Paul Wellstone

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I rise in this Chamber to talk about the extraordinary mental health needs of the American people, and especially people of New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. I thank Senator Kennedy for holding an extraordinary HELP Committee-- HELP is Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions--hearing on this topic last week. I am grateful to Senator Warner for his invitation at the hearing to have some suggestions about some mental health initiatives that could be part of this DOD authorization. Senator Warner is to be commended for his recognition that there does need to be some legislation that responds to the short-term and long-term needs of people who have been affected by these tragic events. Many Senators are working on this issue, and I am sure the Presiding Officer, the Senator from New Jersey, is one of them. I am pleased to also do this work. I want to talk a little bit about some of the witnesses. Carolyn Pfeffer, who is a child psychiatrist at New York University, noted that in retrospect what should really have been in place was a plan and a program in every school for how to respond to the disaster, along with prompt and effective public education for parents to help them understand how to talk to their children--in other words, she was saying, right after September 11. She said that what is needed now is ``aggressive work to identify children who have suffered the most severe stress; training of mental health professionals in how to respond to the unique needs growing out of events of this kind; government funding and leadership to assure resources are available to these children who need help.'' She said we must do all we can to prepare for the unprecedented strain on our mental health system and to assure that private insurers will encourage appropriate treatment rather than establishing artificial limits on what we can provide for people. Dr. Spencer Eth, the vice-chairman of the department of psychiatry at St. Vincent's hospital in New York, also spoke at the hearing. St. Vincent's was the hospital where the largest number of victims of the attack are being treated. Dr. Eth is also a nationally recognized authority on the psychological effects of traumatic event. He gave moving testimony about his experiences with providing treatment for emergency workers, and he said, ``Never before have the gaps in the mental health system been more apparent.'' He urged the committee to recognize that ``the magnitude of the public's need for traditional therapies, outreach to schools, businesses, and communities . . . is unprecedented. . . . He stated, ``We must obtain the funding required to reach everyone at high risk and everyone who is already suffering, regardless of health coverage, language barriers, and physical disabilities.'' Dr. Kerry Kelly gave what was probably the most searing testimony about her own experiences with her onsite work as chief medical officer of the New York Fire Department, minutes after the attacks. She testified that, ``the selflessness of these men and women [of the New York Fire Department] is what made them heroes, but it's also what brings me to these hearings today to urge your approval of funds to provide for the psychological and counseling need of our members and their families. As we get further away from the events of that day, the officers, firefighters, fire marshalls, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, will have to cope with delayed reactions to the trauma they experienced. And from day one, the men and women of the New York Fire Department and the families of those who were lost have had to endure a tremendous sense of grief.'' She said, ``The emotional well- being of our department requires intervention to provide stress debriefing, bereavement counseling, and continued psychological support of our members, our families, and the children affected by this event.'' Dr. Carol North pointed out that 2 years after the Oklahoma City bombing 16 percent of children 100 miles away still reported significant posttraumatic stress memories related to it. We know one thing for sure: It is a mistake to believe that such events, of September 11 and after, cannot have a lasting impact on the mental health of those men, women, and children who have experienced them. We should not repeat the mistakes that were made in the aftermath of the Vietnam war when the trauma experienced by veterans was ignored and trivialized until well after the optimal time for treatment was passed. We have learned from the outstanding research which has been funded by the VA and the NIMH of the severity of the disorder and the effective ways it can be treated. Let me summarize the case for this amendment of which Senator Warner and others have been so supportive. Let us give respect for what people have experienced and help them deal with this now in a manner which is appropriate to their individual needs. Let us help those families who have survived the loss of a loved one and may also now be dealing with preparations for a funeral or memorial without ever receiving any remains of their loved one. Let us recognize that traumatic grief is real and has unique features that go beyond our usual understanding of death and loss. Let us help the emergency workers who stretched their bodies and minds to deal with this horror and lost so many of their friends and colleagues as well. Let us help those who escaped with their lives but now suffer from serious injuries and many other losses of their own. Let us help those who made it out safely but who feared for their lives and witnessed such horror and are now dealing with the multiple losses of friends, families, colleagues, and their jobs. And let us help the children who must now try to understand what they saw, what they have lost, what their parents and teachers are going through, and what the world means, while we all struggle to do the same and try to regain our sense of safety. I am not saying that mental illness is widespread or an inevitable consequence of the event. But after hearing from the experts at this hearing, we should not underestimate the severe impact of September 11 on people's sense of identity and safety and how the multiple losses and horrific experiences they went through have the potential to affect them for a long while. Let me talk a minute about posttraumatic stress syndrome which can have such lasting effects on the minds and hearts of those who suffer from it. Here I draw from some experience because a lot of my work, especially back in Minnesota, is with