J. Thurmond

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, for the Committee on Armed Services, I report favorably 11 nomination lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy which were printed in full in the Records of April 21 and 29, 1998, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar, that these nominations lie at Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be permitted to meet Thursday, May 14, 1998, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room SH-215, to conduct a markup.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to hold two hearings.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be allowed to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 9 a.m. in SR-328A. The purpose of this meeting will be to examine the year 2000 computer problem compliance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Farm Credit Administration.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Governmental Affairs Committee to meet on Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 2 p.m. for a business meeting and markup.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 2 p.m., in room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building to hold a hearing on ``Judicial Nominations.''

Mr. THURMOND

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that James Bynum, a Capitol Hill fellow, and Kurt Volker, a State Department fellow serving on Senator McCain's staff, be granted privileges of the floor during the debate and any votes concerning S. 2057, the fiscal year 1999 National Defense Authorization bill, as well as any related amendments.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise as an original cosponsor of the Cuban Assistance and Solidarity (SOLIDARIDAD) Act that my distinguished friend and Chairman of the foreign Relations Committee, Senator Helms, is introducing today. I commend the Chairman for his leadership on this issue and strongly support him in this endeavor. The intent of this legislation is very simple * * * to actively assist the repressed Cuban people and those dedicated to ending the regime of Fidel Castro. This Act will authorize $100 million in humanitarian assistance over four years for food, medicine, and medical supplies, donated by the U.S. government. In addition, direct flights to deliver this humanitarian aid will be authorized and monitored to ensure that all aid is directly delivered to the Cubans who need it most, those who are unable to afford to make purchases in the Castro controlled dollar-only stores. Mr. President, this is an important piece of legislation. This bill will eliminate Castro's claims that the U.S. embargo is the cause of the hardships suffered by the Cuban people. It effectively creates a Catch-22 for him. If he allows the aid, he loses his control by deprivation. If he prohibits the aid, he will no longer be able to prevent the people from receiving food and medicine without the knowledge that he is responsible for their pain and suffering, not the United States. Further, this bill requires the President to take several timely and appropriate pro-democracy steps regarding Cuba, such as strengthening support for democratic opposition within Cuba; seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution on free elections; beginning ``freedom broadcasting'' through Radio and TV Marti; producing a series of reports on the plight of average Cubans; authorizing increased personnel to expedite American medical sales licenses; and obtaining the International Court of Justice indictment in the downing of two unarmed planes and the murder of four people in 1996. Mr. President, I urge all of my colleagues to take a proactive stand for the people of Cuba and support the SOLIDARIDAD Act.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise as an original cosponsor of the Cuban Assistance and Solidarity (SOLIDARIDAD) Act that my distinguished friend and Chairman of the foreign Relations Committee, Senator Helms, is introducing today. I commend the Chairman for his leadership on this issue and strongly support him in this endeavor. The intent of this legislation is very simple * * * to actively assist the repressed Cuban people and those dedicated to ending the regime of Fidel Castro. This Act will authorize $100 million in humanitarian assistance over four years for food, medicine, and medical supplies, donated by the U.S. government. In addition, direct flights to deliver this humanitarian aid will be authorized and monitored to ensure that all aid is directly delivered to the Cubans who need it most, those who are unable to afford to make purchases in the Castro controlled dollar-only stores. Mr. President, this is an important piece of legislation. This bill will eliminate Castro's claims that the U.S. embargo is the cause of the hardships suffered by the Cuban people. It effectively creates a Catch-22 for him. If he allows the aid, he loses his control by deprivation. If he prohibits the aid, he will no longer be able to prevent the people from receiving food and medicine without the knowledge that he is responsible for their pain and suffering, not the United States. Further, this bill requires the President to take several timely and appropriate pro-democracy steps regarding Cuba, such as strengthening support for democratic opposition within Cuba; seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution on free elections; beginning ``freedom broadcasting'' through Radio and TV Marti; producing a series of reports on the plight of average Cubans; authorizing increased personnel to expedite American medical sales licenses; and obtaining the International Court of Justice indictment in the downing of two unarmed planes and the murder of four people in 1996. Mr. President, I urge all of my colleagues to take a proactive stand for the people of Cuba and support the SOLIDARIDAD Act.

Mr. THURMOND

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

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. No objection.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Richard Voter, a military fellow in the office of Senator Warner, be granted floor privileges for the duration of the Senate debate on S. 2057, the Defense Authorization Act.

