[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12136-S12143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, even in an age of spin control, when 
it is often difficult to wade through the rhetoric to find the truth, 
it is possible to determine the true measure of a government. That 
measure can be found quite revealingly in the budget. For it is in the 
budget that the priorities become clear. It is in the budget that the 
rhetorical claims can be separated from the real claims. In Elizabethan 
England, as the old saw tells us, the proof may have been in the 
pudding. But in modern day America, the proof of an administration's or 
a political party's claims is in its budget proposals.
  We have just come through two exceptionally challenging years. The 
Republican Party, led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and then-
Senate majority leader and now Presidential nominee Bob Dole, sought to 
upend government--to eliminate or slash service after service upon 
which Americans depend. The effect of their efforts, had they been 
successful, would have been to heap on the rich and the powerful in 
this Nation even greater riches and power. Those additional riches and 
power would have come at the expense of working Americans, at the 
expense of the environment which we have been laboring for decades to 
clean up, at the expense of those who need health care, at the expense 
of children and young people seeking quality education, at the expense 
of those who have been victimized by crime, drug abuse, and domestic 
violence, at the expense of America's future.
  The Republican Party correctly identified the importance of gaining 
control of our Nation's fiscal household, but then threw wisdom and 
prudence to the wind, and concluded that the only legitimate objective 
was to slash Federal spending, regardless of how or where, regardless 
of the harm that would be caused to our Nation and its people as a 
result of those actions. Paradoxically, the only large category

[[Page S12137]]

of discretionary spending Republicans excepted from their frenzied 
assault was that for armies and weapons, despite the fact that the cold 
war ended over 5 years ago, and that, for the first time in 50 years, 
we have no superpower adversary.
  The budget the Republicans brought forward last year dramatized this 
extremist philosophy. It portrayed a singular absence of vision, 
confirming that the Republican party neither understood nor subscribed 
to the concept of investment in the future by our Government on behalf 
of this Nation's citizens.
  The Democrats in the Senate and the House, led by President Clinton, 
rejected this extreme agenda. We did not shy from the fierce conflict 
the Republicans promised if anyone dared challenge their zealous 
actions to demolish vital services.
  After nearly a year of pitched battle over the 1996 budget--that 
resulted in several Government shutdowns--it became clear even to the 
Republicans that the American people did not support their objectives 
or their approach. A budget finally was enacted halfway through the 
fiscal year that came much closer to reflecting the principles and 
priorities Democrats had consistently said the American people 
supported.
  But while the Republicans acknowledged tactical defeat, they had not 
yet learned the lesson. Once again, in the form of the 1997 budget, 
they showed their true colors. Once again, they launched forth in 
pursuit of an extremist agenda to cut education funding, cut job 
training, cut health care, cut law enforcement assistance, cut 
assistance to small businesses, cut programs to help American companies 
more effectively compete with foreign firms.
  Again, the Clinton administration and congressional Democrats met 
them head-on. Today we have reached the end of this second budget 
campaign of the 104th Congress. Once again, because the congressional 
Democrats more accurately reflected the values and views of the 
American people, the Republicans' budget has been repudiated in large 
measure. This time, in fact, the battle has been won with far less 
bloodshed and in far less time. The Republicans, knowing they did not 
have the support of the majority of the Nation, and knowing the 
elections are only weeks away, ran up the white flag almost as soon as 
the battle was really joined.
  Mr. President, the American people are the winners. The future of our 
Nation is the winner. I am relieved and heartened to see that our 
democratic process has operated in such a way as to earn our faith and 
confidence.
  With the leadership of President Clinton and his administration, we 
have taken a devastating Republican budget and transformed it into one 
that manages to pass the basic test of responsibility. I commend the 
President and the Vice President for their courage and resolve. I 
commend White House Chief of Staff Panetta and his staff, the Office of 
Management and Budget, and others from the Administration who were 
involved. Also deserving of praise are Senate Democratic Leader Tom 
Daschle and his staff, Appropriations Committee ranking Democrat Robert 
Byrd and his staff, and the subcommittee ranking members and their 
staffs.
  While none of us has ever seen a budget that is identical to the one 
he or she would have proposed, the budget that emerged from the 
negotiations in the wee hours of this past Saturday morning is one that 
I can support. It is true that the portions that address our 
Government's domestic services generally are preferable to the portion 
that addresses defense; the defense portion provides more funding than 
we need in the post-cold-war era to ensure our national security. We 
have pressing domestic needs to which this surplus defense funding 
would be more beneficially targeted. And some of this excess funding 
beyond the Defense Department's request should be used to further 
reduce the deficit, a vital objective.
  Not only for this reason--but significantly for this reason--this 
legislation could be better; it could be stronger; it could be fairer. 
But it passes the threshold test. With many reservations, I voted for 
it because it is better than anything we've seen in the past 2 years; 
it is better than we were afraid we would see this year; and it 
protects and in some cases enhances some vital services for the 
American people. In some cases the best that can be said for it is that 
it preserves important services through another year so that we may 
return to attempt to allocate sufficient resources to them next year. 
But that was enough to secure my vote.
  I would like to mention several of the bill's components that are of 
particular importance to Massachusetts and the Nation.


