Debbie Stabenow

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss my support of H.R. 4, the Missile Defense bill. H.R. 4, declares that it is the policy of the United States to deploy a national missile defense system. The importance of this legislation can be found in its absence to declare the type of system to be created, the date of deployment and the location of the eventual system. I believe that it would be dangerous to rush into deployment of a National Missile Defense (NMD) system without the development of appropriate technology. We must not stake America's national security on a system which has failed 14 out of 18 tests. This legislation does not mandate a date of deployment, which allows technology to advance so that when a successful NMD system is developed it can be deployed. Additionally, I feel that compliance with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) II are far more important in our near future than deploying a limited national missile defense. And H.R. 4, does not threaten U.S. compliance by mandating the type of system or the number of interceptors necessary. I believe it is possible for a national missile defense system to complement deterrence, but only through compliance with the treaties already in place. I am disappointed that the rule prohibited an amendment by my colleague Mr. Allen, which would have specifically addressed the issues of effectiveness and treaty compliance when deploying a NMD system. For this reason, I will oppose the rule and support a motion to recommit the bill with instructions to include this amendment. While I believe Mr. Allen's amendment would have been a positive addition to this legislation, I do not feel it is necessary for my support. H.R. 4, by remaining silent on how, when, and where a NMD system will develop allows the Administration to negotiate our compliance with our treaties and for technology to advance so that an effective missile defense system can be deployed.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my grave concern regarding the proposed veterans' budget for Fiscal Year 2000. Currently veterans are facing a medical emergency. Unless the veteran health care system receives significant increases in funding, critical services will be cut, health care will be denied, facilities closed, and dedicated employees will be out of work. The Republican budget provides a modest $900 million increase in funding. However, this increase is a one-time addition that is not carried over to the next fiscal year. The Republican budget actually proposes to decrease funding for veterans. In fact, over five years, the budget resolution cuts funding for veterans by $300 million. And over ten years, their resolution cuts veterans' funding by $3 billion below the 1999 level. During consideration of this budget, while in committee and on the House floor, the majority refused an attempt to increase veterans' funding. This important issue, which affects millions, deserves the change to be considered. Representative Clement's proposed amendment to the budget would increase veterans' benefits by $1.9 billion over last year's request, and by $1 billion above the Republican proposal. Specifically, this increase would provide: $100 million more for mental health care to reverse the trend of eliminating psychiatric, substance abuse and other effective mental health programs; $271 million more for long-term care initiatives to increase options for elderly and disabled veterans; and $681 million more for the Montgomery GI Bill to increase coverage for tuition, fees and stipends to service members who are enlisted for at least three years. Over 10 years, the budget proposal offered by Democrats would provide over $40 billion more for veterans' programs. I support this amendment and am very upset that we were prevented from providing an increase to such an underfunded and important program. It is our duty to provide the care and service promised to our heroes, and the proposed Republican budget fails to give veterans the benefits they need and deserve. For the fourth consecutive year, the Veterans Administration budget has been essentially stagnant. This pattern has to end. To refuse consideration of an increase in funding for veterans who have given so much to their country is an outrage.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 975, The Steel Recovery Act. As a Representative from the State of Michigan and a member of the Steel Caucus, I am well aware of the impact that the flood of cheap steel has had on thousands of families across this country. 10,000 steelworkers have lost their jobs. The ironic aspect of this situation is that it has occurred as the U.S. Steel industry has remade itself into the worldwide leader. It is efficient, it produces a clean, high-quality product, and pumps $70 billion annually into the U.S. economy. Moreover, steel is a vital element of our national security. All the industry wants and needs is the ability to compete with the rest of the world on a level playing field. This is hard to accomplish when steel imports from Japan rise 170% in a single year. Free trade does not mean that the United States becomes the dumping ground for inferior products sold at below the cost of production. We must stringently enforce the antidumping and countervailing duty laws to make sure that such practices do not continue to put American workers at risk. The trick of future trade policy is to ensure the viability of core U.S. industries and the jobs associated with them while slowly penetrating markets that are in many cases overwhelmingly closed to us. I believe that trade and exposure to American products will help break down these barriers, but I also do not believe it is unreasonable to insist that current law be enforced as intended. Mr. Speaker, standing up for the principles of fair trade will do more to promote a freer global trading environment than allowing our industries to bear the brunt of dumped products. This is the trade environment I will continue to push for, and this is the one we are voting on today. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 975.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 44 on H. Con. Res. 28, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support efforts to modernize our schools so that our children have the skills and the tools they need for the jobs that they will face when they graduate. Two years ago I was pleased, with the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), to sponsor the Computer Donation Incentive Act to encourage businesses to donate computer equipment and software to schools to help upgrade the schools. Since that time in my district, we have wired almost 50 schools with volunteer effort. But we know that, if our children are going to learn, we not only need to have the hardware there, the software, be able to support teachers, to have the professional development and training they need, but our classrooms need to be smaller so that teachers can truly give children the attention that they need. That is why I am so strongly supporting the efforts to have the Federal Government be a junior partner in supporting communities to build new schools, to modernize their schools and to make sure that in order to have smaller classroom sizes, we have more classrooms and more teachers in those classrooms. This is a very important effort that the Federal Government needs to address. I urge it be a part of this year's budget.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support a Democratic administration that has brought us from very large deficits to large surpluses and to say that the next step is to protect Social Security and Medicare and pay back the Social Security Trust Fund. We are not really out of debt until we do that. Mr. Speaker, if we cannot pay off the national debt when we have a surplus, when will we do it? Never. Mr. Speaker, this is a test of the current Congress. Are we going to continue fiscal responsibility or go back to the spending and the deficits of the 1980s? I stand to support Social Security, Medicare and paying off the debt. If we do that, we put real dollars back into people's pockets by lowering interest rates, which means our mortgages, our credit cards, our car payments go down. Mr. Chairman, we need to bring down the debt and protect Social Security and Medicare for future generations, and I call on my colleagues to join us in doing that.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I would rise once again this morning to strongly urge my colleagues to come together to use the budget surpluses to protect both Social Security and Medicare for future generations. Both of these programs are success stories for the American people. Prior to Social Security, over half of our retirees were in poverty in this country. Now, it is less than 10 percent. Medicare is the same success story, providing health care to millions of retirees and disabled across the country. If we cannot dedicate the majority of the surpluses to both of these important investments for our retirees when we have a surplus, if we cannot pay down the debt when we have a surplus, when will we do it? Putting dollars into Social Security and Medicare and paying down the debt is the right thing to do at this time, and I hope we will come together when we can. Now that we have a robust economy, we have the opportunity, with budget surpluses, to pay down the debt through paying back Social Security and Medicare. We need to do that first before we proceed with anything else.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support the President's proposal to take the overwhelming majority of the budget surplus and place it into the Social Security Trust Fund to protect Social Security and Medicare. We have begun the process of balancing the budget, but we have not yet completed it until we repay the Social Security Trust Fund and totally strengthen Medicare. We can do that under the President's proposal by taking the overwhelming majority, 80 percent of the surplus, and putting it back towards strengthening Social Security and Medicare. That then allows us to take a small portion of the budget and to invest it in other critical needs such as defense preparedness and education. If we work together, we can strengthen Social Security and Medicare. We can pay down the debt, which in the long run will lower interest rates and give a real tax cut to the middle class by lowering interest payments on mortgages, car payments, credit cards; and that is the way that we get more dollars back into people's pockets.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) for yielding. I want first to thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) for his leadership in the last Congress and as we begin this Congress; also the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), who has also worked so hard, and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), who is here today. This is such an important issue for all of us, and as we make a commitment, and I know on our side of the aisle we have made a commitment, that the majority of the surplus that we have been reaping as a result of a strong, vibrant economy, will go back into paying off the Social Security Trust Fund and keeping Medicare strong, an important part of that is this bill that we are talking about today, the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act. I think of my own family, where I have had my aunt, who is having back problems and finding herself now needing to pay $200 