Gordon Smith

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred May 13, 1998 in Lancaster, SC. A gay woman was brutally beaten. The assailants, two men, were heard to use anti-gay slurs during the attack. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, today I give tribute to some Oregon heroes. Over the past year, I have come to the Senate floor on several occasions to describe the tragic events in the Klamath Basin last year. Today, I wish to salute some of the heroes, who when watching their neighbors in need, responded with great compassion and service to their community. In April of last year, the farm economy of Klamath Falls was sent into a tailspin when the decision was made to forego water deliveries to farmers in favor of protecting threatened and endangered fishes. Almost overnight, the devastating effects of the water shut-off began to be felt. In one month's time, the number of families seeking assistance from the local food bank jumped by seven hundred. The response from the surrounding community was incredible. Farmers, car dealerships, coffee shops, gas stations, banks, schools, and countless others came together to lend their support to folks in the Klamath Basin. On June 15 of last year, Joe Gilliam, President of the Oregon Grocers Association, with the help of grocers from around the state, gathered 240,000 pounds of food. This food helped feed the community for nearly two months. In August, Oregon Senator and farmer Gary George of Pendleton, Oregon decided that he too had to do something. He set out and, with the help of Oregonians In Action, raised $30,000. Also in August, KDOV Radio, Perry Atkinson and his son Oregon Senator Jason Atkinson, and sixty churches in the Medford area, joined together in collecting 27,000 pounds of food. They delivered it in two twenty-four-foot Ryder trucks. The examples of kindness go on and on. For as tragic as the situation last year in the Basin was, Oregonians from around the State responded with an equal level of benevolence. With the help of hundreds of community volunteers and under the direction of Niki Sampson, the Klamath Falls-Lake County Food Bank has distributed 830,000 of pounds of food and non-food products. This has been a very emotional year, and as a United States Senator and as an Oregonian, I am very proud of how the people in my state have responded. The generosity shown by so many truly reaffirms one's faith in the goodness of people. In my mind, every single person who volunteered his or her time or resources is a hero. Today, I salute the workers, the volunteers, and all those who gave of themselves to help this community in need.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I again speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred September 19, 1993 in Seattle, WA. A man attacked two lesbian women, pushing one through a window. The assailant, Terrance Donato Scott, was charged with a hate crime in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I am privileged to stand on the Senate floor today with my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, as a cosponsor of this amendment. He and I stand here against the wishes of the administration that we--the Congress, and specifically the Senate--would involve ourselves at this delicate time. And we are not here to be indelicate. We are here because the Founders of this country set up a framework in which the Congress--the Senate specifically--has responsibilities when it comes to foreign affairs. I remember during the Clinton administration we would often do this, and it would upset their apple cart. I am proud as a Republican to be here to do this and upset the apple cart of the Bush administration--not with any malignancy but because of a principle I feel very personally and deeply about; that is, we as elected Members of this body have a right, and indeed an obligation, to stand up and be counted right now at this critical hour no matter what apple cart is overturned in the process. Most of us who serve in this body are of an age when our earliest memories of life are of a black and white television set with flickering pictures. I recall as a little boy seeing accounts of the 20th century--my century. I was born in this meridian. I remember the pictures indelibly impressed on my mind of the Holocaust that occurred in Europe. I remember seeing the pictures of the bodies of the children of Israel being bulldozed into mass graves. And I remember, at an early age, as somebody who has always been interested in public life, feeling pride that my country stood by as an ally to the children of Israel as they sought to establish a homeland in their ancestral land. Many people can differ on interpretations of Scripture. I remember in the Presidential election, Joe Lieberman was once asked a question. I loved his answer. He was asked: Senator, if you could interview anybody in history, who would it be? And he said: I would interview Moses, and I would interview Jesus. And he as a Jew and I as a Christian, I think, would answer the same way. I would like to interview Moses. I would like to interview Jesus to better understand this great conflict that has the whole world consumed by it. I am pleased to stand in this Chamber in support of this amendment because we need to be on record as a nation, as a Senate, as a body here, in unity with Israel at this critical hour. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record an article by George Will in this morning's Washington Post. It is entitled `` `Final Solution,' Phase 2.''

