Arlen Specter

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I ask whether that is intended to preclude any further amendments on the resolution.

Mr. SPECTER. As long as this unanimous consent request is not precluding further amendments to the resolution, I do not object.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Before the roll is called--I withdraw my request, Mr. President.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I support the constitutional amendment. I know you have a hard time seeing me over the big stack of budgets which have not been balanced. I support this amendment because I think Congress needs the discipline, the discipline itself to live within its means. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia, the Arlen Specter household, all have to live within their means. If I don't, I end up in a bankruptcy court. Regrettably, the history of our Government has been that we have spent more than we have taken in and have run up deficits, and that is why the discipline is necessary. I think it is very useful to have the pendency of the balanced budget amendment, which has led many to say, ``Well, we don't need the amendment. We can balance the budget without the amendment.'' And if that provides an incentive to balance the budget without the amendment, that is all to the good. But even if we do balance the budget, and, so far, the signs are not very promising based upon what the President has submitted, it is fine. But the discipline is necessary in the long run, and that is why I support this amendment.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, the untimely death of Mr. Albert Shanker is a moment of great sadness for this Nation and for me personally. He lost his 3-year struggle with cancer Saturday evening on February 22, 1997. Since 1974, Mr. Shanker served as the president of the American Federation of Teachers. Prior to his election to that post, he was president of New York City's United Federation of Teachers, transforming it into one of the Nation's greatest unions. He was the first teacher to become a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council and at his death, chaired the education committee and was chairman of the general board of its department for professional employees. Mr. Shanker was well known not only in this country, but also internationally and was the founding president of Education International, an organization with some 20 million teachers from democratic countries around the world. He also established American Federation of Teacher projects assisting teacher unions in South Africa, Chile, Poland, and Russia. Mr. Shanker was a driving force in the education reform movement and was well known for his column ``Where We Stand'' in the Sunday New York Times. He was also a leader in promoting civil and human rights. Several times over the last few months, as I prepared for Education hearings, I requested his participation, and even though his health kept him from appearing in person, his presence was always there-- through his statements which he prepared and which were read by his designee. This Nation has lost a great leader, a great friend of education, and a great man. I send my regrets and my sympathy to his wife Edith and his children Adam, Jennie, Michael, and Carl.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, pursuant to paragraph 2 of rule XXVI, Standing Rules of the Senate, I submit for printing in the Congressional Record the rules of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for the 105th Congress, as adopted by the committee on February 28, 1997. The rules follow: Committee on Veterans' Affairs--Rules of Procedure

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. If I may respond to the majority leader, there is nothing for him to respond to.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to discuss the pending unanimous-consent request on the tax measure. I do so because of my concern about a matter which is pressing for my State, in a number of particulars, most specifically the Wilkes-Barre arena, where financing is being held up because legislation has been introduced by Senator Moynihan, which has an effective date on the date of committee action, and bond counsel have, as I understand it, given an opinion that industrial development bonds cannot be issued from the State. After discussing the matter with Senator Moynihan, it is my understanding that he is concerned about the statutory limits on other tax-exempt bonds, which would affect hospitals and universities. It is a relative rarity that a tax bill comes through the Senate. This is an occasion where I would have an opportunity to introduce an amendment to try to move this process along. I am well aware of the fact that this is an important measure which needs to be cleared through the Senate. But I wanted to take this opportunity--and I have so advised our distinguished majority leader of my intention--when the unanimous- consent request is propounded, to reserve the right to object to see if we might get some sort of a schedule for consideration of the underlying issues here. I note the presence of the distinguished majority leader on the floor. I await his action on propounding the unanimous-consent request. I take advantage of this break in the action to state my position. I yield the floor.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, by the number, I am not certain that this is the tax bill.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, we have had this discussion with the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Roth, and the distinguished ranking member, Senator Moynihan. We have worked out an arrangement where Senator Moynihan is prepared to have as the effective date the enactment date of this legislation--perhaps I should yield to my distinguished colleague, Senator Moynihan, for him to speak for himself.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, if I may just finish the comment, I have great admiration for Senator Moynihan. I don't know whether it will become law or not. If it does, so be it. I just want to be sure that enactment is not the day we pass it, but the enactment of the statute is the day which it becomes law after passage by the Congress and signed by the President. With that understanding, I do not object.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, that is satisfactory. Enactment, after it is passed by both Houses and signed by the President, is the effective date that it becomes law.