Vietnam vets who are struggling with PTSD. We know from research that the brain chemistry can be altered by such experiences, and we know that the day-to-day struggle to deal with the frightening flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, loss of sleep and many other symptoms can lead to severe problems and an inability to function if left untreated. I will never forget a letter from a 10-year-old girl in Pope County, MN, who told me that her daddy was a Vietnam vet. He went into the shower in the morning. He had been doing fine. This was many years later, about 4 years ago. She said: My dad came out of the shower and he couldn't talk to anybody. Please help my dad. That was PTSD from the Vietnam war. Treatment can help people with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a lot of other illnesses. What we want to do with this amendment is provide States $175 million in flexible ways to deal with the needs of the citizens. We want to have training programs for licensed mental health professionals. We want to have expedited and increased research funding right away so we know what to do. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to set up a disaster research clearinghouse so that information can quickly be made available to schools and public health agencies during times of crisis. Funding is authorized for $50 million for trauma treatment centers for adults and children to provide services for people who are exposed to such traumas. All of this will make a huge difference. This came up last week. I thank Senator Kennedy for his leadership. There are a lot of us who are involved in this effort. Senator Warner is one. I cannot emphasize enough to other Senators how important it is that we try to pass this package. Today, we were scheduled to bring up the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. This is legislation on which I have been working with Senator Domenici. More important than that, there are 63 or 64 Senators who support it. One or two Senators objected. I am disappointed to say the least. We could have had this legislation on the floor. We could have had debate and some amendments, and it would have passed. The legislation did two things: It ended all discrimination in coverage. It is civil rights legislation. It just says no longer can any health care plan treat someone who is struggling with this kind of mental illness differently than someone who is struggling with any other kind of illness. My God, this is 2001. It is long overdue. The second thing I want to say--I will not try to put one agenda on top of another, but I want colleagues to know that the second thing that happens from this legislation--which is why it is so important--is that the treatment follows the money. When plans now provide coverage, you then see an infrastructure in our country which doesn't exist now as it should to provide the care for people. Kay Jamison, who has done brilliant work and writing in this area, said, ``The gap between what we know and what we do is lethal.'' There is September 11, and there are all kinds of people trying to deal with this trauma. There are all kinds of other men, women, and children who don't get the care they need. This is a piece of legislation that has some urgency. There is no reason to delay any longer. One or two Senators objected. I hope this will be on the floor soon, and I hope we can pass it. I think the President will sign it. I think it is a bipartisan effort and it is a good thing to do and it is the right thing to do. I yield the floor.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. I know the Senator from Michigan said he wanted to speak. I am anxious to respond to some of what Senator Byrd said. I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to follow the Senator from Michigan.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I want to talk about an amendment that I hope will be part of the Defense authorization bill. But as long as we are talking about the resolution for a moment, I want to borrow from a piece I just finished writing. I will not go through the whole piece, but that deals with the humanitarian catastrophe that is now taking place in Afghanistan. I think it is relevant to talk about this. You have a situation on the ground that is unimaginable: 4 years of relentless drought, the worst in 3 decades, and the total failure of the Taliban government to administer to the country. Four million people have abandoned their homes in search of food in Pakistan, Iran, and elsewhere. Those left behind now eat meals of locust and animal fodder. This is in Afghanistan. Five million people inside this country are threatened by famine, according to the United Nations. As President Bush made clear, we are waging a campaign against terrorists, not ordinary Afghans--I think that is an important distinction to make--who are some of the poorest and most beleaguered people on the planet and who were actually our allies during the cold war. Any military action by our country must be targeted against those responsible for the terror acts and those harboring them. And we must plan such action to minimize the danger to innocent civilians who are on the edge of starvation. Let me repeat that one more time. Any military action must be targeted against those who are responsible for the terror acts and those who have harbored them. And we must plan such action to minimize the danger to innocent civilians who are on the edge of starvation. And we must be prepared to address any humanitarian consequences of whatever action we take as soon as possible. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a piece that I just finished writing be printed in the Record.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, before Senator Byrd leaves the Chamber, I also want to thank him for his service to the Senate and the country. I am annoyed with myself for not having thought that we should have as a part of the Record the difference between the language that came from the White House and the resolution that we passed. It is so important that that be part of the Record. I say to my colleague that up until about 1 o'clock in the morning, I did not think I could support it. I thought it was too broad, too open ended. I think Senator Levin did say this, but while you were busy on that appropriations bill, Senator Levin was one of the key Senators-- along with staff--who really did yeomen's work to try to have that resolution focus on the September 11 attacks. It was entirely different wording. But I thank you, Senator Byrd, for what you have done today in this Senate Chamber.