                           PARKS AND INTERIOR

  I am proud of the rich historical heritage of my State of 
Massachusetts and I am pleased to support funding for many of the 
State's historic sites in the continuing resolution for fiscal year 
1997.
  The first historic site, established in 1938, the Salem National 
Historic Site, represents a slice of Massachusetts life from the 17th 
through the 19th centuries, when Salem traded with the East Indies and 
throughout the world, opening new markets for exports and importing 
treasures from far away. The site includes 18th- and 19th-century 
wharves, the Custom House, the West India Goods Store, and the 17th-
century Narbonne-Hale house, where local craftsmen worked. In June 
1994, the new regional visitors center opened after a $4.7 million 
Federal investment. The operational funding increase of $341,000, plus 
five additional personnel, will ensure that the regional visitors 
center, which offers information about cultural and natural resources 
throughout Essex County, remains open year-round. These increased funds 
will help the site to accommodate the growing number of visitors to the 
park, which has grown by at least 30 percent since 1990, and exceeded 1 
million in 1992.

  The site is also completing construction of the sailing vessel 
Friendship, an exhibit dedicated to the master craftsmen shipbuilders 
of the 18th century. This funding will also go toward operating the 
Salem site. With its authentic replica of the historic Friendship 
nearly completed, it offers an educational opportunity for children and 
their families that can be a model for similar parks in the State.
  I am also pleased, Mr. President, that funds have been approved for 
continued maintenance, protection, and development of the Lowell 
National Historic Site, and to continue the 17-year efforts of the 
Lowell Historic Preservation Commission. The operating increase of 
$404,000 is required to continue operations in the park that 
commemorates the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. 
Located in downtown Lowell, the park includes the Boott Cotton Mills 
Museum, ``mill girl'' boarding houses, and the Suffolk Mill turbine, 
and offers guided tours depicting how the transition was made from 
farming to industry, the history of immigrants and labor in Lowell, and 
the development of industrial technology. Although the economy in 
Lowell has not been strong in the past few years, the tourist industry 
has been a staple of the city's livelihood. The National Park Service 
conducts tours that take visitors around the city, via canals, 
trolleys, and walking tours. With the addition of professional baseball 
and hockey teams, there are now more reasons than ever to visit Lowell, 
and its historic preservation efforts will reflect the renewed interest 
in the city.
  To many of us, classic American poetry and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 
are synonymous. His home, a national historic site, will justifiably 
receive an operating increase of $112,000. Longfellow lived in this 
residence for nearly 50 years while teaching at Harvard. This house was 
also General George Washington's headquarters during the siege of 
Boston in 1775. In addition, the Longfellow National Historic Site 
manages one of the largest and most important fine arts collections in 
the National Park Service. Unfortunately, recent cutbacks in funding 
have forced the Park Service to close its door for 6 months a year, 
thus ending public tours and student programs from November to May. 
Countless historic books and textile exhibits have deteriorated. 
Moreover, the vast majority of the archives remain uncatalogued and 
inaccessible to researchers. This operating increase will enable the 
Longfellow House to provide critical security and management for the 
museum collections contained in this