to $300 a month for prescriptions; other friends of my mother's who are looking at $500 or $600 a month in prescription drugs in order to be able to live at home and be able to continue to be able to live in the community and be able to move around and be independent, and when I look at those kinds of numbers, it is very clear to see that for too many seniors we are talking about the difference between food for the month and getting their prescription drugs so that they are healthy and pain free and able to stay well, or we are talking about the difference between paying the rent or paying the electric bill. This is basic survival for too many seniors. When we look at the costs that continue to go up and up, as I know the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) has talked about, the fact that we are seeing these costs go up, and that we have not yet addressed this through the Medicare system or in some other way, I think this is really a tragedy, and that is why I am so excited to be a cosponsor of this legislation. This legislation, in a very cost effective way, as the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) said, has a very simple approach: Let us get the best price; let us let the Federal Government negotiate on behalf of all uninsured seniors that need prescription drug help; let us let them negotiate the best price for our seniors who are on Medicare; and then let the pharmacists be able to receive that best price and pass it along to the seniors. So it makes sense. It does not involve a lot of new dollars being spent and it addresses one of the critical issues for our seniors as they are growing older: Living longer and wanting to benefit from all these wonderful new discoveries that allow them to live independently; to be able to leave a hospital sooner rather than later after an operation; to be able to avoid a nursing home as long as possible. There are wonderful new opportunities for them through prescription drugs. What a shame, what a shame if they are not able to afford these new opportunities because of the spiraling costs. So I once again celebrate and really commend the leadership of the people who are here today, who are really fighting on the front lines for our seniors, and I am hopeful that by the end of the year we will see this in place so that we can really lower the costs for seniors and help them to be able to balance that budget of theirs just a little better.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today first in strong support of the President's proposals to place the majority of the budget surplus into the Social Security Trust Fund and protecting Medicare. Social Security and Medicare are cornerstones of our trust, our protection of seniors for their future, making sure that they have in their retirement the kind of quality of life that they deserve; and it is important for the future for our children. Today, also as part of the Medicare benefit for our seniors, I am rising as a cosponsor of a bill we are introducing today, the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) and myself and other Members of our caucus, called the Prescription Drug Fairness Act for Seniors. This will allow seniors to purchase prescription drugs at a lower cost than they currently are able to do. Right now, if the Federal Government bulk purchases prescription drugs and then allows seniors to buy at a lower cost, this will guarantee that seniors are not having to choose between purchasing food or their prescription drugs. I would urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge our Republican colleagues to join with us in putting Social Security and Medicare first. We have come together to balance the budget, and we now have an extraordinary opportunity to take the next step in fiscal responsibility and make sure that our children and our grandchildren are protected for the future. We need to make sure that Social Security and Medicare are protected first, and then we as Democrats will join and in fact lead the fight for tax cuts for middle class families. But, first and foremost, we need to pay down the debt and protect Social Security and Medicare. We ask our Republican colleagues to join us in this critical, critical issue for the future of our children and our grandchildren.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, as an American who cares deeply about our Constitution, I rise in opposition to this impeachment process. This is a difficult time for our Nation. The impeachment of a president has happened only once before in history. I cast my vote against impeachment solemnly, after serious study and many hours of soul searching. It has been especially difficult to watch this issue come before the House of Representatives while our American troops are at war against Saddam Hussein. Impeachment is the most constitutional power given to Congress. It is the first step in overturning a democratically held election and removing the President. When Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and the other framers of our Constitution adopted the impeachment mechanism, they spoke of it as an alternative to assassination or a military coup, to be used only for treason, bribery of other high crimes against the government. I believe that the President's actions, while immoral and irresponsible, were not treasonous, and do not meet the high test of impeachment as intended by our Founders. Make no mistake. The President's behavior is indefensible. He did not tell the truth about his actions, and he should be held accountable for his behavior. I strongly believe that the best way to do this--in fact the only constitutional alternative--is through censure and a stiff fine. Once President Clinton has completed his term in office, he should be