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. I would like to read briefly a couple of paragraphs from his article because I think they encapsulate why it is so important that America not waiver at this critical hour. Writes Mr. Will: Today many people say that the Arabs and their European echoes would be mollified if Israel would change its behavior. People who say that do not understand the centrality of anti-Semitism in the current crisis. This crisis has become the second--and final?--phase of the struggle for a ``final solution to the Jewish question.'' As [Ruth] Wisse said 11 years ago, and as cannot be said too often, anti-Semitism is not directed against the behavior of Jews but against the existence of the Jews. If the percentage of the world's population that was Jewish in the era of the Roman Empire were Jewish today, there would be 200 million Jews [in the world]. There are [only] 13 million. Five million are clustered in an embattled salient on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, facing hundreds of millions of enemies. Ron Rosenbaum writes, ``The concentration of so many Jews in one place--and I use the word 'concentration' advisedly--gives the world a chance to kill the Jews en masse again.'' I say, Mr. President, that the pride I felt as a young boy in Harry Truman's defense of Israel in its infancy is pride that I feel as an American today. And I call upon our Government not to waiver but to make sure that since the Holocaust, on America's watch, when America is a leader in the world, we never stand idly by and see the children of Israel subjected to another Holocaust. Joe Lieberman and I have crafted an amendment that I think fairly calls upon all the parties to produce a just and lasting peace. But it does state, without equivocation, we stand with Israel on the front line in the war against terrorism, and we support it in taking ``necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas. . . .'' We would do no less if terrorists came into our country, into our shopping malls, into our schools, and murdered our children. And we should demand nothing less of Israel's Government. Yes, we do condemn the Palestinian suicide bombers. But we call upon both sides to pursue efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. But America must stand firmly, and we must be unique among the nations of the world in rejecting anti-Semitism and standing by the ancestral home of the children of Judah. Mr. President, I urge all of my colleagues to come and vote for this amendment, and with conviction, so that when the Prime Minister of Israel comes here next week, he will know that he has friends in high places in this Government. I yield the floor.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred on May 19, 2001 in Fargo, ND. Two black men were assaulted late at night outside of their apartment. Just prior to the assault, the assailants used racial epithets directed at the victims. Angela Schussler, Thomas Schussler, and Robert Schussler were arrested in connection with the incident, which police described as being ``racially motivated.'' I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred in August 1994 in Sioux City, IA. Two gay men were assaulted in their home by two intruders. The assailants, Anthony L. Smith, 17, and Henry White, 18, were charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief under the State hate crime statute. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred January 27, 1993 in Queens, NY. A gay man was beaten by two teenagers yelling anti- gay slurs. Junior Guerrero, 18, and Michael Ithier, 19, were arrested in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, yesterday I joined my colleagues, Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton, in introducing the School Service Act of 2002. This legislation will offer new support to school districts across America that want to give their students the opportunity to learn through community service. Service-learning is much more than just community service done by school students, it is a method of classroom instruction that engages a student's intellect through hands-on work outside the classroom that benefits the community at large. Research shows that students participating in service-learning make gains on achievement tests, complete their homework more often, and increase their grade point averages. Service-learning is also associated with both increased attendance and reduced dropout rates. It is clear to educators across the country that service-learning helps students feel more connected to their own education while strengthening their connection to their community as well. Thousands of students across Oregon participate in formal service- learning, and nearly every student in Oregon engages in community service through their schoolwork at some point or another, they just don't know that it's called service-learning. The School Service Act will give local schools and school districts the resources they need to formalize their commitment to service-learning. Under this legislation, school districts are eligible to apply for grants if they choose to make meaningful community service a requirement for graduation. It is my hope that schools will take advantage of this funding opportunity, and give their students the chance to experience the benefits of an education tied to community service. My own State of Oregon is a national leader in service-learning, and I hope that this bill will help schools in my state continue their commitment to reclaiming the public purpose of education. I also hope that the School Service Act will encourage the further spread of service-learning across America, because I believe that it will improve education and, perhaps as important, instill students with an ethic of public service that will stay with them throughout their lives.