[[Page S12138]]

monument to America's struggle for independence and rich cultural 
history.
  Mr. President, I am pleased this continuing resolution contains 
$301,000 for continued maintenance, protection and security of the Cape 
Cod National Seashore. This increased funding for park operations and 
maintenance will be used to improve park security, caretaking, and fire 
protection at the newest section of the Cape Cod Seashore, the 
decommissioned North Truro Air Force Station that was annexed in 1986. 
This request was supported by the Cape Cod Commission, many residents, 
and organizations on the Cape. Over 5 million visitors and vacationers 
annually visit the Cape Cod National Seashore, a park on the outer 
beaches of Cape Cod, extending 40 miles from Chatham to Provincetown. 
The park is made up of oceans, beaches, dunes, woodlands, freshwater 
ponds and marshes. It is home to a vibrant ecosystem of plants and 
animals. The area is also home to numerous historical structures, 
including Marconi's wireless station.

  I am also very pleased that this omnibus package includes nearly $1 
million for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor 
including $324,000 to support the important ongoing efforts of the 
Corridor Commission and $460,000 for development and construction 
projects in the Blackstone River Valley. With the passage last week of 
legislation to expand the boundaries of the Blackstone Corridor, the 
corridor size will increase by 60 percent, with approximately 150,000 
new acres including two national historic landmarks. These funds are 
needed to develop resource inventories, interpretive programs, and 
protection strategies for the five communities newly included in the 
Corridor, including Worcester, MA.
  Established in 1986, the Blackstone Valley National Heritage 
Corridor, encompassing 400,000 acres, is the largest national park in 
the North Atlantic Region of the National Park Service. It contains 
over 10,000 historic structures, and is significant for its 18th and 
19th century industrial production systems of mill villages, farms, and 
transportation that illustrate America's transition from an 
agricultural to an industrial Nation. It also includes acres of farms 
and pastures and beautiful riverside scenery. The Blackstone Corridor 
is unique in the National Park Service because it is predominantly 
funded and maintained with local resources, encouraging a public-
private partnership that has become a model for other parks, using 
federal seed money to encourage local preservation and revitalize the 
economy.
  I applaud the inclusion of additional funds for land acquisition in 
the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. A transfer of $750,000 from 
another defunct Fish and Wildlife Service project was recently made to 
Mashpee. While my request for $1.582 million for the acquisition, which 
was originally included in the fiscal year 1997 appropriations bill 
passed by the Senate, was not fully funded in the conference report, I 
am pleased that two-thirds of our request was included in this 
legislation to secure this important natural resource.
  Mr. President, with regard to one other parks and Interior component 
of this legislation that directly impacts my State of Massachusetts, I 
support the increased funding it contains for the John F. Kennedy 
National Historic Site. Although the site attracts 15,000 visitors 
during its brief open season--one-third of which are visiting from 
abroad and who consider the birthplace their primary destination--
recent funding shortages have forced the JFK National Historic Site to 
eliminate school programs, and significantly reduced the number of 
tours that can be accommodated. The funding increase of $57,000 will 
allow the hiring of one permanent park ranger and three seasonal park 
rangers to give tours, conduct school programs, and provide information 
services. The additional resources will allow the site to remain open 
for at least 9 months per year.
  Interior Subcommittee and full Appropriations Committee Ranking 
Democrat Robert C. Byrd, Subcommittee Chairman Slade Gorton, and their 
staffs have done a commendable job in addressing all the needs for 
funding within the constraints that have been imposed on them. I thank 
them for their help.


