[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 25, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15686-S15687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. INOUYE:
  S. 1361. A bill to provide for the repurchase of land acquired by the 
United States from Native American organizations, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.


                   Surplus Real Property Legislation

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I introduce a measure that would 
authorize the repurchase of surplus real property by native American 
trust organizations.
  This measure is unusual in that it not only serves the objective of 
restoring to such organizations--real property that was acquired by the 
United States should such property be deemed to be surplus to the need 
of the federal government--but also provides for the repurchase of the 
property at today's fair market value, which will enable the United 
States to recapture the original value of the property, as well as any 
associated appreciation in value which has accrued since the time of 
acquisition.
  Mr. President, this measure also authorizes the establishment of a 
trust fund in the United States Treasury, in which would be deposited 
that amount which represents the appreciated value of the reacquired 
property. For each property so repurchased by a Native American Trust 
Organization--the amount associated with the appreciated value of such 
property--would be added to the corpus of the trust. In turn, the 
income accruing on the investment of the trust corpus funds would be 
expended for the purposes of health and education authorized under 
existing federal law.
                                 ______

      By Mr. HOLLINGS:
  S. 1362. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue 
a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for 
employment in the coastwise trade for the vessel Focus; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


                     Trading Privileges Legislation

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I am introducing a bill today to direct 
that the vessel Focus, U.S. Official Number 909293, be accorded 
coastwise trading privileges and be issued a certificate of 
documentation under section 12103 of title 46, U.S. Code.
  The Focus was constructed in Kowloon, Hong Kong, in 1983 and is a 
sailing vessel presently used for recreational purposes. It is 47.8 
feet in length, 15.8 feet in breadth, has a depth of 6.5 feet, and is 
self-propelled.
  The vessel is owned by John Passaloukas of Hilton Head Island, South 
Carolina. Mr. Passaloukas would like to utilize his vessel in the 
coastwise trade and fisheries of the United States. However, because 
the vessel was built in a foreign shipyard, it does not meet the 
requirements for coastwise license endorsement in the United States. 
The present owner purchased the Focus in a state of disrepair, after 
the vessel had been neglected for ten years, and has totally 
refurbished the vessel in U.S. shipyards. Coastwise documentation is 
mandatory to enable the owner to use the vessel for its intended 
purpose.
  The owner of the Focus is seeking a waiver of the existing law 
because he wishes to use the vessel for recreational and ecotourism 
charters. His desired intentions for the vessel's use will not 
adversely affect the coastwise trade in U.S. waters. If he is granted 
this waiver, it is his intention to comply fully with U.S. 
documentation and 

[[Page S15687]]

safety requirements. The purpose of the legislation I am introducing is 
to allow the Focus to engage in the coastwise trade and the fisheries 
of the United States.
                                 ______

      By Mr. ABRAHAM:
  S. 1363. A bill to terminate the agricultural price support and 
production adjustment programs for sugar on the date the President 
certifies to Congress that a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade has 
been entered into that prohibits all export subsidies for sugar, price 
support and production adjustment programs for sugar, and tariffs and 
other trade barriers on the importation of sugar, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.


                           sugar legislation

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to 
terminate U.S. agricultural price support and production adjustment 
programs for sugar contingent upon a GATT agreement which would 
eliminate export subsidies and price supports in other countries of the 
world. While I firmly believe that the free market should be allowed to 
work, it does not make sense to put our producers at a competitive 
disadvantage in the world subsidized market.
  I can't speak for the rest of the country, but Michigan sugar beet 
producers are some of the most efficient producers in the world, yet 
without a U.S. sugar program they would most likely find it impossible 
to compete against less efficient foreign producers who are more highly 
subsidized. Other countries subsidize their sugar at a level so high 
that they are able to dump the excess sugar on the world market at a 
price well below the world's cost of production. Unilateral elimination 
of our sugar program would put the best producers of sugar in the world 
at a competitive disadvantage to less efficient producers. This simply 
does not make sense.
  We cannot give up the hope that the world will have a free sugar 
market. Through the GATT, we have begun and will continue to work 
diligently toward that goal. I am hopeful that my legislation will 
prompt other Members of the House and Senate to contact the 
Administration in favor of further GATT talks that would move us closer 
to a free world market for agriculture. Until this occurs, however, we 
must carefully examine the consequences of the steps we take to reform 
or eliminate our support programs so that we do not put our producers 
in a position of weakness compared to other countries. Furthermore, we 
cannot simply assume other countries would follow our lead if we were 
to eliminate our sugar program. In fact, the result may be quite the 
opposite. Without a trade agreement, other countries would have greater 
access to the U.S. market, helping to perpetuate these foreign 
subsidies rather than encourage their elimination.
  Mr. President, I assure you that during my tenure as a Member of this 
body I will fight diligently on the side of free trade. Understanding 
the importance of global free trade in a growing world market, I will 
continue to work to eliminate export subsidies and other price supports 
worldwide so that we may eventually achieve true free trade.

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