Mr. WELLSTONE. I am happy to yield.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Bruce Vento Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Extension Act. The Act is named after my late colleague and dear friend, Congressman Bruce Vento. Congressman Vento dedicated much of his career to working with the Hmong community in Minnesota. He worked for a decade to ensure the passage of the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act. This bill would make it possible for all eligible Hmong veterans and their wives to receive the benefits they are due under this Act by extending the application deadline from November 26, 2001 to May 26, 2003. With less than 3 months remaining before the deadline passes for most of those covered under the Act, only 25 percent of all eligible applicants have filed for citizenship. Advocates for the Hmong believe it will be impossible for all those eligible to file by the deadline. The Hmong community has faced many challenges in getting veterans and their wives filed. The Department of Justice did not release its guidelines for 2\1/2\ months and many INS regional offices were unfamiliar with the guidelines for a period of time after that, resulting in eligible Hmong applicants being turned away. The language barrier that created the need for the Hmong Veteran Naturalization Act in the first place has meant that many Hmong needed assistance from Hmong community advocates to understand the citizenship process and to fill out the citizenship application. These advocacy organizations are vastly under-resourced and are overwhelmed by the demand for help from Hmong applicants. I want to make it clear. This bill would not increase the number of eligible applicants. It in no way would change the other requirements of the law. It simply would provide a necessary extension for existing eligible applicants. As the Senator from Minnesota, I am proud to represent one of the largest Hmong populations in America. My experience as a Senator has become much richer as a result of coming to know the history and culture of the Hmong people in Minnesota. I deeply respect their extraordinary efforts in support of the American people. I urge my colleagues' strong support of this legislation. The original Act was passed because of Hmong veterans' tremendous sacrifice on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War and because of the unique literacy challenges the Hmong community faces. It would be wrong to deny the benefits of the Act to eligible veterans for reasons that are beyond their control. Let us fulfill the intent of the Act we passed last year and ensure that these veterans and their families receive the benefits they are due.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Bruce Vento Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Extension Act. The Act is named after my late colleague and dear friend, Congressman Bruce Vento. Congressman Vento dedicated much of his career to working with the Hmong community in Minnesota. He worked for a decade to ensure the passage of the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act. This bill would make it possible for all eligible Hmong veterans and their wives to receive the benefits they are due under this Act by extending the application deadline from November 26, 2001 to May 26, 2003. With less than 3 months remaining before the deadline passes for most of those covered under the Act, only 25 percent of all eligible applicants have filed for citizenship. Advocates for the Hmong believe it will be impossible for all those eligible to file by the deadline. The Hmong community has faced many challenges in getting veterans and their wives filed. The Department of Justice did not release its guidelines for 2\1/2\ months and many INS regional offices were unfamiliar with the guidelines for a period of time after that, resulting in eligible Hmong applicants being turned away. The language barrier that created the need for the Hmong Veteran Naturalization Act in the first place has meant that many Hmong needed assistance from Hmong community advocates to understand the citizenship process and to fill out the citizenship application. These advocacy organizations are vastly under-resourced and are overwhelmed by the demand for help from Hmong applicants. I want to make it clear. This bill would not increase the number of eligible applicants. It in no way would change the other requirements of the law. It simply would provide a necessary extension for existing eligible applicants. As the Senator from Minnesota, I am proud to represent one of the largest Hmong populations in America. My experience as a Senator has become much richer as a result of coming to know the history and culture of the Hmong people in Minnesota. I deeply respect their extraordinary efforts in support of the American people. I urge my colleagues' strong support of this legislation. The original Act was passed because of Hmong veterans' tremendous sacrifice on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War and because of the unique literacy challenges the Hmong community faces. It would be wrong to deny the benefits of the Act to eligible veterans for reasons that are beyond their control. Let us fulfill the intent of the Act we passed last year and ensure that these veterans and their families receive the benefits they are due.