                            FISH AND OCEANS

  Mr. President, I am pleased to support the Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary appropriations provisions in this continuing resolution 
and I want to especially commend the ranking member of the Commerce, 
Justice, State and Judiciary subcommittee, Senator Hollings, for his 
work on this portion of the bill. The Appropriations Committee faced 
the daunting task of fairly distributing funding to a broad array of 
important programs, many of which are critical to our economy, our 
personal security, our marine environment, and international relations 
within a budget framework of extremely limited resources. While there 
are always some disappointments about specific programs and projects, I 
believe this portion of the bill is a balanced measure of significant 
benefit.

  As the ranking member of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on 
Oceans and Fisheries, I am pleased that this measure provides funding 
increases to some key marine and coastal programs and at least assures 
the continuation of others.
  The importance of a healthy environment to the citizens of this 
nation and to those living in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is 
reflected in the bill's provision of $1.85 billion for NOAA. NOAA is 
one of the Federal Government's premiere scientific research agencies, 
with responsibility for the stewardship of our living marine resources, 
operation of our National Weather Service and its environmental 
satellite system, management of our National Marine Sanctuaries, the 
coordination of activities impacting the coastal zone, and the 
integration of a cooperative research program with universities through 
the Nation.
  Of special interest to many citizens of Massachusetts are programs 
which help to protect and conserve valuable natural resources along our 
coastline. Just a few of the programs of national importance which are 
funded include the Coastal Zone Management Program, the National Marine 
Sanctuary Program, the National Undersea Research Program, the Coastal 
Ocean Program, and the National Sea Grant Program. Working in concert 
with each other, and with other Federal, State and local programs, 
these NOAA programs constitute part of the front line in defending the 
natural beauty and biologic diversity of our coastal resources. We all 
have come to recognize the important cultural and economic benefits of 
marine-related industries and recreational activities and I believe 
that strong support for these program will help to ensure that these 
benefits will be passed along to future generations.
  Of great importance to me and to my fishing constituents is the 
continued funding for the research programs targeted on the New England 
groundfish disaster. The Gulf of Maine Groundfish Survey, New England 
Stock Depletion Studies and Management of Georges Bank projects provide 
funding for scientists in the National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS] 
to more carefully examine the causes of the groundfish fishery collapse 
and to identify ways to rebuild and manage these stocks so they return 
to healthy levels. This continued support is needed for the scientific 
and assessment efforts that form the basis for the difficult management 
decisions necessary to preserve fisheries while considering the needs 
of those whose livelihoods depend on fishing or on commerce in fish and 
fish products.
  Massachusetts will also benefit from additional resources provided to 
NMFS. These programs include right whale research, the New England 
Fishery Management Council, Marine Mammal Protection Act 
implementation, habitat conservation, and fisheries enforcement. 
Additionally, the funding provided for Atlantic salmon, the Atlantic 
Migratory Pelagics Observer Program, and the aquaculture programs will 
continue valuable programs which provide both direct and indirect 
benefits to citizens of the Commonwealth. The health of living marine 
resources along the coast of the Commonwealth continues to be of great 
concern to my constituents, and I echo their sentiment both personally 
and as their representative in the U.S. Senate.
  Whales are one of the great symbols of the ocean and are closely 
associated with Massachusetts. Funding for North Atlantic right whale 
research is of critical importance this year. The North

[[Page S12139]]

