Rick Santorum

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise to engage in a colloquy with the distinguished Chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee regarding a study to improve farming practices in Africa. As the chairman knows, the Trade and Development Act of 2000 was signed into law in May. This Act authorized a study on ways to improve African agricultural practices. This study will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in consultation with a land grant university and a not-for-profit organization that has firsthand knowledge of African farming. While a two year study is authorized, it is my understanding that ample data and research exists supporting the need to establish a more formal relationship to improve farming practices in Africa. To that end, I ask the Chairman if he would work with me to ensure that the USDA takes up this study in a timely fashion and incorporates the existing data so that we can formally implement these recommendations.

Mr. SANTORUM. I thank the Chairman for his commitment, and appreciate his willingness to work with me on this important initiative.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I would like to engage in a brief colloquy with the distinguished Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Gorton, concerning future demonstration projects under the Clean Coal Technology program. Mr. President, clarifying the intent of the program will be helpful in my efforts to ensure that a very worthwhile initiative in Pennsylvania received full consideration by the Department of Energy. The lack of a coherent and consistent energy policy has contributed to the high fuel prices that have hit the working families in Pennsylvania and across the nation very hard. It is the lack of a national energy policy that has led to our nation's reliance on foreign oil. Today, we import 56 percent of our fuel. This is the highest level in the history of our country. For a historical perspective, we only imported 36 percent of our oil during the energy crisis of the 1970s. Mr. President, we must reduce our reliance on imported oil. We must conserve energy resources, improve energy efficiencies, and increase domestic energy supplies. We also need to aggressively expand our research and development efforts to encourage the use of domestic renewable energy sources. The Pennsylvania initiative that I referred to would do just that by developing a facility that would convert Anthracite culm to a clean diesel fuel. The project would produce 1.4 million barrels a year of zero-sulfur, high-energy diesel fuel, at the same time reclaiming land now rendered unusable and environmentally damaging. Additionally, it would create 1,000 construction and 150 permanent jobs. Would the Senator agree that the establishment of such a facility, whose principal focus is to develop domestic renewable energy sources by transforming coal and coal waste into high quality diesel fuel, is the type of activity that the Clean Coal Technology program should encourage?

Mr. SANTORUM. As this bill moves forward into conference, is it the Senator's intention to seek adequate funding for the Clean Coal Technology program so that the Department of Energy can begin a new round of demonstration projects, including a project such as the Pennsylvania initiative I have described here today?

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I yield 45 seconds to the Senator from Michigan.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, the amendment that we have now before us is a package of legislation that I have been working on with my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, as well as Senator Kerry from Massachusetts, and Senator Abraham, Senator Kohl, Senator Hutchinson, Senator Torricelli, and Senator DeWine. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to add Senators Ashcroft and Collins as cosponsors to the amendment.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3838.

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I have two final comments. I want to mention some of the people who today let us know that they are supporting this amendment: The National Association of Home Builders, the Chamber of Commerce, the Credit Union National Association, American Bar Association, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, to name a few. With regard to the charitable choice language, I certainly understand the concerns. The Vice President, the nominee of the Democratic Party, does not share the concerns voiced by many Members on the other side. I understand the White House has some concerns about the breadth of programs covered. I said to Secretary Sperling, I am very willing to negotiate those and put a list together and limit those covered, but the charitable choice provisions are very broadly supported, I must say.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I move to waive the Budget Act.