Mr. WELLSTONE

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

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I see colleagues coming to the Chamber. I will not be lengthy. I surmise we may be debating an amendment. But until we do, let me just take this time to present kind of a bit of an overview--I see the Senator from Virginia.

Mr. WELLSTONE. That is fine. I appreciate that. I ask unanimous consent that we go into morning business for 10 minutes so that I may speak.

Mr. WELLSTONE. I say to my colleague, 10 minutes.

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

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Madam President, I would like to, in 10 minutes, cover three topics. First, I want to talk a little bit about September 11 and now. And I want to just say, in an ironic way--not bitterly ironic--the days I have had in Minnesota have maybe been some of the better days I have had because--and I am not putting words in anybody's mouth; and I do not do damage to the truth; I have too much respect for people, even when we disagree--most of the people with whom I have spoken back in Minnesota have said a couple things. First of all, they have said we need to do a better job of defending ourselves. Who can disagree with that? Second of all, they have said-- they have not been jingoistic; and they have not said we need to bomb now--we need to do this the right away. Many of them have expressed concern that we not let terrorists define our morality and that we should take every step possible to minimize the loss of life of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, or any other country, starting with innocent children. I am proud of people in Minnesota for saying that. People in Minnesota have also said they understand this is not going to be one military action. They know this is going to be a long struggle. They know we are going to need a lot of cooperation from a lot of other countries. They think it should be international. Above and beyond the way people come together to support each other, I am so impressed with the way I think people are really thinking deeply about this and want us to stay consistent with our own values as a nation. I just want to say that. That is my view. I find myself kind of on two ends of the continuum. I had a discussion with some friends who were telling me that I should speak out more about the underlying conditions and causes of this violence, this hatred and violence. I told them there is a divide between us because I cannot do that because there are no conditions or explanations or justification for the mass murder of innocent people. I do not even like to talk about war because I do not think warriors murder people. Warriors are not involved in the slaughter of innocent people; criminals are. A second point, which now gets closer to the defense authorization bill: On economic recovery, we have to really focus on economic security. I believe, and will always believe, we should have included assistance for employees in the package we passed last Friday. I say to the Senator from Massachusetts, when I went home to Minnesota, I heard about that. People were not bitterly angry, but they said: How could that happen to us and our families who are out of work? That has to be a priority, along with safety, to get help to employees. I would argue, maybe it is a sequence; you can't do everything at one time. It is easier to give a speech than to actually do it. But above and beyond help for employees and employment benefits and making sure people can afford health care needs and making sure there is job training and dislocated worker funding and, I would argue, having to deal with some child care expenses, I want to say one other thing. The truth is, I think we have to also think about an economic recovery package. And that should include, I say to my colleague from New Jersey, a workforce recovery package because not only are we going to need to extend the lifeline to people by way of helping them--when people are flat on their back, Government helps them; that is what Government is for--it is also true that that is part of an economic stimulus because you do not want to have a lot of people--people who work in hotels and restaurants and small businesspeople, all of whom now are really hurting--you do not want to have a whole lot of people shut down and not able to consume at all. So we need to think about this package in broader terms as well. Finally, on the defense authorization bill, if I had my own way, there are at least a couple of provisions I wish were in it. One of them Senator Levin worked so hard on, and other colleagues support it. It made it clear that if President Bush requested funding for missile defense tests that violated the ABM Treaty, he would need congressional approval to spend those funds. I wanted that language in this bill in the worst way. If I had time, I would argue over and over again, but I don't want to impose my own agenda on what our country is facing right now. But we need to reorder some of our priorities, and clearly more of the money--some of the money in this bill that I don't think we need for certain items I would put into homeland defense and helping families with economic security. I think there are a lot of threats our country is faced with that come way before a rogue nation sending missiles our way by suitcase, by boat, by plane, chemical, biological--there are lots of other threats with a much higher priority. I wish we hadn't dropped that language. I understand that the majority leader and Senator Levin and others made a commitment that we will come back to that language and that provision. I believe missile defense doesn't make the world more secure; it makes it less secure for our children, grandchildren, and for all God's children. I could argue that for the next 5 hours. I don't have 5 hours. I congratulate Senators on both sides of the aisle for the way in which we have worked together. We probably need each other as never before. There will be some sharp disagreement on policy issues--some of the issues that deal with education and health care, prescription drugs, you name it. Frankly, I am sure there will be questions many of us have as we go forward. But for right now, I want to just dissent on missile defense and say to my colleagues we need to get back to that debate. I think we are going to have to see more of an emphasis on priorities, including some of the money from some weapons systems that are not necessary to what we are talking about now by way of our own national security and homeland defense. I say to Senator Levin and others, I appreciate the additional support for the armed services, especially when they are about to go into harm's way. I want to say to every Senator that we did not do well for too many people in this package for the industry, which was necessary. I don't think the companies and CEOs were crying wolf, but we didn't help the employees, and the economic security of these working families has to be the next step, along with safety. That has to happen soon. Finally, I believe we are going to have to have a broader workforce recovery bill as part of economic recovery legislation, as a part of how we deal with this recession in hard economic times, because there are a lot of other people who are really hurting right now. The Government should be there to help people when they are flat on their backs through no fault of their own. That is going to be a big part of our work as well.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Could I ask for 10 seconds? I ask unanimous consent, following the Senator from Illinois, I be allowed to speak.