charged with perjury before a court of law, just as any other private citizen would be. I am disappointed that the Republican leadership refused to allow a vote on censure. Although opponents are correct that censure is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, there is nothing that prohibits this action. There are at least four instances of Congressional censure involving Presidents--Presidents Jackson (1834), Tyler (1842, Polk (1848) and Buchanan (1860). Subsequent sessions of Congress have continued to consider censure resolutions. Former President Gerald Ford, former Senator Bob Dole and other Republicans have called on Congressional leaders to permit a censure vote. Do they not understand the Constitution? It is tragically unfair that the opportunity for at least half of our Members to vote our conscience will not be allowed. We have many important issues that we need to consider in the coming months, and I intend to keep my focus on the important matters that affect our families. I pray that we can come together in the new year and begin the healing process for our nation. This is a sad day for our country and our Constitution.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, starting on Sunday, October 18th, the Bixby Marionette Exhibit opened its permanent home in Saline, Michigan at the Saline Culture and Commerce Center. The exhibit will showcase more than 100 marionettes created by 89- year-old Meredith Bixby who is the founding member of the Puppeteers of America, and a member of the Detroit Puppeteers Guild. As a lifelong resident of Saline, Mr. Bixby, who is known as the ``Master of the Marionettes,'' traveled throughout the United States with the Meredith Marionettes Touring Company for more than 40 years, beginning his career during the darkest days of the depression and continuing until his retirement in 1982. This exhibit came together through a partnership created by the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the City of Saline, who helped champion the Bixby project. I am pleased to help showcase the work of this extraordinary man who helped bring joy, creativity, and entertainment to schools, theaters and community centers across the country. I wish him the very best in the future and thank all parties for helping to establish this important cultural project.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, on October 17, 1998, at our Lansing Community Role Model Celebration, I will be pleased to honor three of Lansing's unsung heroes. These women are true community volunteers, who, through their own dedication, commitment, and hard work have made our community a better place. Mrs. Grace L. Demps, who has lived in Lansing since she was 6 years old, is a lifelong community volunteer. She has spent the last ten years making holidays dinners for hundreds of needy families. Mrs. Demps organizes and prepares these wonderful holiday feasts out of her own home. She solicits food donations and pays for the remainder of the supplies out of her own pocket. Mrs. Demps has received the Sojourner Truth Award from the National Association of Negro & Professional Women's Club, and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the women of Union Baptist Church, Mother of the Year from her own Messiah Community Baptist Church, where her son, Rev. Lawrence Hinton presides. She is a member of the Greater Lansing Nurses Guild and the Lansing Association Women's Clubhouse. Mrs. Demps recently retired as a 25-year employee from the City of Lansing Traffic Department. She is married to Willie Demps, and is the mother of 6 children, 35 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Ms. Geri Roossien, who will be 66 on October 22nd, has used her own painful experiences with addiction to help many others through her job as a Substance Abuse Counselor at Cristo Rey Community Center, where she has been working since 1980. Although she retired on June 1st of this year, she is still involved in fundraisers and activities at the center. Ms. Roossien is very close to her only daughter, Jannus, and her husband, Rob, and their two wonderful children. Ms. Roossien served on the City of Lansing Human Resource Advisory Board from 1983 to 1996. She was also secretary for the Michigan Indian Benefit Association Board of Directors, a member of the Lansing Indian Center Youth Advisory Committee, the Native American Community Group, the Ingham County Women's Commission, the C.I.R.C.L.E. group, and the Indian Children's Christmas Party Committee. She is an integral part of many local political campaigns and activities in the Lansing community. Mrs. Georgia Brown has been one of Lansing's most dedicated and committed community activists. She is an Honorary Life Member of the National PTA, a Life Member of the NAACP, a life member of the National Council of Negro Women, a member of Lansing Association Women's Clubhouse, and Valiant Lady Church Women United. She is a long-time member of Trinity AME, and was a Sunday school teacher for many years, and worked with the Old Newsboys, an organization that raised money to give shoes and boots to hundreds of needy children. Mrs. Brown continues to volunteer at Sparrow Hospital's surgical wing where she has been a cheerful and dependable fixture for almost 15 years. And, Mrs. Brown, in all of her years of voting in public elections, has missed only 4 votes, and all of those were missed for family emergencies. Mrs. Brown has been married to her husband Robert Brown for 68 years and is the mother of 8 children, 19 grandchildren, and 24 great- grandchildren. Our community has been enriched by the contributions of these selfless volunteers. As we gather on Saturday, many generations of Lansing residents, we will celebrate our community role models, Mrs. Grace L. Demps, Mrs. Geri Roossien, and Mrs. Georgia Brown.