Mr. SANTORUM. This is a bipartisan attempt in the Senate to match the bipartisan effort that has been ongoing in the House of Representatives with the President of the United States on what is called the Community Renewal New Markets Initiative. Basically, we have taken the House- passed legislation and added a couple of very important provisions to that House-passed legislation, and we are now offering it to this death tax repeal legislation in the Senate. The two major additions to the House-passed legislation--there are several, but the two major additions are the low-income housing tax credit, which is something that has passed this body before, and again has broad bipartisan support, raising the per capita number or allotment for the low-income housing tax credit per State; and the second is something that Senator Lieberman and I have been working on now for quite some time called individual development accounts. I think these two key provisions are very important to the idea of empowering individuals, not only in their communities, which the community renewal package does, but also in providing the opportunity for wealth accumulation through individual development accounts, and providing that incentive to save for a home, to save for a college education, to save for the startup of a new business. In addition, there are some other very important provisions. Earlier this year, Senator Abraham offered the New Millennium Classroom Act, another addition to the House-passed bill, which provides incentives for businesses to donate money to poorer schools, so we can have computer equipment in those poorer schools to bridge the digital divide. We have a charitable choice provision, which is broader than the House provision, which was introduced by Senator Ashcroft, the Presiding Officer, that is in line, frankly. I was reading Vice President Gore's speech that he gave last year where he talked about a ``New Partnership.'' He talked about the 1996 welfare reform bill. He said: [This provision states] that states can enlist faith-based organizations to provide basic welfare services, and help move people from welfare to work. He goes on to say: They can do so with public funds--and without having to alter the religious character that is so often the key to their effectiveness. I go on to quote: I believe we should extend this carefully tailored approach to other vital services where faith-based organizations can play a role--such as drug treatment, homelessness, and youth violence prevention. That is just to name a few. So what we see is that the Vice President has embraced this charitable choice provision and an expansion of that, which I think is vitally important. With that, Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on that.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Northampton County, Pennsylvania as it begins preparation for its 250th anniversary. Northampton County was established in 1752, thus its official celebration will not occur until March 11, 2002. However, on June 26, 2000, Northampton County kicked off this celebration with a lunch designed to draw support and preparation for the events in 2002. Jerry Seyfried, former county executive and current court administrator, is coordinating the celebration preparations. He mentioned some of the events that are in the works, including a parade on September 23, 2001, a historic family treasure hunt, a black-tie gala, and a sports showcase. Most importantly, the celebrations will be geared toward local schools, churches and ethnic groups. This celebration is expected to be the largest event that Northampton County has ever undertaken. Northampton County has served as a crucial part of Pennsylvania's history, and I commend the area for initiating such a tremendous celebration for this most historic event. I look forward to the upcoming festivities in 2002 and hope to participate in them.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a dear friend who retired after an outstanding tenure at one of our great public research universities. On June 30, 2000, Peter J. Liacouras stepped down as President of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after eighteen years of service in this capacity. A Temple professor of Law for almost 40 years and a former Dean of Temple University's Beasley School of Law, Mr. Liacouras served as the University's chief executive since June of 1982. Under his leadership, Temple University achieved national and international prominence as a center for research, teaching, and public service. With vision and confidence, he presided over a university with nearly 29,000 students; a world-class faculty; 16,000 full-time and part-time employees; a renowned Health Sciences Center, the Temple University Health System, Inc., with seven hospitals and two nursing homes; 210,000 proud graduates throughout the world; an annual budget of more than $1 billion; successful, long-established campuses in Rome, Italy, and Tokyo, Japan; and educational programs in Great Britain, France, Jamaica, Greece, Israel, Ghana, the People's Republic of China, and other nations. Throughout his career at Temple, Mr. Liacouras worked vigorously and tirelessly in the pursuit of excellence. The bedrock of his administration was a commitment to improving undergraduate, graduate, and professional education within his institution, and he restructured Temple's schools and colleges to meet the needs of students and the world they enter after graduation. He was an advocate of opening colleges and universities to persons from historically underrepresented groups--an effort which led to Temple becoming the first university to receive the U.S. Labor Department's coveted Exemplary Voluntary Effort (EVE) Award. As Dean of the Law School, this son of Greek immigrants earned national recognition for developing fair and sensible admissions policies for professional schools. President Liacouras was also a leader in bringing change to his University and anticipating even greater change in the future. His ``Report to the Board of Trustees on Strategic Initiatives'' helped Temple reposition itself in a radically changing environment for higher education. With his direction, the University launched Virtual Temple, a for-profit subsidiary to market courses on the Internet. He dramatically improved his university's town-gown relationship with its surrounding communities. While strengthening Temple's overseas educational programs, he led the way for the University and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to invest in the University's Main Campus, with such projects as the Temple University Children's Medical Center, The Liacouras Center, The Tuttleman Learning Center, and the Independence Blue Cross Student Recreation Center. His strategic vision for the Main Campus helped revitalize North Central Philadelphia. As a result, community residents are seeing new housing and new retail and entertainment projects in their neighborhoods--and Temple is experiencing an unprecedented influx of talented students who want an education in a great city. Mr. President, I doubt that few institutions could rival Temple University for its accomplishments and progress during the remarkable stewardship of President Liacouras. I would like to thank my friend for his extraordinary success in leading Temple University to new heights of greatness as one of America's important centers of higher education.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my support for the many stepparents that contribute to the lives of the children that they help raise. I was sent a letter on May 21, 2000 from Mrs. Joyce Capuzzi informing me that the Sunday after Mother's Day would now be Stepmother's Day. Joyce's stepdaughter, Lizzie, came to this decision as she recognized the importance of the relationship she has with her stepmother. I commend both Joyce and Lizzie for embracing their new family members in this manner. Many people are blessed with step-relationships similar to the Capuzzis. However, none have ever illustrated that with the idea of creating a holiday just for the recognition of this type of relationship. It is wonderful that Lizzie Capuzzi holds so much love for her stepmother, and it is my hope that they their relationship can be an example for other stepfamilies.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I wonder if my distinguished colleague, the senior senator from Pennsylvania, would answer a few questions on funding for research regarding polycystic kidney disease?