Mr. WELLSTONE. Yes, that after the Senator from Illinois, I be allowed to speak.

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to follow the Senator from Texas.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I believe this Transportation Safety Act, which I know Senator Hollings and others are going to introduce very soon, will certainly pass with strong support. First of all, I ask unanimous consent to be added as an original cosponsor of this piece of legislation.

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, the Senator from South Carolina is absolutely right. Not only does safety have to be there with the money, but the fact is, without the safety, people aren't going to fly. If they don't fly, we are never going to have this industry financially viable. It is that simple. You can see it traveling around the country right now. There are very few people at the airports. People are quite frightened. We have to absolutely pass this bill. I think it should be in this package right here. But we will be coming back to this very soon, and I think the sooner the better. There were some provisions that I desperately wanted to see in this bill. I know the Senator from South Carolina and others tried with all their might. I know Senator Daschle did. There were negotiations late into the evening. From my point of view, this language is essential to air service. I want to make sure that gets lived up to. A good part of our State is rural. We don't want our smaller airports left out. On the question of general aviation and VFR, there are a lot of people hurting right now. I traveled in a small plane this last weekend. They are having to lay off people. We don't have any protections for them. We will get back to that next week. But the final point I want to make is that we had, I think, about a $3.7 billion package that dealt with all the people who are being laid off. Northwest Airlines just announced that 10,000 people will be laid off. Half of them are in the State of Minnesota. Frankly, look at the economy. There are an awful lot of people in a world of economic pain. I believe what should have been in this package--I know there were Representatives on the House side who resisted this, talking about the companies, yes--is the extending of unemployment benefits and making sure people have access to job training, that there is a dislocated worker focus. The most frightening thing of all, next to losing your job, is that you then lose your health care coverage. COBRA is too expensive. I wish we had something better. For so many of these employees, this is going to be critically important. These are going to be some really hard times for people. As one Senator from the State of Minnesota, I am really disappointed we did not get this included. I know the Senate majority leader, Mr. Daschle, said this would be a first priority. I know Senator Hollings has said that. We have to come back next week and we have to focus on these employees. We have to make sure we provide the help to them and to their families. That has to be part of a relief package. We have to move fast now. We couldn't get it in today. It will be in next week or it will be in as soon as possible. It must be. Last point: We have all these huge issues staring us in the face. When I flew out here, I was talking to some of the employees of Northwest. I said: How are you doing? They said: We are holding on. They meant about the world they live in. Everybody is very worried. Everybody is very resolute. Everybody is very worried. But they also meant: We are afraid we are going to lose our jobs. I am sure a number of those people now have lost their jobs. We have to provide help for them. I yield the floor.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask the majority leader, am I correct that after the caucuses, there will be a short period of time for morning business, or do we know for sure?

Mr. WELLSTONE. This morning.

