Rick Santorum

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I would be happy to read it again, but in essence it is to take the bill on the calendar now, which has the Snowe-Dodd amendment in it.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I object to the modification.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I will object for the moment. I understand the House is working on an extension right now. We may agree later today. Certainly, we need to do an extension and I will check with the leader on that.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. Fred McFeely Rogers and to introduce, along with Senator Specter, a measure posthumously award him a Congressional Gold Medal. People of all ages across the country were saddened to learn of Fred Rogers' death last year. Better known to generations of Americans simply as Mr. Rogers, he devoted his life to fostering children's imaginations and reinforcing virtues that help serve the greater good of society. A student of child development at the University of Pittsburgh and an ordained Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers produced various local and national television programs for the enjoyment of America's youth. Most notable among his productions were ``The Children's Corner'' and ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,'' programs that showcased Rogers' talent as both producer and actor. For his work on programs such as these, Fred Rogers was awarded numerous professional accolades that included four Emmy Awards, ``Lifetime Achievement'' Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the TV Critics Association, and two George Foster Peabody Awards. In 1999, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Fred Rogers was an ambassador of kindness and compassion to generations of American children. He infused laughter and life lessons into every episode of his programs. Time spent in ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood'' taught children to share, care for others, and express their emotions during times of grief and trouble. Above all, he taught children how to be a good neighbor to those in their communities. I commend the work of Fred McFeely Rogers, and I am privileged to introduce this measure on behalf of everyone who had the opportunity to watch and learn from Mr. Rogers--we were truly blessed to have such a compassionate and caring figure broadcast into our homes on a daily basis. He well be greatly missed, but his exemplary life of tireless service will not be forgotten.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. Fred McFeely Rogers and to introduce, along with Senator Specter, a measure posthumously award him a Congressional Gold Medal. People of all ages across the country were saddened to learn of Fred Rogers' death last year. Better known to generations of Americans simply as Mr. Rogers, he devoted his life to fostering children's imaginations and reinforcing virtues that help serve the greater good of society. A student of child development at the University of Pittsburgh and an ordained Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers produced various local and national television programs for the enjoyment of America's youth. Most notable among his productions were ``The Children's Corner'' and ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,'' programs that showcased Rogers' talent as both producer and actor. For his work on programs such as these, Fred Rogers was awarded numerous professional accolades that included four Emmy Awards, ``Lifetime Achievement'' Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the TV Critics Association, and two George Foster Peabody Awards. In 1999, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Fred Rogers was an ambassador of kindness and compassion to generations of American children. He infused laughter and life lessons into every episode of his programs. Time spent in ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood'' taught children to share, care for others, and express their emotions during times of grief and trouble. Above all, he taught children how to be a good neighbor to those in their communities. I commend the work of Fred McFeely Rogers, and I am privileged to introduce this measure on behalf of everyone who had the opportunity to watch and learn from Mr. Rogers--we were truly blessed to have such a compassionate and caring figure broadcast into our homes on a daily basis. He well be greatly missed, but his exemplary life of tireless service will not be forgotten.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I regret that I was unable to vote yesterday afternoon on the nomination of Porter Goss to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Yesterday, I was surveying the significant flood damage in Pennsylvania with President Bush. As my colleagues know, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc in my home State. Parts of Allegheny County received eight inches of rain in a 24-hour period. A member of my Pittsburgh staff lost everything he owned in the flood. A total of 41 counties in Pennsylvania have now been declared Federal disaster areas. I was pleased that President Bush took the time to visit with my constituents and bring a message of hope and aid to Western Pennsylvania. On the nomination of Porter Goss, I would like to add my voice to the others that have expressed confidence in his abilities to lead the CIA in these difficult times. Congressman Goss' experience as a former Army intelligence officer and as a CIA field officer will serve him well as we undertake the awesome responsibility of guiding and improving the CIA. The need for a coordinated and comprehensive intelligence system for this country is imperative. I am pleased that President Bush has nominated a capable candidate to take on the difficult challenge of improving not only our level of human intelligence, but also the ability of our