Atlantic right whale is the most endangered of all mammals, with 
approximately 350 remaining in the world. Unfortunately, this year 
alone, seven right whales have died as a result of being hit by ships 
and other unknown causes. The funds provided in this bill will help to 
advance our knowledge of right whale behavior and habitat requirements 
and hopefully lead toward measures which will avoid the unacceptable 
level of mortalities experienced this year.
  The Saltonstall-Kennedy fisheries grants programs is another 
important program for our Nation's coastal regions, providing funding 
for research to enhance fish stocks, develop new markets for 
underutilized fish species, and assess new fishing gear technologies. 
Often, Saltonstall-Kennedy grants are the only source of funds 
available to assist the fishing industry in its effort to adapt and 
diversify.
  I am also pleased to see continued funding for the Coastal Zone 
Management [CZM] Program, particularly the funding for State grants. 
Just this past spring we reauthorized the Coastal Zone Management Act. 
The CZM program is a highly successful voluntary State-Federal 
partnership to protect, develop, restore, and enhance our coast for 
present and future generations. The program has proven to be very 
effective in enhancing coastal economies while minimizing the impacts 
of the increasing pressures of growing populations, environmental 
degradation, and conflicting uses of our fragile and finite coastal 
area.
  NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program [COP] is a Nationwide science program 
conducting important interdisciplinary research on oceanographic 
problems, including ecosystem research on Georges Bank. The COP 
provides one focal point through which NOAA integrates and coordinates 
its research activities with other Federal, State, and academic 
programs. Through its comprehensive, proactive approach, the COP offers 
policy makers the best information available, providing them with the 
balanced perspective needed to promote economic growth while 
maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment.
  I would like to commend the committee for its continuing support for 
the Sea Grant Program. This is a Program that builds bridges between 
Government and academia, as well as between research laboratories and 
groups in need of reliable information. It serves as a successful model 
for multidisciplinary research directed at scientific advancement and 
economic development by funding regional research, promoting 
technology, and enhancing public education and outreach services for 
the Nation's coastal resources.
  I am also pleased to see continued funding for the Global Climate 
Change Program. This Program seeks to develop a clearer picture of the 
relative roles of various greenhouse gases in causing global warming. 
The NOAA Program is an important part of the overall U.S. interagency 
effort to improve the science that is needed to make critical decisions 
about the future of our planet.
  Another ocean Program very important to my State is the National 
Marine Sanctuary Program. Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off 
the coast of Massachusetts is an excellent example of Federal activity 
that produces both environmental protection and economic enhancement. 
This marine mammal feeding area is popular with whale watchers and 
fishermen, and protection of the bank has received wide support--not 
only among my constituents but Nationwide. The funding provided in the 
CR will help to maintain this important national program, especially 
Stellwagen Bank.

  Another program which is receiving well-deserved funding is the 
National Undersea Research Program [NURP]. This program consists of six 
centers where regional undersea research activities are conducted. Its 
funding also will cover the NURP share of the operating expenses for 
the ALVIN, the deep submersible research vessel based at the Woods Hole 
Oceanographic Institute.
  The Fishing Vessel Obligation Guarantee Program is also administered 
by NOAA and was established to provide loan guarantees to the 
commercial fishing industry. The program was recently expanded to 
include aquaculture facilities, making the program the single most 
important financing vehicle for this rapidly expanding industry.
  On global environmental issues, I have worked actively for an 
Antarctic Environmental Protocol, including the Convention on the 
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources [CCAMLR]. 
Additionally, the President soon will sign the Antarctic Science, 
Tourism, and Conservation Act, which I authored, which will implement 
the International Antarctica Treaty. Data provided by NOAA's Antarctic 
Marine Living Resources [AMLR] Program are critical to CCAMLR's 
implementation and I am very pleased that $1.2 million has been 
provided to ensure the continuation of this critical work.
  I compliment my good friend and colleague, Senator Hollings, for his 
leadership in these oceans issues which he has successfully championed 
for years. It is my pleasure to serve with him on the Commerce 
Committee, where he served as chairman until 1995.


                       BOSTON HARBOR--CLEAN WATER

  Mr. President, recently the Congress passed and the President signed 
into law the VA-HUD and independent agencies appropriations bill for 
fiscal year 1997. During Senate consideration of that bill, I expressed 
my deep concern that the Republicans refused to meet the President's 
requested funding level for a critical environmental protection 
measure, the project to clean up Boston Harbor. While the President 
held firm in his support for $100 million for Boston Harbor for 1997 as 
Senator Kennedy and I urged him to do, by a party line vote the 
Republican conferees forced a funding reduction to just $40 million.
  However, the story did not end there. I continued to work closely 
with Senator Kennedy in supporting the President's efforts to secure 
more funding for Boston Harbor. I wrote and spoke to the President, his 
Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta, and others in the administration many 
times over the past few weeks, urging them to increase funding for this 
environmental cleanup effort.
  Therefore, I am very pleased and very appreciative that the President 
and congressional Democrats were victorious in their attempts to secure 
more funding for Boston Harbor in this omnibus budget package. It 
contains an additional $35 million for Boston Harbor, raising the 
fiscal year 1995 funding level to $75 million. The residents of 
Massachusetts and the ratepayers of the Boston metropolitan area are 
well served by this action.