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues in these final days to focus our attention on education. We have asked that we spend one day focused on the future of our country, on education for our children, and that has yet to happen. Mr. Speaker, I know in Michigan, in my State, we have been working in volunteer efforts to wire schools with business-labor community groups to bring technology so that our children are prepared for the future. But this is a partnership that every level of government, as well as the private sector, must be involved in if our children are going to be prepared. In too many schools in my district there is more computer power in the average gas station than the average classroom, and that is just not good enough. We have an opportunity in this budget at this time to make a commitment in partnership with our local communities, with the private sector, with our States, to make sure that our children have the resources and have the kinds of equipment that they need so they can be prepared for the jobs of the future.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. I thank the gentleman. I am very pleased to be with my colleagues tonight. I wanted to at this point indicate that when talking about the COPS Program, if I might just put a plug in for our colleague from Connecticut, Jim Maloney, who has been working very hard to expand the COPS Program to include school resource officers, which is another part of our education program, working on safety in the schools, and I have been very pleased to work with Congressman Maloney, who has been successful in placing additional dollars into the budget to expand the wonderful COPS Program to allow those same officers that are trained in mediation, prevention, working with young people, being able to make those relationships between the neighborhood and the school to be able to bring that into the school. I know I have colleagues here that have been waiting here to speak this evening, but I did want to mention that it is I think noteworthy that our democratic colleague, Jim Maloney, has been working very, very hard on this issue. And, if I might also indicate that as we look to the closing days, I cannot think of a more important message to send to children in terms of our belief in them and their future, but to provide them with safe, clean, modern schools, with teachers that are prepared, with math and science labs that are of high quality, with technology, computers that they can access the Internet in a safe way. We have the opportunity in the remaining days of this session to provide our children with a very important message about our belief in them and the importance of their future.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, we are definitely talking about really two phases. One, you have to have buildings that are modern enough to be able to be wired. We have schools around the country where we could not begin to wire them for the Internet because the walls are falling down. They do not have the ability to be connected. But if they do, and in my district, through volunteer efforts, because we have not been able to get the support from the government to partner with us, we have been moving ahead with private sector partnerships through Net Days, wiring schools with the private sector, and so on. We want the Federal Government to be a partner in that, as well, so we can reach out to those schools who have not been able to be successful in wiring schools. The point of all of that is to make sure that our classrooms look like the workplace. Right now my daughter just graduated from high school last year. Her classroom in Lansing, Michigan, is an excellent school, but a school that is an urban older school, an older building. Her classroom looks much like it did when I was in school, and I will not say how long ago, rather than looking like the workplace that she will enter. We know that we want our children to be coming into a classroom that is preparing them for what they will face in the workplace, the kinds of equipment, the kinds of technology. I want very much for my children to be able to access the Library of Congress, or to be able to learn a foreign language, and speak to children in another part of the world in that language. How much more exciting that is. There are safe ways to provide access to the Internet for children that allow them to open up history, to study art by going to the Louvre through the Internet; wonderful opportunities to open up the world of knowledge. That is what we have the ability to do right now. We need to make sure that not only children who can afford to have that technology at home have the world open to them, but that every child in every neighborhood school has that, as well. So we have been working, as Democrats, to provide that structure, to make sure that that technology is there, that teachers are prepared, that they have the professional development tools, that the computers are there, that the knowledge is there, and that it is safe. We know that there are also issues of predators on the Internet, and we have also been addressing that as well to make sure that that is safe. But in the end, we know our children will walk into the workplace where every single job they will face will involve a computer. We do them a disservice if we do not give them the ability and the sense of comfortableness of working with that equipment and working with that technology in our school buildings so they are truly prepared.