Bob Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to S. Robert Levine of Stratham, NH for being honored as a significant contributor to New Hampshire's growth and development. Robert co-founded Cabletron Systems, Inc., in 1983, expanding the computer networking company into a $1.5 billion corporation employing more than 6,000 people in 110 offices throughout the world. He was the recipient of the ``Entrepreneur of the Year'' award by Inc. Magazine in 1991, and was included among the nation's wealthiest people on the ``Forbes 400'' list for several years. Robert also has operated his own business, Robert Associates, in Natick, MA, selling cable products. He earned a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Miami, FL. Robert Levine has been a generous supporter whose personal gifts include millions of dollars for police departments, schools and hospitals. One of his largest gifts funds cancer research at a teaching hospital in Worcester, MA. Robert Levine has served the people of the State of New Hampshire with dedication and generosity. His contributions to the business and charitable communities of our State have been exemplary. I commend him for his philanthropy to our State and country. It is an honor and a privilege to represent him in the United States Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to George Crombie of Nashua, NH, for being named as the 2001 recipient of the Charles Walter Nichols Award. This award was established to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement in the environmental field. George serves as the Director of Public Works for the City of Nashua, NH, and manages the full service public works division which services a population of 85,000 residents. His experience in environmental and public works management have enhanced the quality of life for residents in Nashua. George has served as Public Works Director in Durham, NH, and Burlington, VT. He has also served as undersecretary of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A strong coalition builder, George has guided numerous environmental and public projects through development in our state. He received a Bachelors Degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Public Administration Degree from Northeastern University. George is a past President of the New England Public Works Association and has been honored as the chapter's Man of the Year. George and his wife, Jacqueline, have three children: Jill, Jack and Jane. He serves on several professional boards including: American Public Works Association, Water Pollution Control Federation, New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association and the New Hampshire Good Roads Association. George Crombie is a tribute to his community and profession. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee it is an honor to work with George on issues important to the City of Nashua. His dedicated service to the citizens of Nashua and New Hampshire is to be commended. It is an honor and a privilege to represent him in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Craig Benson of Rye, NH, for being honored as a significant contributor to New Hampshire's growth and development. Craig co-founded Cabletron Systems, Inc. in 1983, expanding the computer networking company into a $1.5 billion corporation employing more than 6,000 people in 110 offices throughout the world. He was the recipient of the ``National Entrepreneur of the Year'' award by Inc. Magazine in 1991, and was included among the 10 most powerful people in New Hampshire in the 1990's by Business NH Magazine. Craig Benson has been a good neighbor to the citizens of New Hampshire, gifting a $100 million grant of networking equipment to inner city and disadvantaged colleges and universities. He also serves on numerous boards of directors and on the Board of Trustees at Babson College. Craig Benson has served the people of the Granite State with dedication and generosity. His contributions to the economic and charitable communities of our state have been exemplary and I commend him for his efforts. It is an honor and a privilege to serve him in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the Talarico Dealerships of Manchester, Merrimack and Milford, New Hampshire, on being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. The Talarico Dealerships and Stephen Talarico, president and CEO, conduct business by a company mission statement of providing quality service to customers with trained professional employees and ``to remain supportive to our community and committed to the education of our youth.'' The Talarico Dealerships recognize the importance of giving back to the community and have generously contributed to civic programs including the Manchester Riverwalk Development Project and Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce First Annual Golf Tournament. The company was among the first automobile dealerships in the country to install custom designed, thermo-reactor stainless steel Devilbis spray booths at its Body Magic Auto Collision Center. Talarico Dealership was also the first dealership in the Granite State to have a service department managed completely by women. Stephen Talarico was named Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year in 1999. His Merrimack Used Car Superstore became one of the top five used car volume dealerships in New Hampshire in 2000. The Talarico Dealerships and Stephen Talarico have been good neighbors to the citizens of Manchester, Merrimack and Milford, New Hampshire. I commend them on their dedication and service to the communities of the Granite State. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the Concord Community Music School of Concord, New Hampshire, for the honor of being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. New Hampshire's largest and oldest community music school, Concord Community Music School is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year. The primary mission of the school is to provide access to music for all people of New Hampshire while having the best resources available. Concord Community Music School has touched the lives of many Granite State citizens. In 2000, over 43,000 people received 80,100 musical services thanks to the school. The school also provides weekly lessons and classes at the facility and provides performances at public events. Concord Community Music School generously reaches out to area citizens with its Music in the Community Initiative. The program is a partnership with area schools, human service agencies and hospitals in New Hampshire which provides music and lessons to at-risk students, disabled people, senior citizens and pre-schoolers from low income families. Concord Community Music School has been a dedicated and caring neighbor to the citizens of New Hampshire. I commend them for their contributions to the cultural, educational and economic communities of our state. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Multi Modal Transportation Financing Act. The United States faces a significant shortfall in funding for our highway and bridge infrastructure needs. It is incumbent upon us to look at new and innovative ways to make the most of limited resources to address these significant needs. This bill will lift the existing restrictions on tax-exempt bond financing for public agencies seeking greater private sector participation in a variety of transportation projects. This financing tool will serve to manage congestion, build more transportation options, and encourage technological innovation. This bill will adjust the tax code in order to remove a barrier to needed transportation infrastructure investment. Under current Federal tax law, highways built by government can be financed through the use of tax exempt bonds--but those built by the private sector are not eligible to use this valuable financing tool, even though this tool is currently available to the private sector for the construction of seaports, airports and other public infrastructure facilities. Tax- exempt bonds can reduce interest rates as much as two percentage points below rates on comparable taxable bond issues and can reduce financing costs by 20-25 percent. While this has been a huge benefit for other infrastructure needs, once the private sector seeks to participate in the development or operation of a government-owned highway or intercity rail project, tax-exempt financing is no longer available. Yet these transportation projects costing from $100 million to over $1 billion are rendered financially infeasible when subjected to taxable bond financing, forcing the private sector out of transportation project development. As a result, public/private partnerships in the provision of highway facilities are unlikely to materialize, despite the potential efficiencies in design, construction, and operation offered by such arrangements. By depending solely on public sector tax-exempt financing, some projects will not be built at all, while projects that still get built are done so much later, at higher cost, greater inefficiency and public sector risk. Private sector participation in these transportation projects will provide access to new expertise, greater operating efficiencies, new sources of investment capital, and private sector risk sharing. This practice of private sector involvement has already been successfully implemented in a number of other countries. U.S. companies are currently investing billions of dollars in foreign infrastructure projects that are not subject to the United States tax code discrimination against similar private investment. Increasing the private sector's role in these countries has offered opportunities for construction cost savings and more efficient operation. The effort to enhance private sector participation began a few years ago by my predecessor as chairman of the environment and Public Works Committee, Senator John Chafee. While his legislation did pass the Senate, it never made it to the President's desk. It is time for this long over due private sector encouragement to become law. I hope that this bill can be one in a series of new approaches to meeting our substantial transportation infrastructure needs and will be one of the approaches that will help us find more efficient methods to design, build, and operate the nation's transportation infrastructure. We should begin by knocking down barriers that discourage the private sector from unleashing its full resources to help build this nation's transportation network. I urge my colleague to join me in supporting this vital legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Multi Modal Transportation Financing Act. The United States faces a significant shortfall in funding for our highway and bridge infrastructure needs. It is incumbent upon us to look at new and innovative ways to make the most of limited resources to address these significant needs. This bill will lift the existing restrictions on tax-exempt bond financing for public agencies seeking greater private sector participation in a variety of transportation projects. This financing tool will serve to manage congestion, build more transportation options, and encourage technological innovation. This bill will adjust the tax code in order to remove a barrier to needed transportation infrastructure investment. Under current Federal tax law, highways built by government can be financed through the use of tax exempt bonds--but those built by the private sector are not eligible to use this valuable financing tool, even though this tool is currently available to the private sector for the construction of seaports, airports and other public infrastructure facilities. Tax- exempt bonds can reduce interest rates as much as two percentage points below rates on comparable taxable bond issues and can reduce financing costs by 20-25 percent. While this has been a huge benefit for other infrastructure needs, once the private sector seeks to participate in the development or operation of a government-owned highway or intercity rail project, tax-exempt financing is no longer available. Yet these transportation projects costing from $100 million to over $1 billion are rendered financially infeasible when subjected to taxable bond financing, forcing the private sector out of transportation project development. As a result, public/private partnerships in the provision of highway facilities are unlikely to materialize, despite the potential efficiencies in design, construction, and operation offered by such arrangements. By depending solely on public sector tax-exempt financing, some projects will not be built at all, while projects that still get built are done so much later, at higher cost, greater inefficiency and public sector risk. Private sector participation in these transportation projects will provide access to new expertise, greater operating