                          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  I am extremely pleased to have secured another key provision for 
Massachusetts in this bill--language that will permit financing to go 
forward to revitalize the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, MA. This 
provision was originally sought by Senator Kennedy and me in the 
Commerce/State/Justice appropriation bill for fiscal year 1997, and was 
later modified by Majority Leader Lott, who sought, not inappropriately 
in my view, to toughen up the language. In the case of the Quincy 
project, this language alteration will place a greater responsibility 
on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help underwrite the necessary 
financing. I am satisfied that the new language leaves enough 
discretion to the Maritime Administration so that a suitable 
arrangement can be reached that is both affordable and acceptable to 
the Commonwealth. This is a matter on which I, Senator Kennedy, and 
Representative Studds have been working for over a year.

  Specifically, section 1139 establishes the basis for the Secretary of 
Transportation to assist certain shipyards, including the yard at 
Quincy, by facilitating the extension of Federal loan guarantees for 
the reactivation and modernization of those yards and the construction 
of vessels by the yards. Significantly, this section has been carefully 
drafted to provide several layers of protection to the Federal 
taxpayer, and to ensure the State where a yard is located shoulders a 
degree of the financial burden of revitalizing the yard, and also a 
portion of the financial risk. For example, subsection (d) requires the 
State or a State-chartered agency where the yard is located to deposit 
into the Federal treasury the amount of funds needed to cover the 
percentage of the risk factor cost required by the Federal Credit 
Reform Act, and provides for the reversion of the funds to the State if 
no obligation

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needs to be paid from the deposited funds. I fully expect that the 
percentage of the risk factor under this subsection will never exceed 
12 percent for the Quincy project. It appears to me that a deposit from 
the State of 12 percent will be more than adequate to fulfill the 
requirements associated with the risk of default for a project of this 
nature.
  This provision is significant to my State because the Quincy Shipyard 
project is the first of its kind. It is the first project to revitalize 
an inoperative shipyard and put it back into production as a State-of-
the-art facility that will employ up to 2,000 workers in good jobs. 
This makes sense, because the proposal to revitalize the Quincy 
Shipyard will turn it into a shipyard on the cutting edge of technology 
and one which will produce vessels that will be in demand in the 
international marketplace for years--double-hulled oil tankers to carry 
petroleum safely around the world. The Federal Government's investment 
in the Quincy Shipyard will be repaid many times over through the jobs 
that will be created, and through the renewed position of American 
maritime leadership that the project will help us attain. Now that 
Congress has done its part, it is incumbent upon the Commonwealth, the 
city of Quincy, the Massachusetts Heavy Industries Corp., and the 
Maritime Administration to bring the project to reality.
  I must note with disappointment that, despite the stalwart support of 
administration and Senate Democratic negotiators, House Republicans 
insisted on cutting the cap on the permissible guarantee for any one 
project from $100 million to $50 million. This would have constrained 
the project in Quincy. Fortunately, however, with identical legislation 
moving on a separate track, which now has been sent to the President 
for signature, we have overcome that last-minute partial hurdle.
  I am pleased that the continuing resolution contains language 
expressing the support of House and Senate appropriators for 
Massachusetts Biomedical Research Institute [MBRI] and other biomedical 
research and innovation centers throughout the country that have 
received past financial support from the Department of Commerce. This 
language is specifically intended to continue the Federal Government's 
support for one institution in particular--MBRI. MBRI is familiar to 
some of my colleagues from other States because it has been a model for 
several biomedical research programs elsewhere in the country. Designed 
by the business and academic community of Worcester, MA, to nurture the 
transfer of biomedical technology from the laboratory into new business 
start-ups and the growth of those start-ups into job-creating 
businesses offering cutting-edge medical products, since its inception 
in 1986, MBRI has spawned 20 new firms in the biomedical industries--
firms that now employ over 2200 people.