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to address an issue that Senator Specter and I have been working on with Pennsylvania hospitals and the Health Care Financing Administration. Since 1998, we have been trying to resolve a dispute concerning the inclusion of a state's General Assistance population as a part of its Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment calculation. HCFA asserted in 1998 that Pennsylvania hospitals were including General Assistance (GA) days in their Medicare DSH calculation, when they should only have included Medicaid days. This issue at the time was an enormous concern to the hospitals which provide care to the neediest populations in my state, and this issue remains unresolved today. Mr. President, this is a matter of fairness and applying the rules and interpretations equally. Medicare fiscal intermediaries had been reimbursing hospitals with GA days included for the past twelve years. In 1998, HCFA reversed its own intermediaries' interpretation and began recouping the so-called overpayments as far back as fiscal year 1993. Since then, Pennsylvania hospitals stopped including the GA days in their DSH calculations. I now understand that thirty-five other States had been including General Assistance days in their Medicare DSH calculations, and that since January of this year, HCFA began allowing some states which operate under Section 1115 Medicaid waivers to include the GA population in the Medicare DSH calculation. Pennsylvania hospitals operate under a Section 1915 waiver, and it has been made clear to them that they cannot count GA populations in their calculations. Mr. President, HCFA appears to be unfairly applying GA days and Medicare DSH calculations across states. I am very concerned that hospitals in Pennsylvania remain at a disadvantage, and I remain committed to working with HCFA to clarify once and for all how the GA population should be treated under the Medicare DSH program. I appreciate the diligence that my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Specter, has shown on this matter, and I will continue to work with him toward a satisfactory resolution.

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

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. SANTORUM. I thank the Chairman. I know that you are very much aware of the devastation caused by polycystic kidney disease, better known as PKD. Our colleagues may be interested to know that this disease afflicts over 600,000 Americans, which is more than the combined total of cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy and Down's syndrome. That translates into an average of almost 1400 sufferers in each congressional district, or 12,000 in each state. PKD is the most prevalent life-threatening genetic disease, and is the third leading cause of kidney failure, resulting in almost $2 billion spent every year to treat end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or transplantation. End-Stage Renal Disease is the fastest growing part of Medicare, and I know we are all looking for ways to strengthen that important program. Mr. President, I would like to ask the Chairman if, in the context of the funding provided to the National Institutes of Health in this bill, could he tell us your intentions with regard to PKD research?