efficiencies, new sources of investment capital, and private sector risk sharing. This practice of private sector involvement has already been successfully implemented in a number of other countries. U.S. companies are currently investing billions of dollars in foreign infrastructure projects that are not subject to the United States tax code discrimination against similar private investment. Increasing the private sector's role in these countries has offered opportunities for construction cost savings and more efficient operation. The effort to enhance private sector participation began a few years ago by my predecessor as chairman of the environment and Public Works Committee, Senator John Chafee. While his legislation did pass the Senate, it never made it to the President's desk. It is time for this long over due private sector encouragement to become law. I hope that this bill can be one in a series of new approaches to meeting our substantial transportation infrastructure needs and will be one of the approaches that will help us find more efficient methods to design, build, and operate the nation's transportation infrastructure. We should begin by knocking down barriers that discourage the private sector from unleashing its full resources to help build this nation's transportation network. I urge my colleague to join me in supporting this vital legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Belknap Landscape Company, Inc. of Gilford, New Hampshire, on being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. Belknap Landscape Company, Inc., has been owned for the past 13 years by Hayden McLaughlin, who is a member of several industry organizations and works to inform people about landscaping benefits. The company was the recipient of the Blue Chip Award, Leon Patterson Award for Landscape Excellence, and numerous national safety awards. Belknap Landscape Company, Inc. has participated in many community events and outreach programs. The company was active in the development of the Kirkwood Gardens in 1995 and continues to sponsor the gardens and annual ``Wildflower Day'' which benefits the gardens and Science Center. They are involved in other community projects including: the Fireds of the New Hampshire Music Festival, New Beginnings, the United Way, and the New Hampshire State Police Association. They have donated materials and staff manpower to the Squam Lakes Association waterfront area. Hayden also makes annual contributions to the New Hampshire Horticulture Endowment Fund and he is a mentor in the Associated Landscape Contractors of America ``One-on-One'' Mentor program. Belknap Landscape Company, Inc. and Hayden McLaughlin have been strong stewards of the environmental and business communities in New Hampshire. I commend them for the positive contributions they have made to the citizens of the Granite State. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the Common Man Family of Restaurants of Ashland, Concord, Lincoln, Windham, Meredith and Tilton, New Hampshire, on being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. The Common Man Family Restaurants and owner, Alex Ray, operate nine restaurants throughout the Granite State and employ more than 400 people. Alex was the recipient of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Associations' ``Restauranteur of the Year'' in 1996. The company is a strong supporter of community and national charitable organizations. For the past 10 years, The Common Man Family of Restaurants has donated more than $300,000 to Easter Seals and was recognized nationally for organizing and hosting the most successful fund-raiser for the March of Dimes in New Hampshire, raising more than $40,000. They also offer scholarships to Plymouth Regional High School students who are interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts. The Common Man Family of Restaurants also participated in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival by preparing traditional New Hampshire cuisine for over 50,000 people during the 10-day event. I personally had the opportunity to sample their delicious wares. Alex Ray and The Common Man Family of Restaurants have been an asset to the citizens of New Hampshire. I commend them for their service and dedication to the people and communities of our state. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Northeast Delta Dental of Concord, New Hampshire, for the honor of being named 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. Northeast Delta Dental, a New Hampshire-based company, is a leader in their industry for customer and community service. Teamwork is the key to the success of Northeast Delta Dental where employees strive to work together with shared responsibility and accountability. The values of the company are substantiated by the company's Guarantee of Service Excellence program which promises customers exceptional service. Northeast Delta Dental is also committed to leadership and contribution within the local community. As a generous corporate neighbor they have made donations to programs such as: the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, a soccer field on-site for area youth, and grants to New Hampshire dental clinics which serve underprivileged citizens. Northeast Delta Dental and CEO Thomas Raffio are an asset to the communities of New Hampshire. I commend them for their outstanding contribution to the citizens of our state. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Nixon Peabody LLP of Manchester, New Hampshire, for the honor of being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. The New Hampshire office of Nixon Peabody LLP was established in 1992, and is one of the top 50 law firms in the United States with 11 East Coast offices, including 20 in the Granite State. The firm has been instrumental in New Hampshire's premier business deals and has established itself in our state by assuming the role of a strong corporate citizen. Active within the Manchester community, staff members from Nixon Peabody serve on several nonprofit boards including: Kevin Fitzgerald as president and chairman of the Manchester Community Music School's board, W. Scott O'Connell as vice president of the Farnum Center, and James Hood as chairman of New Hampshire's International Trade Advisory Committee. Staff members and clients have also served the City of Manchester with charity and concern. Victims of a recent apartment house fire were provided with clothing and furniture by a client of the firm after a fire that left more than 50 people homeless. I commend Nixon Peabody LLP for their contributions to both the business and civic communities in our state. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Concord Hospital of Concord, New Hampshire, for the honor of being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. Concord Hospital serves the citizens of the local community with a state of the art technology facility and staff. The hospital is the only one in the Granite State to provide computers at patients' bedsides to permit charting of medical information and data and to track patient charges for supplies and medical procedures. The Concord Hospital continues to keep abreast of the changing technologies within the industry by becoming the first cardiac catheterization laboratory in our state to use digital equipment for patient procedures. It also uses the only FDA approved computer-aided detection systems for breast cancer. The Hospital has paid 132 of its employees to participate in community committees and projects. It has also provided cash donations to other organizations and has created a database of health and human service providers and services for New Hampshire Helpline information service. The Concord Hospital is a good neighbor to the citizens of Concord and our state. I commend them for their dedication and service to the health care community in New Hampshire. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr President, I rise today to pay tribute to the Reverend Mark J. Hurley, the former bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa, California. Bishop Hurley passed away on Monday February 5, 2001, after undergoing surgery for an aneurysm. Mark Hurley was one of two priests born to a proud Irish Catholic family. His brother, Francis Hurley, is the Archbishop of Anchorage, Alaska. I had the great fortune to make the acquaintance of Mark Hurley several years ago while traveling in California. He was a deeply religious man, as you would expect, and a very learned individual and the author of several books. He lectured about the tragedy of abortion and wrote extensively about medical and genetic research and individual privacy. But he will be remembered most of all for his extraordinary work as the bishop of the six-county North Coast diocese from 1969- 1986. Pope Paul VI appointed Mark Hurley second bishop of the Santa Rosa diocese in 1969. Prior to his appointment, he was a teacher and administrator for Catholic high schools in San Francisco, Marin and Oakland and served as vicar general of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He would become Santa Rosa's longest-serving bishop since the diocese was created. Most importantly, Bishop Hurley was credited with saving the diocese from financial ruin. When he took office the diocese was over $12 million in debt, including $7 million owed to parishes and other organizations within the diocese. By imposing strict spending limits, a building moratorium and other cutbacks he was able to orchestrate the financial recovery that was so desperately needed. After his tenure, Pope John Paul II rewarded Revernd Hurley's efforts by transferring him to the Vatican where he was consular to the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education and a member of the Secretariat for Non-Believers. He returned to the United States and retired in San Francisco--the same city in which he was born on December 13, 1919. He was acknowledged by many as an intellectual and a world leader on religious matters, but it was his successful tenure as bishop of Santa Rosa for which he will be remembered most. Santa Rosa's current bishop, Daniel Walsh, said of Mark Hurley, ``I believe his most esteemed role and responsibility was that of Bishop of Santa Rosa. He labored here from November 1969 to April 1986. He made a great impact on the diocese and we are all beneficiaries of his ministry here.'' Mr. President, with the death of Bishop Hurley the Lord has lost a dutiful servant, the Catholic faith has lost a pillar of virtue and our nation has lost a loving soul that quietly touched and improved the lives of many. Mr. President, I know I speak for all my colleagues in extending our condolences to his brother, Bishop Francis Hurley, his sister Phyllis Porter of San Francisco and to the rest of his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Bottomline Technologies of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for the honor of being named the 2001 Business of the Year by Business NH Magazine. Bottomline Technologies is a Portsmouth-based firm that has become a global leader in business-to-business Internet-based transactional processing. The company was founded by Dan McGurl, recipient of the 1998 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the New Hampshire High Technology Council, and Jim Loomis 12 years ago. Bottomline is the creator of the LaserCheck system which allows businesses to streamline the payment of paper checks. More than 5,500 client companies throughout the world utilize Bottomline's software solutions. The company has earned recognition from Inc. Magazine being named as one of the fastest growing private companies. It was also named as one of the fastest high technology companies by Deloitte & Touche and Hale and Dorr. Bottomline was recognized with the 2000 United Way Special Achievement Award for achieving 119 percent of its contribution goal that year. Bottomline Technologies has been a leader in the high technology sector of the New Hampshire business community and a good neighbor to civic organizations. I commend them for their dedicated service to the citizens of New Hampshire. It is an honor and a privilege to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 13 students from Milford High School in Milford, NH, who were recently selected to compete in the national finals of the ``We the People . . . the Citizen and the Constitution'' program held April 21-23, 2001, in Washington, DC. These high school students competed on the State level for the opportunity to represent New Hampshire at the national competition, and were among more than 1,200 students from 49 States and the District of Columbia to participate. The distinguished members of the team representing New Hampshire are: Catilin Allen, Jeremy Berger, Aaron Costa-Ganis, Mike Danner, Tiffany Fariole, Chris Lawler, Jason Lewis, Sean