary Committee, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 5, 1997 at 3 p.m. to hold a hearing in room 192, Senate Dirksen Building, on: The Nation at Risk; Report of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Immigration, of the Senate Judiciary Committee, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 5, 1997 at 10 a.m. to hold a hearing in room 562, Senate Dirksen Building, on: The Impact of Section 110 of the 1996 Immigration Act of the Land Borders of the United States.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Regulatory Relief of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 5, 1997, to conduct a hearing on S. 1315 and the presence of foreign governments and companies, particularly China, in our securities and banking sectors.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Youth Violence, of the Senate Judiciary Committee, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 5, 1997 at 10 a.m. to hold a hearing in room 226, Senate Dirksen building, on: Examining the Federal Effort to Prevent Juvenile Crime.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 5, 1997, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until business is completed, to conduct a business meeting to vote on matters pending before the committee including the use of laptop computers on the Senate floor; release of documents to Harry Connick, District Attorney of New Orleans; and, reimbursement of expenses in connection with the contested Senate election in Louisiana.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Governmental Affairs Committee to meet on Wednesday, November 5, at 10 a.m. on a markup on the following agenda nomination only.

Mr. ROTH. 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 5, 1997, at 10 a.m. to hold a hearing.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, the Finance Committee requests unanimous consent to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, November 5, 1997 beginning at 2 p.m. in room 215 Dirksen.

Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet at 9:30 a.m. on global warming.