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I have 5 minutes--I do not intend to take any more than that--in morning business.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I thank the Chair. My congratulations to Chris and Jackie on the birth of their daughter. Mr. President, there are many times to speak in this Chamber. Today I speak from the Senate floor to make the remarks of one Senator from Minnesota part of our historical record. The Senator from South Dakota is right, it is a very somber time. The unthinkable happened. We have witnessed the slaughter of parents and their kids. I want to talk about this in the following way: First of all, it sounds so political to do this, but I want to thank the people of Minnesota for mobilizing the way they have mobilized: the blood banks, the offers of assistance, the prayers. Nothing could be more important. As a Senator from New Jersey, as someone who worked in the World Trade Center, the Chair has probably a more direct understanding of the agony and the hell of so many families, but I am very proud that the people of Minnesota, in every way possible, are there for support. This represents the best in our country. I say this because I want to say, drawing on the Minnesota example, that I do not want to let these terrorists ever take away from us as Americans the greatness of our country, including the values by which we live. I am talking about the civil liberties of Americans, and I am talking about the freedom that is so important to each and every one of us. I say this as well because unlike these terrorists who slaughtered parents and kids, let us be clear, as we pass a resolution and move forward, that when we respond, our intention is to target the people that are responsible for this. Unlike these terrorists and what they did to Americans, we care about innocent civilians. We care about parents and kids. Our effort must be focused on the people who are responsible, their network, their organizations. Our greatness, even in carrying out military action, is always to do everything we can to make sure innocent people do not lose their lives. These are our values. This is what we are about. Whether it be how we now conduct ourselves as a nation, or the kind of military action that we are going to be taking, we will never let these terrorists take away from us what has made our country great. As the son of a Jewish immigrant who fled persecution from Russia, I have always cherished our freedoms, and I always will. I hold that dear, and I believe that Americans hold it dear. As the son of a Jewish immigrant who fled persecution from Russia, I have always believed the greatness of our country is the value we place on human life. I am not responding to anybody's particular comments. But of course we will always care and make sure that to the maximum extent possible there will not be loss of lives of innocent people, wherever they live. That is what we are about. Our effort is going to be targeted to these terrorists, targeted to their organization, targeted to their infrastructure. As many people have written in the papers, as Tom Friedman said today in the New York Times, which was right on the mark, and as I think Secretary Powell has been trying to say, our efforts will not be a single action, and may not be done right away. It is going to be a long, difficult struggle. I believe people in our country and in Minnesota are united in this, but we need to do this the smart way. We need to do this the right way. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I thank the managers of this bill, Senator Hollings and Senator Gregg, for working with me to include an amendment I offered to the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill. The amendment is the Bruce Vento Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Extension Act. The Act is named after my late colleague and dear friend, Congressman Bruce Vento. Congressman Vento dedicated much of his career to working with the Hmong community in Minnesota. He worked for a decade to ensure the passage of the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act. This amendment would make it possible for all eligible Hmong veterans and their wives to receive the benefits they are due under this Act by extending the application deadline from November 26, 2001 to May 26, 2003. With less than 3 months remaining before the deadline passes for most of those covered under the Act, only 25 percent of all eligible applicants have filed for citizenship. Advocates for the Hmong believe it will be impossible for all those eligible to file by the deadline. The Hmong community has faced many challenges in getting veterans and their wives filed. The Department of Justice did not release its guidelines for 2\1/2\ months and many INS regional offices were unfamiliar with the guidelines for a period of time after that, resulting in eligible Hmong applicants being turned away. The language barrier that created the need for the Hmong Veteran Naturalization Act in the first place has meant that many Hmong needed assistance from Hmong community advocates to understand the citizenship process and to fill out the citizenship application. These advocacy organizations are vastly under-resourced and are overwhelmed by the demand for help from Hmong applicants. I want to make it clear. This amendment would not increase the number of eligible applicants. It in no way would change the other requirements of the law. It simply would provide a necessary extension for existing eligible applicants. As the Senator from Minnesota, I am proud to represent one of the largest Hmong populations in America. My experience as a Senator has become much richer as a result of coming to know the history and culture of the Hmong people in Minnesota. I deeply respect their extraordinary efforts in support of the American people. When the Conference Committee meets, I urge my colleagues' strong support of this amendment so it may become law when this bill is passed. The original Act was passed because of Hmong veterans' tremendous sacrifice on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War and because of the unique literacy challenges the Hmong community faces. It would be wrong to deny the benefits of the Act to eligible veterans for reasons that are beyond their control. Let us fulfill the intent of the Act we passed last year and ensure that these veterans and their families receive the benefits they are due.

Mr. WELLSTONE

Mr. WELLSTONE. Madam President, I was interested in the order.

Mr. WELLSTONE. Thank you, Madam President.