Parenti, Keith Parker, Todd Rounsaville, Sarah Rush, Dawn Staiti and Irene Direnko. All 13 New Hampshire students were tested on the Constitution and Bill of Rights before simulated congressional committees to demonstrate their knowledge of constitutional principles and their relevance to contemporary issues. The competition in Washington consisted of 2 days of hearings; and 10 finalists, with the highest scores, competing for the title of national winner on Capitol Hill in a congressional hearing room. David Alcox, a teacher at Milford High School and District Coordinator, also deserves special recognition for helping these students prepare for the intense constitutional testing. Kirsten Hale, the State coordinator, also contributed a significant amount of time and effort to help the students reach the national finals. As a former teacher myself, I applaud all of them on their commitment to enriching the lives of these students. The ``We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution'' program provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain an informed perspective about the history and principles of our Nation's constitutional government. We are proud to have them representing New Hampshire, and wish them luck as they prepare to be America's leader in the 21st Century.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Larry Favinger of York, ME, on the occasion of his retirement from the Portsmouth Herald newspaper. For thirty-five years, Larry has enjoyed an illustrious career as a journalist with the Portsmouth Herald serving as a news reporter, sports editor and city editor for the newspaper. Larry has been a mainstay at the newspaper and has earned the respect and admiration of his peers. Early in the 1990's Larry opened the York bureau of the Portsmouth Herald and worked to establish the Herald's identify as a newspaper in Maine as well as one in New Hampshire. It has been a pleasure for me to work with Larry on the issues that affect the citizens of New Hampshire, especially those which concern the Portsmouth Shipyard. Larry has always approached the issues that we have discussed with professionalism and fairness. I am proud to have known him and to have worked with him during my tenure in public office. An exemplary community contributor, Larry has been active in following the progress of hometown young people in athletic and cultural activities, always supporting their achievements by writing updates for Herald readers to enjoy. I also commend Larry for his service to his state and nation in the United States Air Force, where he served in Japan and was stationed at Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. It is an honor and a privilege to serve Larry Favinger in the United States Senate. I wish him and his wife, Rose Ann, Godspeed in his retirement and in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Kevin Gray of Canterbury, NH, for being honored as the 2000 Sportswriter of the Year by the members of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. A native of Plymouth, NH, Kevin is a sports communications graduate of the University of New Hampshire. He has been employed at The Union Leader newspaper for over six years and is a columnist and feature writer for the newspaper. Kevin writes a popular weekly column for the Union Leader on the paper's ``Get Out'' page and is also a member of the Union Leader's motor sports coverage team for Winston Cup events at New Hampshire International Speedway. Kevin is known in high school and football circles in New Hampshire for his columns, ``High School Hoopla'' and ``Between the Lines''. He has covered notable assignments in the sports arena including the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the Winter X Games at Mount Snow, VT and regular coverage of Boston Red Sox home games. Active in community service, Kevin often speaks with English classes at journalism workshops throughout New Hampshire, ranging from middle school to college level audiences. Kevin and his wife, Tareah, reside in Canterbury, NH. It is an honor and a privilege to serve Kevin Gray in the United States Senate. I wish him much success in his future endeavors.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Jim O'Neil of Merrimack, NH, on the occasion of his 30th anniversary as Superintendent of Schools in Merrimack, NN. As a former teacher myself, I commend Jim's commitment to the young people of New Hampshire and the nation. Jim has been a dedicated member of the educational community for many years, beginning his teaching career in 1963. He has contributed selflessly to the betterment of education in New Hampshire, serving in teaching, athletic coaching and administrative positions for many years. An exemplary community contributor, Jim has been actively involved in many educational associations and organizations. He has been a board member for the National Elementary Principal's Association, the New Hampshire School Administration Association, the New England Association of School Superintendents and was a member of the Governor's Commission on Public Education. He has also been faithful volunteer in Pop Warner football and Babe Ruth baseball in Merrimack, serving as a coach. Jim received a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA, and later earned a Master of Education degree from the State College at Boston. Jim and his wife, Reggie, have four children and two grandchildren and have resided in the town of Merrimack, NH, for over thirty years. It is an honor and a privilege to serve Jim O'Neil in the U.S. Senate. I wish him and his family Godspeed in his retirement and in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Postal Employees of the New Hampshire Performance Cluster, a group of dedicated public servants who have been recognized for exemplary performance of service duties. On April 3rd of this year, The Postal Employees of the New Hampshire Performance Cluster were recognized with the Postal Service's highest award, the Chief Operating Officer Award for overall excellence in the area of customer satisfaction. I was proud to have attended the awards ceremony in New Hampshire last weekend, and was inspired by the dedication and commitment of the award recipients. New Hampshire Postal Employees have been honored along with four other districts in the nation receiving the Order of the Yellow Jersey Award for Excellence in customer service. This prestigious award is based on the percentage of residential customers who rated the postal service employees as excellent in four areas: overall performance, courteous and friendly clerks, consistency of mail delivery and accuracy of mail delivery. The Postal Employees of the New Hampshire Performance Cluster have provided dedicated service to the citizens of our state. The people of our state look upon them with tremendous gratitude for all that they have done. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the Postal Employees of the New Hampshire Performance Center in the United States Senate.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to call up the managers' amendment to S. 350 which is at the desk.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I am very proud to be debating the brownfields legislation, known as the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001, or S. 350. It is a bill we have worked on for a long time--many years actually. It is exciting to be at this point and to have bipartisan legislation that, frankly, we know after we finish the debate is going to pass. That does not happen every day in the Senate. So it is exciting. I am proud that two-thirds of the Senate, both political parties, are cosponsors--68 to be exact. Also, the President supports the bill. If we can get the cooperation of the House of Representatives, this will pass quickly, and the President will sign it. We are very excited about that. This bill has the full bipartisan support of all members of the Environment and Public Works Committee across the political spectrum. Make no mistake about it, in spite of the support the bill has, it has not been an easy process. Superfund, so-called, is a very difficult subject. That is an issue I have worked on and I know Senator Reid and Senator Chafee and others have for many years. Ever since I began my service in the Congress, I have tried to reform this flawed Superfund law. It has been a bitter battle with a lot of differences of opinion as to how we do it, sometimes partisan and sometimes regional. But basically on reforming Superfund, other than a few short fixes on certain things such as recyclers, we really have not accomplished very much in the last 11 years. I have always believed we are in need of comprehensive Superfund reform to make the program work. I still believe after we pass the bill there is a lot to be done. Today we have a chance to do something good. It is not comprehensive Superfund reform. Frankly, I am at the point now where comprehensive Superfund reform is not going to happen, and maybe it should not happen. Maybe we should just move forward on a piece-bill basis and do the right thing. I was pleased to be joined by the committee's ranking member, the Superfund subcommittee chairman and its ranking member, Senators Reid, Chafee, and Boxer. I commend all of my colleagues who are present-- Senator Reid, Senator Boxer, Senator Chafee--for their leadership and working tirelessly and in good faith in a bipartisan manner. Without their cooperation and help, we would not be here today. It is always easy to reach agreement on easy issues, but the difficult issues, such as some of the issues with which we deal in the environment, are not that easy and we have to work hard, respect the other side's position, and try to come to a compromise. If there is any positive spinoff from a 50/50 Senate, about which so much is written and spoken, it is that, even if we do not want to, we have to work together because we are not going to pass anything meaningful, anything positive. We will not pass anything out of committee going anywhere on the floor unless it is bipartisan. We may not always agree on how to achieve our goals, but we all share the same desire for a safe and healthy environment for all of our families and for the future and our future generations. As I have said many times, environment should be about the future. It shouldn't be about politics of today. It should be about tomorrow and our children. Sometimes in the decisions we make we would like to have immediate results, but we don't get them. It takes time to see the fruits of our labors. I think you will see in the brownfields legislation, when it passes, the process of cleaning up the old abandoned industrial sites. I thank President Bush, as well, and his new EPA administrator, Christine Whitman, for unwavering support. When they first took office, my very first meeting was with then-Governor Whitman, now Administrator Whitman. She gave me her full support and commitment on this issue, as did the President. The President stated the brownfields reform is a top environmental priority for his administration. It will now pass the Senate within the first 100 days of the administration. That is a promise made and a promise kept--sometimes rare in politics these days. The President recognizes what it means for the environment. I am proud the Senate will pass this priority and do it today. As former Governors, both President Bush and Administrator Whitman understand the importance of cleaning up the sites, and the President deserves credit for making this a top priority, as do my colleagues in the Senate. Without the support of the President, we would not see this legislation become law. To his credit, President Clinton, as well, was a supporter of the brownfields bill. It has not been easy, but we have worked in good faith. I thank all Senators involved for their willingness to work together toward this common goal. It is amazing what can be accomplished when we set aside the rhetoric and focus on the goal; or, indeed, if we have the rhetoric, complete the rhetoric and sit down and get focused on getting the job done. Last year, the committee was successful in passing good, balanced, bipartisan legislation, including estuaries restoration, clean beaches, and the most famous of all, the historic Everglades restoration, which was a prime project of the Senator from Rhode Island, our distinguished father and former colleague, Mr. John Chafee. I made a commitment after Senator Chafee's passing that I would, in fact, shepherd that bill through the Senate, which we did, and President Clinton signed it. It is now law. We will see that great natural resource restored. Again, it will take time. It will not happen tomorrow. We will not see the Everglades restored tomorrow, but we will see it done over a period of 10, 20, 30 years. We will not see every brownfield restored today after passage of the bill, but we will see industrial site after industrial site, abandoned industrial sites all over America, gradually become green or restored in a way that they are productive and producing tax revenues in the communities across our Nation. When you see a brownfield, abandoned site, and you see activity, with people working and cleaning it up, and it is looking nice in your community, you can reference back to this legislation and know that is why it is being done. People say, why do you need the legislation? The answer is, under current law no one will clean them up. I will discuss the reasons in a moment. With brownfields, we have proven we can work together in cooperation, as opposed to confrontation, and we can accomplish great things. When we talk about all the great issues of the day, whether China, the budget, or whatever, brownfields is not exactly something that gets a lot of glamour. We had a huge debate on the Ashcroft confirmation. That received a lot of publicity. However, down in the trenches, these are the kinds of issues that don't get a lot of attention. Maybe the trade press follows them. The national press doesn't do much. Indeed, sometimes not even your local press, but it is important. It is very important to the communities because we will be restoring these sites. I am hopeful the effort will set the stage for more cooperation and also get at more of the old Superfund law to pick away and try to reform various parts of the bill so we don't need Superfund anymore. We will be cleaning up all of these sites as soon as we can. We have learned environmental politics delays environmental protection. Let me repeat that: Environmental politics delays environmental protection. The more we argue about things, the longer it takes to get something in place that will bring this to resolution, and the resolution would be the cleanup. The expedited cleanup of brownfield sites is very important to my constituents in New Hampshire, as it is to other constituents in other States. My State helped to drive this economy during the industrial age--little old New Hampshire, with the mills along the Merrimack. We have more than our share of these likely contaminated sites waiting to be turned back into positive assets, including abandoned railroad sites, along the railroads, along the rivers. Frequently, these are the sites we are talking about. It could be Bradford, Keene, Concord, or New Ipswich. This bill will be of monumental benefit to not only those towns but many towns all over America. This bill will also create opportunities for the development of more facilities such as the Londonderry eco-industrial park. Now these brownfield sites will turn into industrial parks. Or, indeed, if they are not parks, they may very well be ``green'' parks as opposed to industrial parks. Again, this bill provides help in that regard. If you take an abandoned industrial site and convert it to a good commercial site, producing revenues for the community, it enhances the community in a beautification way, produces revenue, puts people to work. It is a win-win-win. Furthermore, it takes the pressure off of green space. We won't go outside of Frankfurt, KY, somewhere and pull off acres of land to build an industrial park if we have 10 acres of abandoned brownfield sites to bring back and revitalize and use again. That is the beauty of the legislation. I am proud to help communities all across the Nation. We estimate as many as 400,000 to 500,000 brownfield sites exist across America. We will see activity now on these sites. A brief background on the bill. On March 8, the Environmental and Public Works Committee reported S. 350, the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001. There were a few dissenting votes, but we worked with those individuals who had concerns and the Members now have been able to reconcile those differences. As far as I know, we have a totally united front. That is a tribute to every member of that committee, on both sides, a tribute to the staffs of the members working hard to address the concerns to come out with a totally unified effort on a bipartisan bill. This is a strong bill. It deserves the support of the full Senate, not only the 68 cosponsors but the other 32 out there, as well. How is S. 350 better than current law? That is the issue. Current law is what it is and we are now cleaning up sites. How do we improve it? Simply stated, our bill provides an element of finality that does not exist today in current law. While allowing for Federal involvement under specific conditions, current law allows EPA to act whenever there is a release or a threatened release. Again, current law allows EPA to act whenever there is a release or threatened release. This bill changes that requirement, ups the ante a little bit, and provides four things: One, EPA to find that ``the release or threatened release may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health, welfare or the environmnent'' and after taking into consideration response activities already taken, ``additional response actions are likely to be necessary to address, prevent, limit, or mitigate the release or threatened release. We put some conditions on there for the EPA's finding. We also find that the action should come at the request of the State if we need to come back. Third, contamination may have migrated across a State line. Fourth, there may be new information to emerge after the cleanup that results in the site presenting a threat. That is not all our bill does. It also authorizes $200 million in critically needed funds to assess and clean up brownfield sites as well as $50 million to assist State cleanup programs. This is more than double the level of funding currently expended on the EPA brownfield program. I also want to point out this is not about only Federal dollars. The Federal dollars, the $200 million we are talking about here, are nowhere near enough money to clean up 500,000 brownfield sites. What this does is it limits the liability and brings us closer to finality in cleanup so we can now get contractors to go on these sites. They can get the insurance, they can take the risk, and they are not going to be held accountable if a hot spot or some other problem that was not their fault occurs several years down the road. That has been the problem to date. They cannot do it because they will be held liable so they say, fine, we are not going to go on the site and clean it