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to urge the leadership of the House to focus on education before we leave this Congress. Mr. Speaker, we have important duties to do in order for us to be able to be partners with our local communities, with parents, community schools with the State governments, to make sure that our children have the resources and the skills that they need when they graduate so that they can be successful in this new world economy. We know that we need higher standards and lower classroom sizes. And, in fact, we have the opportunity in the next few days to be able to help contribute to making that happen. I am extremely concerned about the efforts now that appear to be moving in exactly the opposite direction from where we should be as it relates to education. As someone who has worked for a number of years and spent a lot of time in this Congress focusing on technology, I am very concerned that we are not moving ahead to modernize our schools, provide the construction funds, and provide the technology dollars that are needed to prepare our children so that they will be able to have the skills that they need to be successful. It does not matter if I am talking to the business community in my district or if I am talking to a PTO or if I am talking to a neighborhood organization, always I hear from people that we need to be focused on increasing our skills, our math and science skills, be able to provide the tools to children in the classroom so that in fact they have what they need to be successful. Employers know that. We know that, just as we listen to people in the community. And yet we do not see the actions coming from this Congress that will support those kinds of things happening in the community. Let us make a commitment this evening that we are going to make a commitment to our children, we are going to make a commitment to parents, to communities, that we are going to do what is necessary to provide resources in partnership with our local schools and with the State governments to make sure that our children have what they need. We need to make sure that when a young person is in a classroom today, they have access to the technology they need, to the information, to the world that is available now through the Internet and to allow them to be able to truly receive the kinds of skills that they need in smaller classes and with higher standards so that they can be prepared. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy). (Mrs. McCARTHY of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam Speaker, I would first like to commend the leadership of the Committee on Ways and Means for this bill. There are some very, very important provisions in this bill that will certainly help the people that I represent in Michigan. I would like to highlight just a couple of those of particular significance. One is the permanent extension of income-averaging for farmers. I was pleased the day that I was sworn into the 105th Congress, along with my friend and colleague from Michigan, Nick Smith, to be cosponsoring legislation to provide a permanent extension of income-averaging for farmers, and I am very pleased to see this in this legislation, as am I pleased to see the permanent extension of the current provisions regarding contributions for private foundation. I also think it is very important that we have accelerated the deduction for health care for self-employed individuals. I would only ask that, as we move forward, that instead of continuing to extend the research tax credit year-by-year, that we seriously consider and, in fact, in the coming year, if not in this bill, permanently extend the research tax credit so that those involved in the critical long-term research efforts of this country know and can plan for the long term as they make decisions that will create jobs for American workers and important new discoveries for Americans. Madam Speaker, I have twice authored in the last 2 years letters to the President and to my colleagues urging that we adopt a permanent extension of the research tax credit. Over 140 Members of this House have signed those letters, and I notice that as we debate the question of the advanced technology program and other programs where Members have indicated that they believe that the private sector should be taking the leadership in research efforts, long-term, risky research efforts for the country, that, as we do that, we send a mixed message when we, in fact, do not permanently extend the research tax credit for our country. So I would urge that, as we move forward, that we make that permanent extension a top priority.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, today, Members of the United States House of Representatives will make a critical decision affecting the lives of the people we represent. Men and women, young and old, who work hard everyday and care about their families want us to deal with President Clinton's irresponsible behavior and lack of truthfulness in a fair and responsible manner. And, they want us to do so as quickly as possible so that we can return to the important issues affecting their families. They also want us to rise above partisan self-interest and do what's best for the country--not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans. I am deeply concerned that this Congress will not meet that test today. We have two proposals before us. The question is not whether or not to proceed, but how to proceed. One proposal gives us the opportunity to come together in a bipartisan way and vote to begin an inquiry into impeachment on the issues raised in the Starr Report, and to bring this inquiry to conclusion by the end of this year. The Republican alternative is an open-ended, unchecked process that could continue throughout the next Congress with no requirement to limit its focus on the issues formally presented by the Special Prosecutor. In all good conscience, I cannot endorse this process since I sincerely do not believe it is in our nation's best interest. It is not in the interests of the families I represent to put our country in suspended animation for months and months when we have the ability to bring this to a responsible conclusion this year. I, therefore, intend to support the proposal to proceed with an impeachment inquiry with a deadline of December 31, 1998. This motions allows an extension of the deadline if an extension is supported by the evidence. But, most importantly, the proposal I support does not allow millions of dollars and hours to be spent without any accountability for timely results. I believe the American people deserve no less from us. We must address this crisis fairly and responsibly and get back to the people's business. I implore my Republican colleagues to join us and to join America in a process of which we can all be proud.