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred November 1, 1992, in Miami Beach, FL. A 45-year-old Miami Beach man was beaten outside a gay nightclub. The assailants, two teenagers, were heard to make anti-gay threats toward the victim. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred December 25, 1995 in San Diego, CA. Six patrons at a gay bar were beaten with pool sticks. The attackers, three men, were heard to yell anti-gay epithets. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. A terrible crime occurred September 14, 1998 in Hayward, CA. A woman in a gay and lesbian bar was verbally assaulted and threatened by two men. Donald R. Santos, 40, and Lance E. Alves, 45, were charged with making terrorist threats and interference of civil rights because of sexual orientation, in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. By passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I yield my time for commentary to the Senator from Idaho.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise in opposition to the second-degree amendment being offered by Senator Bingaman. Truly, another study of this issue will do nothing more than run out the clock on license holders who must get 53 percent of the nonfederal hydropower capacity in this Nation relicensed within the next 15 years. To give you an example of just how grave a situation this is, there are 307 projects under the category, including 49 projects in California, 21 projects in Washington, 23 projects in Wisconsin, 30 projects in New York, 23 projects in Maine, 14 projects in Oregon, and 14 projects in Michigan. This amounts to over 29,000 megawatts of capacity. To put this into context, it takes 1,000 megawatts daily to run the City of Seattle. So when you figure that 29,000 megawatts are at stake, and you figure what it takes to run Seattle, you can imagine how much economic difficulty will ensue if we do not figure out a more reasonable way to bring on hydropower relicensing. There have been extensive hearings already during the last two Congresses, in the Senate Energy Committee, on the need for hydro relicensing reform. I have attended them all, and there has been a committee that was chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. That committee has concluded that legislative reforms are absolutely critical if we are to make progress and meet the deadlines that are looming over the energy capacity of this country. There have been administrative attempts to reform the process already. Having the same agencies that have, so far, been able to institute meaningful reforms further study this issue will provide us with no benefit at all. I urge my colleagues from all parts of this country, who have hydroelectric power, to please support the Nelson amendment. It provides modest reforms of a narrow portion of the relicensing process. The time for study is done. The time to ensure that hydropower remains an important part of our electricity mix is now. Madam President, no one knows better than you and I, from the Pacific Northwest, how critical an issue this is for our neck of the woods. I also say that, while all energy production has an environmental tradeoff, truly, hydropower puts out no global warming and provides our people with the most renewable, inexpensive, and reliable sources of electricity there are, frankly, on the Earth. I believe if we are serious about reemploying our people, getting our economy moving, we have to be serious about hydro relicensing reform. Madam President, I know a number of environmental groups have opposed the Nelson amendment. I want to also say we have, for those who are concerned about the environmental issue, as we all are, that there is a second degree that I will be offering that does enjoy the support of many environmental groups, such as Trout Unlimited. I quote their news release today: Senator Smith's amendment improves the Craig-Nelson amendment by reducing the loss in fishery protection from SA 3140. While we support Senator Smith's amendment, we still urge opposing an amended SA 3140. The point I am trying to make is we have improved the underlying amendment, and we have given the environmental community something that will significantly help them in their advocacy. To demonstrate what we are trying to do with the second degree, should the Bingaman study be defeated, this amendment does two important things. While it substantially, like Senator Nelson's, makes the changes I think provide value to all of the stakeholders who follow the relicensing process, the first would substitute the words ``fish resources'' for ``fishery'' in the underlying text. We want to make it clear that we are trying to protect all fish resources, not just those fish species that are harvested either commercially already or with sport fishery. Secondly, the amendment would begin this process in 2008. It would require license applicants to file their applications for a new license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 3 years before the current license has expired. During the hearings before the Energy Committee, it was clear to me that there was frustration with the current statutory requirement to file only 2 years before the expiration of the current licenses. In most instances, this is insufficient time for FERC to review the adequacy of the application and to determine any additional studies that might be needed. The result is a string of annual licenses which do not provide certainty for consumers or the utility and results in delays in environmental mitigation and enhancement. Licensed applicants are reluctant to spend such funds until they know what will, in fact, be required of them under any new license. So I say to those who care about the environment, the Nelson-Craig amendment will be improved with the second degree that will follow. Truly, what we need, last of all, is another study on a problem that we know only too well through experience. If you want a study, the study is Senator Nelson, who was Governor Nelson. His experience is all the study we need that we have a broken system and we need to repair it. I remind my colleagues that none of us has a job in any industry unless electricity is produced first. Hydropower is crucial in the mix of America's energy. It is absolutely the backbone of the Pacific Northwest. This is needed, and then we have a way to protect the environment and a way to improve this process. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3306, the Smith second-degree amendment to the Nelson of Nebraska amendment No. 3140, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred March 25, 1993 in New Haven, CT. Two Yale students were harassed and assaulted because they are gay. The assailant, Mark Torwich, 27, of Shelton, was charged with a hate crime in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, as a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I have followed closely human rights developments in the participating States, especially as they have an impact on freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. In many former communist countries, local religious establishments have reacted with concern and annoyance about perceived encroachment of religions considered ``non-traditional.'' But in the Republic of Georgia organized mob violence against those of nontraditional faiths has escalated, largely directed against Jehovah's Witnesses. For over 2 years, a wave of mob attacks has been unleashed on members of this and other minority religious communities, and it is very disturbing that the police have consistently either refused to restrain the attackers or actually participated in the violence. Since October 1999, nearly 80 attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses have taken place, most led by a defrocked Georgian Orthodox priest, Vasili Mkalavishvili. These violent acts have gone unpunished, despite the filing of over 600 criminal complaints. Reports cite people being dragged by their hair and then summarily punched, kicked and clubbed, as well as buses being stopped and attacked. The priest leading these barbaric actions has been quoted as saying Jehovah's Witnesses ``should be shot, we must annihilate them.'' Considering the well-documented frenzy of these depredations, it is only a matter of time before the assaults end in someone's death. Other minority religious communities have not escaped unscathed, but have also been targeted. Mkalavishvili coordinated an attack against a Pentecostal church last year during choir practice. His truncheon- wielding mob seriously injured 12 church members. Two days before Christmas 2001, over 100 of his militants raided an Evangelical church service, clubbing members and stealing property. In February of this year, Mkalavishvili brought three buses of people, approximately 150 followers, to burn Bibles and religious materials owned by the Baptist Union. Mkalavishvili brazenly holds impromptu press conferences with media outlets, often as the violence transpires in the background. With his hooligans perpetrating violent acts under the guise of religious piety, camera crews set up and document everything for the local news. The absence of a conviction and subsequent imprisonment of Mkalavishvili is not for lack of evidence. After considerable delay, the Georgian Government did commence on January 25 legal proceedings for two mob attacks. However, considering the minor charges being brought and the poor handling of the case, I fear Mkalavishvili and other extremists will only be encouraged to continue their attacks, confident of impunity from prosecution. Since the initial hearing in January of this year, postponement of the case has occurred four times due to Mkalavishvili's mob, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, overrunning the Didube-Chugureti District Court. Mkalavishvili's marauding followers brought wooden and iron crosses, as well as banners with offensive slogans. Mkalavishvili himself even threatened the lawyers and victims while they were in the courtroom. With police refusing to provide adequate security, lawyers filed a motion asking for court assistance, but the judge ruled the maximum security allowed would be 10 policemen, while no limit was placed on the number of Mkalavishvili's followers permitted in the courtroom. In contrast, the Ministry of Interior has