Mr. SPECTER

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

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I send a substitute or amended resolution to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I am advised that I do have the authority to yield back the time.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may proceed in morning business for a period of up to 10 minutes.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, there has been considerable discussion in the public media and otherwise about the pending nomination of the Director of the CIA with the President having submitted the name of National Security Adviser Anthony Lake. Last year the Senate Intelligence Committee did an extensive inquiry into a matter involving the sale of Iranian arms to Bosnia which involved Mr. Lake. I have written a ``Dear Colleague'' letter which I would like to read into the Record, and I ask unanimous consent that, at the conclusion of my statement, the Intelligence Committee report, a bipartisan report although there were some dissents, be printed in the Record. We are checking to see how much of that may be printed in the Record under the rules. The ``Dear Colleague'' letter which I am submitting today is as follows: Dear Colleague: Since the media is filled with commentary about National Security Adviser Anthony Lake's nomination to be CIA Director and a pro-Lake ``Dear Colleague'' letter has been circulated, I consider it important to give my fellow senators and others my thinking from last year's Intelligence Committee hearings, which I chaired, on his activities in connection with the sale of Iranian arms to Bosnia. In my opinion, an indispensable qualification to be CIA Director is a mindset to keep Congress fully and currently informed on intelligence matters. Mr. Lake acknowledges he was a part of a plan by officials of the State Department and National Security Council to conceal from Congress and other key Executive Branch officials a new Administration policy to give a ``green light'' on the sale of Iranian arms to Bosnia when a U.S. and UN embargo prohibited it. Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John M. Shalikashvili and CIA Director R. James Woolsey told the Senate Intelligence Committee they knew nothing about that ``green light'' or the change in U.S. policy. In concluding that Congress should have been informed about this matter, the bipartisan Intelligence Committee report stated: ``By keeping from Congress the full truth about U.S. policy, the Executive branch effectively limited Congress's ability to responsibly debate and legislate on the Bosnia issue.'' Rejecting the argument that the matter involved traditional diplomatic activity, the bipartisan Intelligence Committee report stated: ``But it was not traditional diplomatic activity to: (1) give a response to a foreign head of state which effectively contradicted stated U.S. policy on isolating a country, in this case Iran, against which U.S. law imposed sanctions; (2) implicity turn a blind eye to activity that violated a United Nations Security Council resolution which the United States had supported and was obligated to obey; and (3) direct a U.S. Ambassador not to make a written report of a conversation with a foreign head of state.'' Even though I heard Mr. Lake's version during the Intelligence Committee's proceedings and have talked to him in a private meeting since his nomination, I believe he is entitled to be heard at his confirmation hearing before a final judgment is made on his nomination. I strongly disagree with the practice of abandoning nominees like Lani Guinier, Douglas Ginsburg and Zoe Baird or reaching a conclusion on their nominations until they have had their day in court. If we are to persuade able people to come into government, nominees are entitled to state their case in Senate hearings so that the charges will not stand alone without an appropriate opportunity to respond. It is beside the point that the Department of Justice concluded Mr. Lake did not commit perjury or obstruction of justice in the inquiries on the sale of Iranian arms to Bosnia. There never was any basis, in my opinion, for the referral by the House Committee on those issues. Nor am I concerned about the ancient history of Mr. Lake's so-called leftist activities which have drawn considerable attention. I had thought the stock sale issue was of lesser importance until he agreed to pay a $5,000 fine, so that issue calls for an inquiry; and it may be that other questions merit investigation such as the recent report that a member of his staff engaged in fundraising. There is no doubt that Mr. Lake is a man of considerable ability, and I do not question the sincerity of his motives in acting in what he considered to be in the national interest on the Bosnia issue. But the critical question remains as to whether Mr. Lake can be counted upon to keep the Congress currently and fully informed. The Congress must have positive assurance on that issue in the light of a half century's experience with the CIA including the Iran Contra affair. And this ``Dear Colleague'' letter is signed by me and circulated to my colleagues. In order to have a complete understanding of this issue, which as I say I consider to be central to whether Mr. Lake ought to be confirmed as Director of the CIA, it is necessary to review in some detail and in some depth the bipartisan report filed by the Intelligence Committee. I advise my colleagues that the report is available from the Intelligence Committee, and encourage all Senators to read it. I thank the Chair, yield the floor, and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. I would ask for that expedited schedule, if our colleague will yield.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I would be glad to follow the suggestion of the distinguished majority leader, and I shall begin to speak to the issue for 5 minutes.

Mr. SPECTER. Pro forma, and I shall not, we have colleagues about to catch the plane so I would ask, if the distinguished majority leader considers it appropriate, to vote and argue immediately after the vote or immediately following Senator Hollings' reserved time.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object----

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, today I am pleased to submit a resolution along with 43 of my colleagues to designate March 25, 1977, as ``Greek Independence Day: A Celebration of Greek and American Democracy.'' The Greeks began the revolution 176 years ago, that would free them from the Ottoman Empire and return Greece to its democratic heritage. It was, of course, the ancient Greeks who developed the concept of democracy in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people. Our Founding Fathers drew heavily upon the political and philosophical experience of ancient Greece in forming our representative democracy. Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that, ``to the ancient Greeks * * * we are all indebted for the light which led ourselves our of Gothic darkness.'' It is fitting, then, that we should recognize the anniversary of the beginning of their efforts to return to that democratic tradition. The democratic form of government is only one of the most obvious of the many benefits we have gained from the Greek people. The ancient Greeks contributed a great deal to the modern world, particularly to the United States of America, in the areas of art, philosophy, science, and law. Today, Greek-Americans continue to enrich our culture and make valuable contributions to American society, business, and government. It is my hope that strong support for this resolution in the Senate will serve as a clear goodwill gesture to the people of Greece with whom we have enjoyed such a close bond throughout history. Similar resolutions have been signed into law each of the past several years, with overwhelming support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Accordingly, I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution.