Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. As would I.

Mr. STEVENS. I would.

Mr. STEVENS. I agree with Senator Inouye's remarks. Not only with this provisions allow for timely delivery of critical military assets, but it requires that the leasing costs be 10 percent less than the life cycle costs of the aircraft were they to be purchased outright.

Mr. STEVENS. I thank the Senators for their remarks and for their pledges of support.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, on August 12th, 1998, the President signed into law H.R. 1085, legislation ``to revise, codify, and enact without substantive change certain general and permanent laws, related to patriotic and national observances, ceremonies, and organizations, as title 36, United States Code, `Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations.' '' This was legislation prepared by the Office of Law Revision Counsel in the House of Representatives. One of the organizations affected was the United States Olympic Committee, whose numerical codification citation was changed in that re-codification legislation. The re-codification process also necessitated certain conforming changes to other parts of the U.S. Code to modify cross-reference citations. One of these, occurring at 18 USCS Sec. 2320 (e)(1)(B), was intended to cite a portion of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act dealing with protection of its trademarks. The proper citation should have been ``220506.'' However, because of a typographical error that section of 18 USCS reads ``220706,'' citing law that has to do with Submarine Veterans of World War II rather than Olympic symbols and terminology. This error went unnoticed until recently when U.S. Customs officials brought it to the attention of Salt Lake Olympic Committee and USOC attorneys in a discussion of enforcing trademark protections associated with the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. In this meeting the Customs officials expressed concern that this error could prevent them from enforcing the law. The Olympic Rings and other symbols were giving exclusively to the USOC under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. They are the prime fund raising source for the USOC. This would be a simple correction that would merely change ``220706'' to ``220506'' at 18 USCS Sec. 2320 (e)(1)(B).

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I have the same understanding. OMB and Justice have decided that available funds can be used from the current balances. I am glad this issue has been worked out.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank my good friend from Hawaii and congratulate him and his staff for doing such a marvelous job on a very complex bill in such a short period of time. It is a pleasure to work with him. I also include in that thanks to Steve Cortese, our chief of staff, and the staff working with him. It is a very complex bill. It is my hope we will bring this bill back to the Senate by early next week for final passage.

Mr. STEVENS. I would be happy to work with the Senator to ensure every opportunity to meet with the General Services Administration and discuss this important issue.

Mr. STEVENS. I would be happy to work with the Senator.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield, for the purpose of your question regarding the Smart Pay Card.

Mr. STEVENS. I join my colleague in her expressed concern with the procurement rate of the DDG-51 program. I am particularly sensitive to recent reports that indicate the DDG-51 procurement rate is projected to drop below three ships per year after FY2002 for the first time in the program's history. Such a rate could place this unique, specialized industrial base at risk to meet future naval requirements. It could, in fact, jeopardize efforts to sustain an adequately sized surface force and maintain the continued affordability of the ships required for our future naval forces. And so I do support the inclusion of a third DDG- 51, to be built by Bath Iron Works, in next year's budget.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, the Senator from Tennessee raises an important issue in this IT program. We will do our best to work with the Senator on this matter during the conference with the House. We will also work with the Senator and the Department of Defense on this issue in the future.

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

Mr. STEVENS. I yield the remainder of our time to the Senator from West Virginia. The yeas and nays will be ordered at the expiration.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, how much time remains?

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

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

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. Amendment No. 2356

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendments Nos. 2367 through 2385, En Bloc