reportedly provided more than 200 police and a SWAT team to protect officials of its office when Mkalavishvili was brought to trial under different charges. Certainly, the Georgian Government could provide adequate security so that its judicial system is not overruled by vigilante justice. Unfortunately for all Georgians, the anemic government response is indicative of its inability or worse yet, its unwillingness to enforce the law to protect minority religious groups. As is clearly evident, Georgian authorities are not taking effective steps to deter individuals and groups from employing violence against Jehovah's Witnesses and other minority faiths. With the ineptitude of the justice system now well known, Mkalavishvili has brazenly and publicly warned that the attacks will not cease. Religious intolerance is one of the most pernicious human rights problems in Georgia today. Therefore, I call upon President Eduard Shevardnadze to take action to end the violence against religious believers, and prevent attacks on minority religious communities. Despite the meetings he held with the various faith communities intended to demonstrate tolerance, Georgian Government inaction is sending a very different message. Tbilisi's pledge to uphold the rights of all believers and prosecute those who persecute the faithful must be followed by action. As a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I urge President Shevardnadze to do whatever is necessary to stop these attacks, and to honor Georgia's OSCE commitments to promote and ensure religious freedom without distinction. The Georgian Government should take concrete steps to punish the perpetrators through vigorous prosecution.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred October 18, 1993 in Menomonie, WI. A lesbian college student was beaten by three men and a woman. During the beating, the attackers were heard to yell anti-lebian slurs. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I come to the floor today on the occasion of Earth Day, which was first officially recognized 32 years ago. I can assure you, however, that the spirit of Earth Day has been in bold practice for generations in my home State of Oregon, where the words of John Jay ring true: ``this land and these people were made for each other.'' What is unique about Oregon is that, for so many, there is a profound connection between the products and comforts of our daily lives and where those products ultimately came from. In Oregon, it is difficult to forget that the wood our homes are built of came first from a forest, a forest that was harvested and has since been regenerated. We know that the food we buy for our families at grocery stores came first from a farm, a farm most likely owned and operated by another family not unlike our own. Oregonians can easily remember these things because the forests and the farms are not in some distant region, they are right down the road. Down those countryside and mountain roads, you will find Oregon's first and finest environmentalists: generations of fishers, farmers and foresters who learned long ago that Oregon's rich natural resources could be perpetually sustained through careful stewardship and innovation. Down one of those roads, near The Dalles, you will find the Baileys, who were recently given the American Farmland Trust's Steward of the Land Award. The Bailey's orchard was established in 1923, and successive members of the Bailey family have continued to use the latest research and technology to minimize the farm's impact on the land and water. The Baileys initiated an Integrated Fruit Production program for their trees, which includes efficient and responsible pest management, irrigation practices and control of weeds without residual herbicides. They have also been strong advocates of preserving farmland and agricultural communities. For the Baileys and so many others, the values of the farm go far beyond the safe and affordable food they provide, but also extends to the scenic open space, wildlife habitat and filters for clean air and water that the farm provides. The growing awareness of those values has finally reached the policymakers in this country. I am eager and hopeful that a balanced agreement on this year's Farm Bill will include a landmark commitment to cost-share and incentive payments for farm stewardship practices, as outlined in the Harkin-Smith Conservation Security Act. When that investment is made, we will have taken a bold step toward recognizing and rewarding all the Baileys of this country, and ensuring that there are many more to come.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a vital federal program that is an essential part of our health care safety net--Medicaid. Last year, the Medicaid program provided health coverage for 44 million of the most vulnerable Americans--22.6 million children, 9.2 million adults in low-income families, and 12 million elderly and disabled. One in four American children are covered by this important program. Yet despite the program's importance, states around the country are struggling to fund their share of their Medicaid programs. Going into legislative session this year, my home state of Oregon faced a budget shortfall of nearly $800 million, and most other states are facing similar conditions. The cruel irony of this situation is that just as state revenues have dropped due to poor economic conditions, many more families are turning to Medicaid as their only source of health care. I know that in Oregon, the number of people on Medicaid has risen by 10% since June of last year, and I suspect that many of your states have experienced similar increases. Additionally, because of scheduled formula adjustments, many states will see their existing Medicaid payments from the Federal government fall this year. It is not a mystery what will happen if we do not act: states will be forced to cut their Medicaid programs and more Americans will lose their health coverage. The number of uninsured people in this country will rise dramatically. Last year, more than 40 million Americans lived and worked without health insurance, and it is estimated that the economic downturn will add another 4 million to the ranks of the uninsured. This legislation would allow states to continue providing health care to our society's most vulnerable members in this economic downturn by providing a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Program, FMAP, funds states receive to pay their portion of the Medicaid bill. This legislation would hold states harmless at their 2003 FMAP levels so that no state will experience a decrease in Federal funds for Medicaid, while providing all states with an additional temporary 1.5 percentage in their matching rates for three years. It would also target assistance to the most needy states by providing another 1.5 percentage point increase in their FMAP for three years. The goal of this bill is to prevent erosion of health insurance coverage and to maintain a strong health care safety net for vulnerable people during the economic downturn. By temporarily increasing the Federal portion of the Medicaid bill, the scope and depth of possible state budget cuts or tax increases will be lessened, minimizing the potential negative impact on the economy and our most vulnerable citizens across the country. It is the right thing to do, and the right time to do it.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred July 29, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. Willie Houston, 38, was fatally shot in the chest. The alleged gunman, Lewis Maynard Davidson III, 25, taunted the victim with anti-gay epithets, and shot him outside a restaurant. While the victim was reportedly not gay, Tennessee hate crime laws cover violence based on real or perceived sexual orientation. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a vital federal program that is an essential part of our health care safety net--Medicaid. Last year, the Medicaid program provided health coverage for 44 million of the most vulnerable Americans--22.6 million children, 9.2 million adults in low-income families, and 12 million elderly and disabled. One in four American children are covered by this important program. Yet despite the program's importance, states around the country are struggling to fund their share of their Medicaid programs. Going into legislative session this year, my home state of Oregon faced a budget shortfall of nearly $800 million, and most other states are facing similar conditions. The cruel irony of this situation is that just as state revenues have dropped due to poor economic conditions, many more families are turning to Medicaid as their only source of health care. I know that in Oregon, the number of people on Medicaid has risen by 10% since June of last year, and I suspect that many of your states have experienced similar increases. Additionally, because of scheduled formula adjustments, many states will see their existing Medicaid payments from the Federal government fall this year. It is not a mystery what will happen if we do not act: states will be forced to cut their Medicaid programs and more Americans will lose their health coverage. The number of uninsured people in this country will rise dramatically. Last year, more than 40 million Americans lived and worked without health insurance, and it is estimated that the economic downturn will add another 4 million to the ranks of the uninsured. This legislation would allow states to continue providing health care to our society's most vulnerable members in this economic downturn by providing a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Program, FMAP, funds states receive to pay their portion of the Medicaid bill. This legislation would hold states harmless at their 2003 FMAP levels so that no state will experience a decrease in Federal funds for Medicaid, while providing all states with an additional temporary 1.5 percentage in their matching rates for three years. It would also target assistance to the most needy states by providing another 1.5 percentage point increase in their FMAP for three years. The goal of this bill is to prevent erosion of health insurance coverage and to maintain a strong health care safety net for vulnerable people during the economic downturn. By temporarily increasing the Federal portion of the Medicaid bill, the scope and depth of possible state budget cuts or tax increases will be lessened, minimizing the potential negative impact on the economy and our most vulnerable citizens across the country. It is the right thing to do, and the right time to do it.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred April 13, 1996 in Long Beach, CA. Two lesbians were beaten with a baseball bat. The attackers, a large group of people, were heard to yell anti-gay epithets. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.