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

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I thank my able colleague from Nebraska for his kind words about me. I also wish to thank him for the great service he has rendered this country here in the Senate. He is an expert on defense matters and his opinions are certainly worth the consideration of every Senator here. Again, it is a pleasure to serve with him. I wish him continued success.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Ed Fienga, a Department of the Air Force fellow in the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison be granted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of S. 2057.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I thank the able Senator from Connecticut for the kind remarks he made about me. I also wish to thank him for the great service he renders as a member of the Armed Services Committee. He is one of the most valuable members of our committee. I also thank him for the great service he renders this Nation. He has taken sound positions and he has followed a course of action that our Nation would be well to follow. I appreciate all he does for his country and want him to know his colleagues hold him in high esteem.

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

Mr. THURMOND. I would like to inquire of the Senator, here he provides $2 million to be used to handle this situation. Will that come out of the defense bill?

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I now turn to Senator Coats for recognition.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to commend the able Senator from Indiana. First, he has delivered a magnificent address on the importance of the Armed Services Committee work and defense in general. Next, I want to commend him for the long, faithful service he has rendered to this committee. I don't know of any member of the committee that has worked harder and has stood stronger for defense and has been more knowledgeable in accomplishing what we have been able to do than the able Senator from Indiana. He is truly an expert on armed services matters. I wish him well in all that he does in the future. I regret that he has seen fit not to run again. We will miss him here. A vacuum will be created. It will be hard to fill. He is such a fine man, such a knowledgeable man, and such a dedicated man. I want him to know that our country appreciates what he has done. I yield the floor. Privilege of the Floor

