[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1159-S1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        BRINGING MICRON TO BUTTE

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
citizens of Butte, MT, and other Montana communities, in their efforts 
to bring Micron Technology, Inc., a major U.S. semiconductor 
manufacturer, to Montana.
  Butte-Silver Bow County is a finalist for a $1.3 billion Micron 
manufacturing plant. The plant would create 3,000 to 4,000 jobs with an 
annual payroll of $200 million. Good paying, high technology jobs that 
would bring a better standard of living to both Butte and Montana. 
Micron would also propel Butte forward on its journey as a major U.S. 
technological center.
  The possibility of Micron locating to Montana has banded the citizens 
of Butte together--in fact, the entire State together--in a very 
inspiring way. I wish you could see it, Mr. President. It has been 
exciting and heartening for me to experience and be part of the 
enthusiasm and vigor by which Montanans have gone after this golden 
opportunity.
  For those of you who have never been to Butte--and I guess that would 
include most of you--Butte is truly a unique, all-American city. It is 
known throughout Montana as the Can Do City, and if ever a city in this 
country could do it, it is Butte.
  There was a time, after the Anaconda Co. shut down its mines, that 
Butte was believed to be destined to join the many ghost towns dotting 
the Rockies. Yet, through hard work, loyalty, determination, and a very 
strong entrepreneurial spirit, the people of Butte-Silver Bow fought 
their way back.
  They have made Butte a national center for the development, testing, 
and application of revolutionary environmental technologies. They are 
making the Port of Butte a major hub for intermodal shipping across the 
Nation. And they created a top educational institution--Montana Tech--
voted by college presidents in a U.S. News & World Report poll as the 
top-ranked science program in the United States among smaller 
comprehensive colleges.
  Newsweek has described Butte as the ``bright spot amidst the 
tumbleweed'' in the West and commended the community for 
``engineer[ing] the most dramatic turnaround.''
  See this poster behind me? The local newspaper in Butte printed it up 
so thousands, and thousands, of Butte citizens could hang it in their 
windows, displaying to Micron--and Micron, I hope you are watching 
this--their enthusiasm and support. And see this stack of papers? They 
are editorials and articles from all over Montana, written in support 
of Micron. Editorials have been pouring in on a daily basis.
  Take the editorial from the Missoulian, for example. As the editorial 
board penned:

       The people of Butte are survivors proud and passionate 
     about their community * * *. If Micron's managers have any 
     yearning to be adored and supported by an entire community in 
     their every endeavor, they will build in Butte.

  Similarly, the editors of the Independent Record in Helena write, 
``it is difficult to think of a town in the country that deserves as 
much admiration as Butte, a city that doesn't know how to quit.''
  And the Billings Gazette board stated last week that ``Butte, MT, can 
offer everything that Micron seeks and more. It also offers an intense 
desire to attract companies such as Micron, to treat them well and to 
provide incentives for relocation.''
  I think Daniel Berube, chairman and CEO of the Montana Power Co. in a 
guest editorial in the Montana Standard sums it up right: Butte is ``a 
good place to live, a good place to work, and a good place to raise a 
family.'' I strongly share his belief that there cannot be a better 
matched city for Micron than the city of Butte.
  Like Butte, Micron based its phenomenal growth and success on the 
Western ideals of working hard and thinking big.
  Like Butte, Micron has become a leader in its field, serving as a 
shining light for the rest of the Northwest.
  And like Butte, Micron is preparing itself for the 21st century, 
while at the same time, maintaining the unique quality of life and 
scenic location found only in Montana and the Northwest.
  I cannot think of a better home for Micron than in Butte. And I 
commend the community and the State of Montana in their efforts to 
deliver this message to Micron.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I must respond to this statement by 
the Senator from Montana. He is so correct in pointing out that Micron 
is worth attracting to your State. Micron is an outstanding industry, 
and I know that because Micron is located in Boise, ID, of which I was 
mayor for 7 years. There are a number of communities in Idaho that also 
are desirous of the expansion of Micron. So I commend my colleague from 
Montana. He knows something good. I just say that we certainly intend 
to keep an eye on it.
[[Page S1160]]
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I, too, would like to commend the 
distinguished manager of this bill, a former mayor of Boise, ID, home 
of Micron. We all are together. We very strongly support and are 
enthusiastic admirers of Micron and what they have done over the years. 
It is a good competition going on here to get Micron. The depth of 
competition indicates the quality of the company. And I just say to my 
friend, may the best city win. And we very much hope that Butte, MT, is 
the finalist in the plant location.
  I thank my good friend.

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