Mr. SANTORUM. I thank my esteemed colleague for his help in this matter. ocular albinism

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to discuss with Chairman Specter the plight of nearly 1,000 displaced coal workers in southwestern Pennsylvania. As Senator Specter is aware, these employees of Consol Coal have recently lost their jobs and have sought federal assistance to provide a wide variety of adjustment assistance services including occupational skills training, career plan development, and job search assistance. As my colleague knows, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had requested over $12 million in an emergency grant application that was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition to the services already mentioned, needs-related payments were requested in order to provide income support to workers who participated in retraining activities. These payments are essential as they provide a modest source of income for the workers while they are pursuing additional skills and education in order to prepare for a new vocation. Unfortunately, the Department of Labor only funded a portion of the request, indicating that needs- related payments could not exceed 25 percent of the total application. However, in the past the Department has not held similar applications to the same standard. In fact, I have been made aware of a grant award for mine workers who requested needs-related payments in excess of 70 percent of the total grant application. Knowing of the need of these displaced coal workers and the inconsistency of the Department of Labor in awarding funds, I ask that Chairman Specter work with me in the coming weeks to identify appropriate funds in the Department of Labor's budget to support these workers as they prepare for new careers.

Mr. SANTORUM

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

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, as this Congress continues to deliberate options of how best to care for our senior population, it is critical to consider, as well, the role that caregivers play in accommodating the delivery of such care to loved ones. Family caregivers are often forced to make difficult sacrifices. By just one measure, it is estimated that the average loss of income to these caregivers is more than $600,000 in wages, pensions and Social Security benefits. This does not have to be the case, though. It does not have to be the case with the choices afforded by legislation I am pleased to be introducing today along with Senator Rockefeller of West Virginia aimed at reforming Medicare's home health benefit. The Medicare Adult Day Services Alternative Act of 2000 would provide Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for home health benefits the choice to receive those services in qualified adult day care centers, and simultaneously assist family caregivers with the very real difficulties in caring for a homebound family member. It is with America's Medicare beneficiaries and family caregivers in mind which makes the Medicare Adult Day Services Alternative Act a winner for Medicare, for patients and for their caregivers. First, it would allow patients to receive home health services in a setting that promotes rehabilitation by providing social interaction, meals and therapeutic activities above and beyond the provision of the prescribed home health benefit. Second, caregivers for homebound patients would be able to maintain employment outside of the home because they would know that their family member is in a healthy, protected environment during the day. With this legislation, patients could elect to receive some, or all, of their home health benefit in a home or an adult day care congregate setting. I think my colleagues would agree with me that the opportunity to interact with others with similar needs can improve patients' mental and physical wellbeing. While not expanding the existing eligibility criteria for home health, this legislation offers Medicare beneficiaries a greater sense of autonomy afforded by receiving necessary care outside of their homes. The adult day care center would be paid 95% of the rate paid to a home health agency for providing the Medicare-covered service. But within that lump-sum payment, the adult day care center would also be required to cover transportation, medication management, therapeutic activities, and meals. The Medicare Adult Day Services Alternative Act recognizes the benefit that will come to family members of Medicare recipients of this service. These caregivers will be able to attend to other things in today's fast-paced family life, knowing their loved ones are well cared for. This creative solution to health care delivery also adequately reimburses providers and is designed to be budget neutral. I hope that members on both sides of the aisle will join me in advancing this important issue for Medicare beneficiaries and their families. As this Congress considers various proposals to improve Medicare's home health benefit, this proposal deserves the serious attention and consideration of my colleagues. I look forward to working with them to enact this pro-beneficiary, potentially cost-saving reform legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.