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

Mr. THURMOND. This is the 40th defense authorization bill on which I have worked since I joined the Armed Services Committee in 1959. It is my fourth as Chairman of the committee and as I indicated earlier this year, while I intend to remain on the Committee, this will be my last year as Chairman. I look forward to the floor debate on this bill as well as the conference with the House. I am hopeful that we are able to complete the bill and send it to the President before the July 4th recess. It is essential that we complete floor action before the Memorial Day recess in order to meet this ambitious schedule. We have accelerated significantly our process this year. I cannot recall ever bringing the defense authorization bill to the floor this early in the year. If we are successful in completing conference in late June, we may be setting a modern day record. Mr. President, the Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 1999 which I bring before the Senate today is only 3.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product--the lowest since 1940. Defense outlays peaked in 1986 at 6.5 percent. President Reagan's defense buildup was one of the great investments in our history. As a result of President Reagan's strong leadership and our strengthened military, we won the Cold War. Therefore, we have been able to reduce our defense force structure. These reductions enabled the Nation to reduce the deficit and achieve a balanced budget. The victory in the Cold War and the resulting peace dividend, which began, by the way, under President Reagan, is now saving us over $250 billion per year--the major factor in achieving a balanced budget. Mr. President, we haven't debated the levels for defense spending on the floor of the Senate for some time. Maybe its because defense doesn't rank very high these days in the polls which reflect the concerns of the American people. Or maybe it's because everyone assumes that the defense budget is adequate and there is no reason to debate it. I am concerned first of all because I believe there is a clear shortfall between the ambitious foreign policy of this Administration and the resources we are willing to provide for national defense. The operational tempo of our military forces is at an all time high. American forces are deployed literally around the globe. The foreign policy of this Administration has raised the number of separate deployments to the highest in our history. Our servicemen and women spend more and more time away from their homes and families on more frequent and extended deployments. As a result, recruiting grows more difficult and retention is becoming an extremely serious problem-- especially for pilots. We are also beginning to see increasing indicators of readiness problems. Spare parts shortages, increased cannibalization, declining operational readiness rates, cross-decking of critical weapons, equipment and personnel foretell a potential emergence of readiness difficulties that could seriously cripple our military forces in the very near future. The Chiefs of the military services indicate that they are on the margin in readiness and modernization. The Chief of one of our military services has recently stated orally as well as in writing that his budget for fiscal year 1999 is, for the third year in a row, inadequate. While, at the present time, the American people may not be expressing concern about threats to our national security or the readiness of our armed forces, we in the Senate are not relieved of our responsibilities to ensure that we have capable, effective military forces ready to defend our nation's vital interests. It is our job in the Congress to examine the readiness and capability of our armed forces and ensure that we have provided adequate resources and guidance to the Secretary of Defense so that he can carry out his mission to protect our national security. I believe, as I have stated so many times on this floor, that nothing that we do here in the Congress is as important as providing for our national security. I intend to continue to make this point whenever I believe that we in the Senate may not be paying enough attention to this most critical issue. Mr. President, the Congress has endeavored over the past several years to shore up our defense budgets with annual add-ons. However, reductions in the defense budgets over the last 3 years to pay for Bosnia have denigrated the effect of those Congressional plus-ups. Almost half of the $21 billion we added to the defense budgets over the last 3 years, which was intended to enhance readiness and modernization, was spent instead for operations in Bosnia. The maintenance of our forces in Bosnia and in the Persian Gulf, places great strain on our military forces and budgets. As many of you are aware, we have been forced to cope with a $3.6 billion outlay shortfall in the defense budget resulting from scoring differences between the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office. The Chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Domenici has been very helpful in working out a solution to help alleviate this problem. I am sure the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee joins me in thanking Senator Domenici and his staff for their assistance. Under the budget agreement, we have not added funds to the defense budget this year. I do not believe that a majority of Senators would support adding funds to the defense budget in violation of the budget agreement. Therefore, we have conducted our markup consistent with the budget agreement. However, I have stated in the past and I say again, I believe that we are not providing adequate funds for defense. The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House National Security Committee have also called for increases in the defense budget. It remains my firm belief that we should provide additional funds for our national security. In this bill, the Committee has achieved a balance among near-term readiness; long-term readiness, through investments in modernization infrastructure and research and development; force levels; quality of life and ensuring an adequate, safe and reliable nuclear weapons capability. The Committee modified the budget request to improve operations and achieve greater efficiencies and savings and to eliminate spending that does not contribute directly to the national security of the United States. The Committee recommended provisions to provide a 3.1 percent pay raise for the uniformed services; to enhance the ability of the services to recruit and retain quality personnel; and to restore appropriate funding levels for the construction and maintenance of both bachelor and family housing. The bill recommends increased investment in research and development activities to ensure that the Department of Defense can leverage advances in technology. The Committee remains concerned about the level of resources available for the reserve components and the continued lack of a spirit of cooperation between the active and reserve forces. The Committee recommended a number of policy initiatives and spending increases intended to continue the improvement of the readiness of the reserve forces and to permit greater use of the expertise and capabilities of the reserve components. One such measure is the authority for the reserve components to prepare to respond to domestic emergencies involving the use or intended use of a weapon of mass destruction. I am proud to be able to recommend this important legislation which will enable the Nation to be prepared for the most unimaginable terrorist incident. I do want to tell my colleagues that this defense bill does not include a long list of new major projects or new initiatives. Quite simply, there is no money to support new major projects or new initiatives. However, I should note that over the past three or four years, the Committee on Armed Services has produced defense bills with major new program starts, reforms of the acquisition process, initiatives related to missile defense and counter proliferation, and programs to achieve efficiencies and enhance readiness. The Secretary of Defense must now implement these major programs. As the Department of Defense executes the programs we enacted over the past several years, I anticipate that they will come back to the Congress to suggest modifications addressing areas in which they believe they need additional flexibility. Mr. President, I would like to remind my colleagues that any amendments to the defense authorization bill that would increase spending should be accompanied by offsetting reductions. Mr. President, this is a sound bill. It provides a road map to take our Nation's Armed Forces into the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to join the Members of the Armed Services Committee and pass this bill with a strong bipartisan vote. I yield the floor. Exhibit I armed services committee staff members Les Brownlee, Staff Director George Lauffer, Deputy Staff Director Scott Stucky, General Counsel David Lyles, Minority Staff Director Peter Levine, Minority Counsel Charlie Abell John R. Barnes Stuart H. Cain Lucia Monica Chavez Christine E. Cowart Daniel J. Cox, Jr. Madelyn R. Creedon Richard D. DeBobes John DeCrosta Marie F. Dickinson Keaveny Donovan Shawn H. Edwards Jonathan L. Etherton Pamela L. Farrell Richard W. Fieldhouse Maria A. Finley Cristina W. Fiori Jan Gordon Creighton Greene Gary M. Hall Patrick ``PT'' Henry Larry J. Hoag Andrew W. Johnson Melinda M. Koutsoumpas Lawrence J. Lanzillotta Henry C. Leventis Paul M. Longsworth Stephen L. Madey, Jr. Michael J. McCord J. Reaves McLeod John H. Miller Ann M. Mittermeyer Bert K. Mizusawa Cindy Pearson Sharen E. Reaves Sarah J. Ritch Moultrie D. Roberts Cord A. Sterling Eric H. Thoemmes Roslyne D. Turner Mr. LEVIN addressed the Chair.