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I would join with my friend from Rhode Island in thanking everyone who has been involved in this issue. But I also would join today with those who express great concern about the bill that is in front of us. It has been said that there are no losers as it relates to home health care in this bill. The difficulty is, for me in representing my constituency in Michigan, there are also no winners in this bill. It has been estimated that in Michigan almost half of our home health care agencies will no longer be able to serve Medicare patients by the end of this year, almost half of those who provide home health care now. In Michigan, unfortunately, on average, this bill provides only $58.00 in additional home health care services, $58.00 to agencies that are already tremendously efficient providing quality home health care. This is not enough of a fix. This does not, in fact, stop the 15 percent cut for next year. I urge the conference committee create a better solution so we can provide quality home health care into the future.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, today we make a critically important decision affecting the lives of every single one of the people we represent: Men and women, young and old, working hard every day, who care about their families. They want us to deal with the President's irresponsible behavior and lack of truthfulness in a fair and responsible manner, and they want us to do so as quickly as possible so that we can return to the important issues that affect their families. They also want us to rise above partisan self-interest and do what is best for the country, not Democrats, not Republicans, but as Americans. I am deeply concerned that this Congress will not meet this test today. We have two proposals in front of us. The issue is not whether or not to proceed, it is how to proceed. One proposal gives us the opportunity to come together in a bipartisan way, vote to begin an inquiry on the issues raised by the Starr report, and bring this inquiry to a conclusion this year. The Republican alternative is an open-ended, unchecked process that could continue throughout the next Congress, with no requirement to limit the issues formally presented by the special prosecutor. In all good conscience, I cannot support this process. It is not in the best interest of our country. It is not in the best interest of the families I represent to put our country in suspended animation for months and months when we have the ability here to bring this to a conclusion this year. I believe the American people deserve no less. We must address this crisis fairly and responsibly and get back to the people's business. I implore my Republican colleagues to join us, to join with America in a process we can truly be proud of.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to come to this House and support a balanced budget this last year for the first time in 30 years, pleased to support tax cuts for middle class families totaling $95 billion. But now we have a window of opportunity to take the next step in fiscal responsibility. I believe it is incumbent on all of us to take that step. That is to repay the social security trust fund. We know there is no real surplus until we have totally repaid the trust fund and brought it off the budget. The seniors in my district, people of all ages in my district, understand that as long as we are using the social security trust fund to balance the budget, there is no surplus. There is no surplus. This tax bill is one that I support. I have cosponsored a number of the provisions in it. However, I believe that the Rangel substitute is the only responsible approach to fiscal responsibility and to future generations. Save social security first.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues to ask the House leadership to save Social Security first. I was proud to support the balanced budget agreement last year, proud to support a $95 billion tax cut that was paid for within the balanced budget agreement. We now have what are being called surpluses, and I join with my colleagues that say we do not have a true surplus until we have protected Social Security and stopped using the Social Security Trust Fund to balance the budget. This is about our current seniors, it is about my mother, it is about our children, it is about our grandchildren. I like the tax proposals that are being talked about in committee. I would like to be able to support another round of tax cuts. But we cannot jeopardize our future and Social Security by doing this. Pay for Social Security first, protect Social Security first, and then begin the next round of tax cuts. That is what is the most responsible approach, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to be responsible and to make sure that before the next steps are taken to spend surpluses that we save Social Security first.