intelligence community to provide our policy makers with better intelligence products. I ask that the Record reflect that, had I been here, I would have voted in favor of the nomination of Porter Goss to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce, along with Senator Mikulski, a bill that would designate Poland as a program country under the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration Nationality Act. As our soldiers preserve America's beliefs and values which have been threatened by terrorists at home and abroad, it is important to appreciate the sacrifices our allies have made during the War on Terror. America must continue to solidify the bond with its allies by assisting their government and citizens when possible. This legislation brings us closer to a country that has been by our side through a time of war and continues to be a partner in the fight for global freedom. Since the founding of the United States, Poland has proven its steadfast dedication to the causes of freedom and friendship with the United States. This has been exemplified by the brave actions of Polish patriots such as Casimir Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszco during the American Revolution. Polish history provides pioneering examples of democracy and religious tolerance, and this is reflected in their constitution that states, ``Freedom of faith and religion shall be ensured to everyone.'' Poland's revolt from the Soviet Union's communist stranglehold is a more recent example of their dedication to freedom. They are a prime example of Ronald Reagan's vision to end the Cold War. As I met this morning with Lech Walesa, the tenacious leader of Poland's Solidarity movement and former President of Poland, I was reminded of the hard and inspiring struggle the country endured to bring democracy to their people. And their commitment to preserving freedom and global security continues today. On March 12, 1999, Poland became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This was followed by admission into the European Union on May 1, 2004. Poland was a staunch ally to the United States in Operation Iraqi Freedom and has committed 2,300 troops to help with the ongoing peace efforts in Iraq. In addition to Poland's efforts as a global ally, its people have contributed greatly within our borders. Nearly 9 million people of Polish ancestry live in the United States. Polish immigrants have been a contributing factor to the success of industry and agriculture in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. Currently, the United States administers the visa waiver program to citizens of 27 countries. The program allows citizens from visa waiver program countries to visit-the United States as tourists, and Poland has earned the right to participate. For the 100,000 Polish citizens that visit the United States annually, I ask through this legislation that Poland be deemed a designated program country for the purposes of the visa waiver program. I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce, along with Senator Mikulski, a bill that would designate Poland as a program country under the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration Nationality Act. As our soldiers preserve America's beliefs and values which have been threatened by terrorists at home and abroad, it is important to appreciate the sacrifices our allies have made during the War on Terror. America must continue to solidify the bond with its allies by assisting their government and citizens when possible. This legislation brings us closer to a country that has been by our side through a time of war and continues to be a partner in the fight for global freedom. Since the founding of the United States, Poland has proven its steadfast dedication to the causes of freedom and friendship with the United States. This has been exemplified by the brave actions of Polish patriots such as Casimir Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszco during the American Revolution. Polish history provides pioneering examples of democracy and religious tolerance, and this is reflected in their constitution that states, ``Freedom of faith and religion shall be ensured to everyone.'' Poland's revolt from the Soviet Union's communist stranglehold is a more recent example of their dedication to freedom. They are a prime example of Ronald Reagan's vision to end the Cold War. As I met this morning with Lech Walesa, the tenacious leader of Poland's Solidarity movement and former President of Poland, I was reminded of the hard and inspiring struggle the country endured to bring democracy to their people. And their commitment to preserving freedom and global security continues today. On March 12, 1999, Poland became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This was followed by admission into the European Union on May 1, 2004. Poland was a staunch ally to the United States in Operation Iraqi Freedom and has committed 2,300 troops to help with the ongoing peace efforts in Iraq. In addition to Poland's efforts as a global ally, its people have contributed greatly within our borders. Nearly 9 million people of Polish ancestry live in the United States. Polish immigrants have been a contributing factor to the success of industry and agriculture in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. Currently, the United States administers the visa waiver program to citizens of 27 countries. The program allows citizens from visa waiver program countries to visit-the United States as tourists, and Poland has earned the right to participate. For the 100,000 Polish citizens that visit the United States annually, I ask through this legislation that Poland be deemed a designated program country for the purposes of the visa waiver program. I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, today I rise to speak about a topic that holds a special place in my life and the communities of Pennsylvania-- baseball. Like our Nation's democracy, baseball is a part of our country's collective definition of community, history, and heroism. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies are recognized by fans for their hometown affiliation but more for their heroes. In Pennsylvania, we have plenty of players to boast about, but one in particular comes to mind, Roberto Clemente. Clemente is Pittsburgh's most reversed hero. He was the first Latin-American to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and the first player for whom the Hall's required 5- year waiting period was waived. In honor of the humanitarian work in which he was so involved, the Roberto Clemente Foundation now serves Pittsburgh's inner-city through programs to instill responsible community behavior in disadvantaged youth, and to provide them with organized recreation. Clemente's example is an amazing illustration of how powerful professional sports heroes can be as role models. Roberto Clemente Day was established in 2002 to increase awareness of the Roberto Clemente Award and the amount of time and effort its recipients dedicate towards community and charitable endeavors. Since 1971, Major League Baseball has annually presented an award that recognizes a player who best exemplifies the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement, and positive contributions to his team. The award was named in honor of Clemente in 1973. The national recipient of the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award will be announced during the 2004 World Series. This year, September 22 has been designated as 2004 Roberto Clemente Day. PNC Park in Pittsburgh will be among the many ballparks around the country that will hold a ceremony commemorating Roberto Clemente Day. As residents of Pittsburgh cross the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which spans the Allegheny River, may they remember the example that Roberto Clemente set for us all. Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico, August 18, 1934. Roberto always excelled at track and field; however, his real love was baseball. Clemente joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, where he played his entire 18-year Major League Baseball career from 1955 to 1972. Clemente is considered one of the finest outfielders to ever play professional baseball, amassing over 3,000 hits, 12 Golden Glove Awards, a league MVP Award, and leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to World Series victories in 1960 and 1971. Clemente was also a devoted father. With his wife Vera Cristina, he raised three sons: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto, and Roberto Enrique. Proud of his heritage Roberto insisted that Vera give birth to all three sons in Puerto Rico. I will always remember feeling deeply saddened upon hearing the news, on December 31, 1972, that Clemente had died in a tragic plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico. The plane was taking medical, food, and clothing supplies to earthquake stricken Nicaragua. Clemente will always be remembered as one of the greatest humanitarians of all time. Aside from playing baseball myself over the years, the culture of identifying with star baseball players and my hometown team is an inextricable part of my boyhood. As a young boy playing and watching baseball, I learned the value of hard work, the importance of teamwork, how to deal with success and failure, how to concentrate and stay focused on a goal, and how to look beyond personal achievement to something bigger than oneself. Roberto Clemente embodied all of these virtues. As our Nation recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month during the month of September, this is an ideal time to honor this exceptional person and personal hero and his legacy that lives on through the recipients of the Roberto Clemente Award.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Refugees: Seeking Solutions to a Global Concern'' on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. in SD226. Agenda: Panel I: Gene Dewey, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Department of State, Washington, D.C.; Eduardo Aguirre, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C. Panel II: Charles H. Kuck, Managing Partner, Immigration Group, Weathersby, Howard & Kuck, LLC, Atlanta, GA; Mark Franken, Chair, Refugee Counsel, USA, Washington, D.C.; Lavinia Limon, Executive Director, United States Committee for Refugees, Washington, D.C.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 21, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. subcommittee on immigration and border security

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 21 at 2:30 pm. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 784 and H.R. 1630, to Revise the Boundary of Petrified Forest National Park in the State of Arizona, and for other purposes; S. 2656, to establish a National Commission on the Quincentennial of the Discovery of Florida by Ponce De Leon; S. 2499, to modify the boundary of the Harry S Truman National Historic Site in the State of Missouri, and for other purposes; S. 1311, to establish the Hudson-Fulton- Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission, and for other purposes; and H.R. 2055, to amend P.L. 89-366 to allow for an Adjustment in the Number of Free Roaming Horses Permitted in Cape Lookout National Seashore. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., on S. 1963--Wireless 411 Privacy Act.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 21, at 10 a.m. to consider the nominations of Karen Alderman Harbert, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs and Domestic Policy and John Spitaleri Shaw, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on Oceans Commission.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, at 10 a.m., to hear testimony on ``Indian Jails: A Clarion Call for Reform.''

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, for a joint hearing with the House of Representatives' Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to hear the legislative presentation of The American Legion. The hearing will take place in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building at 10 a.m. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. select committee on intelligence

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 21, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. to hold a closed business meeting. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. select committee on intelligence

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. He said himself to the Rapid City Journal in an op-ed in South Dakota, talking about how good legislation this was: The CARE Act isn't a Republican or Democratic plan. It is a bipartisan proposal that strikes the right balance between harnessing the best forces of faith in our public life without infringing on the First Amendment . . . I look forward to working with President Bush to get this proposal signed into law. It is nice that the Democratic leader said that he is looking forward to it being signed into law, but he has done everything to stop it from actually becoming law by standing up and objecting to this legislation going to the conference committee so we can work out differences. Many of those differences are going to be tough to work out. I will admit, some of the funding issues for social service block grant funds, some of the issues with respect to how much tax relief we are going to give to those who contribute to nonprofits, are going to be difficult issues to deal with, and there are going to be compromises that are going to be needed. There are going to be some things that Republicans are not going to be happy with in this compromise. There are going to be some things that Democrats are not going to be happy with in the compromise. But we need a vehicle to be able to sit down and work out these differences because people are not going to be able to get the benefits of this legislation, and they are profound benefits, unless we act. Just to go through very quickly what the benefits are, there is a provision to encourage food donations. This is a very important part of meeting the needs of the hungry in America. Yes, we have Federal dollars that go for that purpose, but as my colleagues know, the vast majority of the food that is distributed through food pantries, soup kitchens, or missions comes from private donations. That is where the vast majority of the food comes from. Yes, we do provide some Federal assistance to America's Second Harvest, to other organizations, but the vast majority comes from donations. There is an area of the law that candidly does not encourage, because of the Tax Code, some purveyors of food to give their surplus food for the hungry in America. So we changed that provision of the law. We believe--not we--America's Second Harvest believes that 878 million meals will be provided, as a result of this provision, for hungry Americans over the next 10 years. This is not a small amount. This is not a minor, trivial matter. For those who care about hunger in America, and as someone who was a sponsor of the bill in the Senate that passed, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, I care a lot about America's Second Harvest and others who have the food necessary to be able to meet the needs of the hungry in America. Individual development accounts--Senator Lieberman, Senator Feinstein, myself, and others have been working on this for years to try to help low-income Americans have the opportunity to accumulate wealth, to have savings and investment, to help them to get a college education, to get a GED, or to have the opportunity to own a home or to start a business, 300,000 matched savings accounts, matched with Government and private dollars to help low-income individuals save, to build wealth. We have heard the President talk about an ownership society. This is a very important part of that ownership society in this bill. There is $2 billion of educational resources through what is called an IRA charitable rollover. People have IRAs, and some people who have IRAs candidly have a lot of money, and they do not need that money for retirement. If they want to give it to a charity, they are heavily penalized if they do. This will allow them to roll over their IRA. The biggest beneficiaries of this approximately $3 billion that we believe will be contributed will be educational institutions. Colleges, universities, private schools, maybe charter schools, and other educational institutions will benefit from this provision, and that is why all of the public universities and private universities in the country are for this provision and believe it can be a great help to educating our children and keeping the cost of education down. Eighty-six million lower and middle-income Americans will benefit from the nonitemized deduction. What does that mean? Two-thirds of Americans do not itemize, period. They fill out the short form, the 1040EZ. We have a certified public accountant in the Chair, and he can explain this better than I can, but I will do my best. Right now, if someone is one of these two-thirds of Americans who contribute to their church, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, they cannot deduct the contribution that they made; whereas, if one itemizes, they can. So what we are trying to do is to provide some encouragement for people who do not have complex tax forms to give money to these organizations. That is what this nonitemized deduction for charitable giving is about. Eighty-six million lower- and middle- income Americans will do that, and it will be billions of dollars in increased donations as a result of it. As Joe Lieberman said--we had a press conference recently--what is left in this bill is all good. There is nothing bad. There is nothing controversial or that would be disagreed upon. There is disagreement on how to pay for this. There is disagreement on how much of this we want to do. There is disagreement as to how much we are going to have in direct Government assistance to nonprofit organizations, social service block grant funds. All of that is a controversy, but all of it is an argument on how much good we want to do, or how the focus should be. The idea that we cannot get a discussion on how we can help those in need in our society, how we can help those organizations that want to help those in need, and get that into a form in which we can resolve these differences and come to a solution, to me, is very discouraging. I have met with Senator Daschle from South Dakota. I have asked him to allow us to go to conference, and the Senator from South Dakota basically said: You have to agree before we go to conference to everything I want in this bill. If you don't agree with everything I want in this bill, then you can't go to conference. What is the point of conference? If we have to do exactly what the Senator from South Dakota wants, to write this bill exactly how he wants it or we can't get a bill, that is hardly the kind of bipartisan cooperation that we have seen in getting this bill to the point it is right now. This is not the way legislating works. It is not my way or the highway from the minority. It is not my way or the highway to the American people, who would like to see some help for those in need in our society. You either do it the way I want to as the Democratic leader of the minority in the Senate, not the way the President would like to do it, nor the way the House would like to do it, nor how the Senate majority would like to do it, but how the Senator from South Dakota would like to do it himself. That, to me, is not bipartisanship. That is not reaching across the aisle to make things happen in a positive direction for an area in the country that is in need. I am willing to compromise. I have said to the Senator--in fact, I said to the Senator from South Dakota that I am willing to make reductions in areas of this bill that I care most about, and I am willing to give in areas that I care probably less about. I am willing to make that compromise, but it is not all or nothing. It can't be all or nothing. That is what we are being told. To me, that is an insult to the very people we are attempting to help and certainly not in keeping with the comments of the Senator from South Dakota that he made in Rapid City. I understand how he would say those things in South Dakota. But here in Washington, DC, it is a very different story. It is not a story that says to those who are not-for-profit organizations that want to help, that need these resources and are in need, to not come and apply because we are going to deal with you exactly how this bill is going to be written. This bill has been written in more of a bipartisan fashion than any bill I have ever been involved with in the Senate or in the House where I served. This is all good, the Senator from Connecticut said. I am hopeful we will have an opportunity to place this good legislation in a situation where we can forge a compromise that will give us not everything I want, not everything the Senator from Connecticut wants, not everything the Representative in the House who is leading the effort on the House side wants, not what others want, but that we can arrive at a compromise in a bipartisan way to allow this bill to provide remedies for the needs of our society by getting this bill passed and signed into law. Unanimous-Consent Request--H.R. 7 I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 7, the charitable giving bill, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask unanimous consent that all after the enacting clause be stricken, that the substitute amendment, which is the text of S. 476, the Senate-passed version of the charitable giving bill, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; further, that the Senate insist on its amendment and request a conference with the House; that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees with a ratio of 3 to 2; and that any statements to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Minnesota for yielding back his time. Shortly, I will be making a unanimous consent request to move certain legislation to conference, the Charitable Giving Act that passed the House, or the CARE Act that passed in the Senate. These two bills, very similar in nature, were passed earlier in this session, actually last year--both were passed last year--to try to help those organizations that are out on the front lines meeting the needs of our society. These are nonprofit organizations across America. The President refers to them as ``arms of compassion,'' those who meet human service needs, those who meet educational needs, our not-for-profit sector, which are a vitally important part of what makes America tick and what makes our country the great envy of the world in the sense that we have such strong communities, we have such strong voluntarism, we have such strong commitment to our neighbor. These community organizations have seen, particularly in light of the decline in the stock market in the early part of this decade, with some of the problems we have had with our economy early in the decade, the amount of charitable giving decline. So as a result, to respond to these pressing needs, and actually to make the Tax Code, I would say, more equitable, we put forward a bipartisan bill offered by Senator Joe Lieberman and me that passed 95 to 5. Support for this bill is pretty overwhelming. In the House, it passed 408 to 13, and in the Senate it passed 95 to 5. So there is strong support to try to help these charitable organizations meet the needs of those in our society. Unfortunately, we have run into a roadblock. The roadblock is there are differences between the House and Senate bills. We would like to sit down and work out those differences in conference and move to a final solution to help these nonprofit organizations. We have been blocked repeatedly on the Senate floor from appointing conferees on a bill that is virtually noncontroversial, that has almost passed unanimously in both Houses, different versions, but we have not been able to do so. On eight occasions I have come to the Senate floor and asked for consent to do what we do as a normal course of record, which is to sit down with the House in a conference and come up with a bill to be voted up or down by both the House and Senate. We have had objections to it. In fact, we have had eight objections by the Democratic leadership; 7 times Senator Reid objected, and the most recent one Senator Daschle objected. I am going to offer another one today. We are approaching the end of the session. We are approaching a point where all the work that has been done on this legislation is going to come to an end. There are 1,600 groups supporting this legislation. There are 1,600 national nonprofit organizations that have come forward and said: We want this to be passed. Not only that, Senator Daschle himself said in an op-ed--which I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, if I can conclude and then I would be happy to let the Senator speak, I will submit for the Record a letter from Senator Lieberman and I to the conferees on the FSC/ETI bill. We believe this is an important enough measure that we should pass it this year. If we are not able to go to conference and work out differences, Senator Lieberman and I may ask the conferees on this tax bill to please consider the Charitable Giving Act as part of the FSC/ETI conference. I hope if this is not the vehicle, we can get it to conference another way. I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Today, as I come forward--and Senator Brownback will be joining me in a few minutes--as we enter into Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, a time of reflection for the Jewish people, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect upon the state of affairs with respect to Jewry around the world and the frightening rise in anti-Semitism we have seen in many parts of the world, and I argue, unfortunately, even in this country. Senator Brownback will talk about a different aspect than I, and there will be some speakers tomorrow morning during morning business who will cover various other aspects of this problem. An area I have been particularly concerned about is the rise of anti- Semitism in Europe. As we know, the roots of anti-Semitism in various parts of Europe are very deep, and we have seen the horrific consequences of that within the last century. It is important, as a result, to keep a very close, watchful eye on any precursors to what could be another tragic, horrific situation occurring on that continent. There is a rabbi, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who said--and this quote, to me, is quite telling--``Let it not be said of us that we saw the tiny flame but did not put it out until it became a raging fire.'' I think that is one of our duties and responsibilities as the leader of the free world, in our diplomatic bodies around the world and through diplomatic channels country to country, to use our good offices in America to make sure we are watchful, and we do more than just watch idly, to call attention to situations which are of concern to us as freedom-loving people and as people who put first among our freedoms the freedom of conscience. The freedom of religion is the fundamental and first of our freedoms because all freedoms flow from that. If you do not have the freedom to believe what you want to believe, then freedom of speech is a meaningless freedom, freedom of assembly is a meaningless freedom. So this is the first of the freedoms, and it is one that we