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, when the terrible terrorist attacks occurred on September 11, the Congress immediately started to work on meeting the needs of the people affected directly. On September 18, the President had signed the bill we passed providing the authority to spend $40 billion. That $40 billion was to deal with providing Federal, State, and local preparedness for mitigating and responding to attacks; providing support to counter, investigate, or prosecute domestic or international terrorism; providing increased transportation security; repairing public facilities and transportation systems damaged by the attacks; and supporting national security. It provided that those funds could be transferred to any Federal Government activity to meet the purposes of the act: $10 billion available to the President immediately, another $10 billion available to the President 15 days after the Director of the Office of Management and Budget has submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a proposed allocation and plan for use of the funds for that department or agency, and $20 billion may be obligated only when enacted in a subsequent emergency appropriations bill. That is this bill that is before us now. The House has passed it and the amendment that is the subject of the point of order is before the Senate. It is for the $20 billion, but it is also for an additional $15 billion beyond that. I call attention to the Senate the fact the act that was signed by the President has these clauses in it: That not less than one-half of the $40 billion shall be for disaster recovery activities and assistance related to the terrorist acts in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania on September 11. That is from the whole $40 billion. Provided further, that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall provide quarterly reports to the Committees on Appropriations on the use of these funds, beginning not later than January 2, 2002. That is when the first quarterly report is available. And here is the key phrase: Provided further, that the President shall submit to the Congress as soon as practicable detailed requests to meet any further funding requirements for the purposes specified in this act. Let me read that again: Provided further, that the President shall submit to the Congress as soon as practicable detailed requests to meet any further funding requirements for the purposes specified in this act. I take no joy in being part of the process to bring down the substitute that has been offered by the Senator from West Virginia. As a matter of fact, as I said before, I spent hours working on some of the details in this bill. I do not think it is politically motivated at all. It is a sincere desire to make funds available, but in many ways those funds are beyond the basic act and that is why they were designated an emergency $15 billion beyond the act, but they are for further funding requirements for the purposes specified in the act. The President has taken the position he should be allowed to follow this law, he should be allowed to present detailed requests for the further funding requirements to meet the changed conditions of the country, in effect, following the September 11 terrorist attacks. I originally started in the same position the Senator from West Virginia is in now. As the chairman of the committee, he had the duty to think through these things. I started out in the same position he had, but the further I thought about it and dealt with the President's request, the more I realized it was rationally based and it was what the Congress intended when we passed the original law that provided the $40 billion. We said the President shall submit. It was a law that demanded the President submit to the Congress as soon as practicable detailed requests to meet any further requirements for purposes specified in this act. By bringing down this substitute, what we do is allow the President to proceed under the law we have already enacted. He will present to us further requests to meet the needs of the Nation as detailed by him sometime after the first of the year and after that first report that is going to be filed on January 2 of next year to tell us how this money he had control over, the first $20 billion, was spent. We do not know that yet. We have estimates on how it might be spent, but we do not know how it has been spent. We will know in quarterly reports starting January 2, and the law presumes we are going to get another report every quarter on how that money was spent. That is good management. While I regret supporting the position taken by the Senator from Texas as he has made the point of order against the substitute of the Senator from West Virginia, I think we will be back reviewing the President's detailed request early next year, and I expect that many of the requests the Senator from West Virginia has made will be honored by the Congress and by the President at that time. I reserve the remainder of my time.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield the Senator 15 minutes of our time.

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendments Nos. 2396 through 2405, En Bloc

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank Senator Inouye for joining me today in introducing an important piece of legislation, the Full Equality for Americans Abroad Act. This legislation directs the Secretary of Commerce to ensure that all American citizens living abroad be included in each future decennial census for the purposes of the tabulations required for the apportionment of Representatives in Congress. The Secretary of Commerce will report its findings to Congress no later than September 30, 2002. Americans living abroad play an important role in shaping the World's view of our country. As the trade becomes more and more global, Americans living abroad will have an even larger role in the exports overseas that help our Nation's economy. They vote and pay taxes in the United States, yet they are not included in the census. They spread the seeds of democracy in areas throughout the world and help to promote the value of freedom that Americans hold so dear. We count the men and women of the Armed Services and other government employees who serve this country abroad, it is time that we count private citizens living abroad as well. I commend Representative Gilman for his work on this issue in the House and look forward working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this important legislation.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank Senator Inouye for joining me today in introducing an important piece of legislation, the Full Equality for Americans Abroad Act. This legislation directs the Secretary of Commerce to ensure that all American citizens living abroad be included in each future decennial census for the purposes of the tabulations required for the apportionment of Representatives in Congress. The Secretary of Commerce will report its findings to Congress no later than September 30, 2002. Americans living abroad play an important role in shaping the World's view of our country. As the trade becomes more and more global, Americans living abroad will have an even larger role in the exports overseas that help our Nation's economy. They vote and pay taxes in the United States, yet they are not included in the census. They spread the seeds of democracy in areas throughout the world and help to promote the value of freedom that Americans hold so dear. We count the men and women of the Armed Services and other government employees who serve this country abroad, it is time that we count private citizens living abroad as well. I commend Representative Gilman for his work on this issue in the House and look forward working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this important legislation.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Jeff Freeman, a Fellow serving in Senator Cochran's office, and Stewart Holmes, a staff member of Senator Cochran, be granted the privilege of the floor during the duration of the consideration of the fiscal year 2002 Defense appropriations bill.