up and take the risk. If a contractor comes onto a site, he is responsible. If he does what he is supposed to do, follows the plans as he is supposed to, cleans it up and does it in good faith and we find something later, he is not accountable. That is why this bill will go so far toward moving us in the right direction, getting these sites cleaned up. Individuals and towns and property owners will now invest in cleaning up these sites. Banks will lend money. There are millions and millions of dollars--tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions--that will be used now from the private sector to clean up these sites, far beyond the $200 million we are talking about in this bill. This will promote conservation through redevelopment, as I said before, as opposed to new greenfield development, and will help to revitalize our city centers and create new jobs in the inner cities. It is a win for the environment, a win for the economy, a win for the Nation, a win for every State, including New Hampshire, and a lot of communities with those brownfield sites. It is a giant step forward. We now have a chance to move forward on a piece of legislation that will make a significant difference in communities across the Nation. The real winners are the people who live near these abandoned sites-- sometimes those are minorities--the renewed urban centers that will see development and jobs replace blighted, contaminated sites, the local communities that will be revitalized, and the green space that is preserved. It is a win, win, win, win, win, no matter how you cut it. Thanks to the leadership of my colleagues, Senators Reid, Boxer, and Chafee, and all my colleagues on the committee, we have a chance to enact now, for the first time in all the years I have been in Congress, which is 16--the first time to enact meaningful brownfields reform. We came out of the gate running. I hope the House will follow suit, because if they do, it will be on the President's desk shortly and the President can sign this bill before the end of the summer. There are numerous interests that support S. 350. I ask unanimous consent that several letters of support I have received--and all of us have received them--be printed in the Record.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I want to take a couple of minutes to explain to my colleagues the managers' amendment, which will be part of the entire vote. We did expand the bill. At the end of the markup in committee, there were a number of concerns raised by Senators on both sides, which we attempted to address and finally were able to address. I wanted to highlight three or four of them on both sides of the aisle. Senator Inhofe raised a concern, and Senator Bond as well, about innocent parties cleaning up relatively low-risk brownfield sites contaminated by petroleum or a petroleum product. We were able to allow for the application for brownfields revitalization funding for those purposes as requested by Senators Inhofe and Bond. Also, in authorizing $200 million annually for the brownfields revitalization program, we added another $50 million, or 25 percent of the total for the cleanup of petroleum sites. This was included in the managers' amendment. We have unanimous committee support for it today. Those are two contributions to the overall legislation by Senators Inhofe and Bond. In addition, Senator Chafee asked for a clarification that a grant or loan recipient may use a portion of that grant or loan to purchase insurance for the characterization assessment or remediation of the prospective brownfields site. We were able to take care of that. Senator Clinton asked for conditions to the rank and criteria used to award moneys under this bill to address sites with a disproportionate impact on the health of children, minorities, and other sensitive subpopulations in communities with a higher than average incidence of cancer and other diseases and conditions. We were able to include that. Another concern of Senator Clinton was an element to a State response program whereby a citizen can request a State official to conduct a site assessment and the State official considers and responds appropriately to that request. Those issues of concern were added to the managers' amendment. In addition, Senator Voinovich asked for a requirement that the Administrator consult with States in determining when new information regarding a facility presents a threat to human health or the environment, while preserving EPA's authority to take appropriate action. Mr. President, I also received a moment ago a statement from the administration. I will quote from part of it: The administration supports Senate passage of S. 350 which would authorize appropriations to assess and clean up certain abandoned industrial sites known as brownfields and provide protection from liability for certain landowners. By removing barriers to brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, S. 350 would allow communities to reduce environmental and health risks, capitalize on existing infrastructure, attract new businesses and jobs, and improve their tax base. We are pleased to have that statement of support. Before I yield to Senator Reid for final remarks before the vote, I thank Senator Reid again and all of the members of the committee, Senator Chafee, Senator Boxer, and all those who worked with me to bring this to closure. It has been a pleasure. I have enjoyed it. It was a long ride, but we finally got to the end. We are glad we did. The country will be the beneficiary of our actions. It is nice to know that a piece of legislation, once it passes, will have immediate results for almost any community in America. There are so many sites. There are probably very few communities that do not have a brownfield site, which is an abandoned industrial site. I will be pleased when the bill is signed and when the dollars start to flow, not just from the few dollars we have in the Federal process but from the investments that will be made by the private sector because these folks will now be able to go onsite and clean them up. I am excited about the bill. I am glad we are at the end. I am happy to hand it over to the House now and wait for them, and hopefully, if there is a conference, it will be an easy one.

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire

Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, under the time allotted to Senator Thomas I yield myself 5 minutes.