believe, as Americans, very strongly. We believe, as the President says, that liberty, that basic freedom is the right of all people given by God. Yet we see, in Europe in particular, a growing and rising tension in the world, in that continent. I submit for the Record recent incidents of anti-Semitism in Europe, just in this year, the year 2004. I will go through and pick one incident from each of the countries I will talk about. Unfortunately, on this list--which is about 5 pages long--almost half of the incidents occurred in France. I have had meetings with the French Ambassador on this issue and expressed concerns about religious freedom and expressed concerns, via correspondence and meetings, about anti-Semitism. Yet this is a growing problem in this region of the world. But it is not only in France. This first example is of a situation in France. This is a situation where we have the World War II memorial to Jewish soldiers in Lyon, where you have swastikas painted on the memorial. You have instance after instance--and I think there are, as I said, 5\1/2\ pages of this document that I will be submitting for the Record--talking about anti-Semitic activity, whether it is graffiti or turning over tombstones, destroying graves, whether it is vandalism of synagogues, or whether it is assaults on Jewish children, particularly in school and coming from religious schools. We are seeing it more and more and more. We need to understand this is not a problem that will go away if we ignore it. This is a problem which we have to speak up on and bring attention to. In Belgium, four Jewish teenagers, all students from the same school in an Antwerp suburb, were attacked by a group of 15 men. One of the Jewish students was stabbed in the back and seriously injured. Again, an attack, in this case, by ``youth of Arab origin.'' In the Czech Republic, some 80 tombstones were overturned in a Jewish cemetery in Hranice in the east of the Czech Republic. In Austria, a Holocaust memorial was desecrated, with the word ``lie'' spray painted over a historical plaque. This memorial near Vienna is at the site of a former concentration camp. In Germany, in Dusseldorf, vandals sprayed swastikas and SS symbols on at least 40 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery. In Hungary, a Jewish cemetery in northern Hungary was vandalized. More than 90 gravestones were smashed only weeks after the cemetery had been renovated by the local town council to mark the 60th anniversary of the Holocaust. In Moldova, vandals threw Molotov cocktails at the synagogue in Tiraspol. In Poland, in Krakow, police discovered the desecration of a 19th century synagogue. Vandals had painted swastikas on a Star of David hanging from gallows on the Tempel Synagogue. In Romania, the wall of a Jewish cemetery in northwestern Romania was smeared with swastikas as well as anti-Semitic and fascist slogans. In Russia, there were several instances of vandalism and an explosion in Debent that shattered several windows in a synagogue in the southern region of Dagestan. In Ukraine, more than 50 gravestones were vandalized in a Jewish cemetery. In Great Britain, the British rabbi--I will put up another quote from him--said, ``Jews wait anxiously for the next news of a synagogue vandalized, a cemetery desecrated, a Jewish school set on fire, Jews attacked in the streets.'' In London, only a couple months ago, there was an arson attack on a London area synagogue, destroying religious books, including some that had been smuggled out by Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. A burning rag was thrown into the South Tottenham United Synagogue. In Birmingham, just last month, 60 Jewish gravestones were destroyed in a cemetery. We can go on and on and on. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the full text of this document be printed in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. But what we see here is a very troubling trend in an area of the world which has been, unfortunately, a hotbed for this kind of behavior which has led to horrific consequences. We have an obligation, particularly in this region of the world, to point out to the governments of those countries the importance of making sure that religious liberty is respected, and religious liberty of all faiths, but in particular any kind of rise or any kind of motion toward a return to a horrific time in the world's history. This is one of the reasons I wanted to get up and talk today. I think it is important that we bring attention to this issue, as well as the broader issue of anti-Semitism. Later, we will hear people talk about the acceptance--it is almost incredible to believe--the acceptance of anti-Semitic behavior at our colleges and universities here in the United States of America, as well as a whole host of problems. Mr. President, I see my time is up. I know the Senator from Kansas is here. I yield the floor.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Utah. His comments are right on. When I have an hour or two I will be happy to explain my strenuous opposition to this issue of importation of pharmaceuticals from countries that can very much harm our patients in America.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I suggest the absence of a quorum.