  I am proud that Democratic majorities in the Senate wisely chose to 
fund MBRI. I regret, however, that the new Republican majority again 
this year, as it did last year, has refused to fund MBRI directly. This 
year, it chose instead to instruct the Commerce Department to ``provide 
support for * * * initiatives previously supported by [the Department] 
to * * * increase small business global competitiveness in 
biotechnology.'' Nonetheless, using this language, I will continue to 
work closely with the administration to maintain MBRI's vital services.
  I am also pleased that the continuing resolution contains a provision 
with the effect of making the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth 
a full member of the National Textile Center University Consortium, and 
directing the Department of Commerce to provide financial support to 
the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth to sustain its activities 
as a member of the National Textile Center. This will help to ensure 
that the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth can meet the research 
needs of Massachusetts textile companies and help revitalize textile 
manufacturing in Massachusetts.
  Over 30,000 people living in Massachusetts work in the textile 
industry. The 1,000 textile companies located within Massachusetts are 
mostly small-to-midsized companies whose unique research needs have 
been well served by the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. I am 
confident that the research activities at Dartmouth will be greatly 
enhanced by the designation of the University as a full member of the 
National Textile Center University Consortium.
  I must, however, express my disappointment that the Republicans who 
control the Congress chose to provide for the inclusion of the 
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth in the National Textile Center 
through a ``direction'' to the Department of Commerce, rather than 
through the express language which Senator Kennedy and I had asked be 
included in the Commerce/State/Justice Appropriations Committee report. 
I am fully confident the Department of Commerce will provide to the 
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth the full $500,000 that is 
contained in the Senate Commerce/State/Justice Appropriations Committee 
Report.
  I am disappointed that, once again, Congress decided to severely 
underfund the Advanced Technology Program, or ATP, at the Department of 
Commerce. The continuing resolution funds ATP at a level of $225 
million. While this is a welcome increase from the level contained in 
the Senate Commerce/State/Justice bill, this amount is significantly 
less than the President's budget request of $350 million.
  ATP provides matching funds for high-risk, enabling technologies with 
commercial potential. To date, ATP has had a significant impact upon 
the development and successful marketing of new technologies by 
businesses in Massachusetts and across the Nation. More than 40 
Massachusetts organizations have participated in 27 ATP projects. In 
Massachusetts alone, ATP has produced over $110 million in public-
private partnership funding to enhance Massachusetts businesses that 
are on the cusp of technological innovation. Furthermore, the impact of 
this program is one in which all Americans can take pride. ATP 
generates a return to the economy of $6 for every dollar of program 
funding.


                                 AMTRAK

  I am pleased that Congress has decided to increase funding for Amtrak 
over the amount that was approved in the Transportation appropriations 
bill recently sent to the President for signature. This will permit the 
Massachusetts portion of the Lake Shore Limited to continue to operate 
for an additional 6 months. The Lake Shore Limited crosses 
Massachusetts from east to west with stops in Pittsfield, Springfield, 
Worcester, Framingham and Boston. Saving this train is especially 
important to the residents of the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts 
who depend on the Lake Shore Limited as their sole source of intercity 
passenger rail service. I strongly opposed Amtrak's decision to 
eliminate this service when the cuts were announced in August. We must 
now confront the more serious challenge of finding a permanent solution 
to preserve Amtrak service throughout Massachusetts. I intend to work 
diligently with Amtrak, the State, and congressional appropriators in 
the next Congress to ensure that the Lake Shore Limited can continue 
its present level of service.

  I am also pleased that the omnibus bill increases funding for 
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Improvement Project, or NECIP, by $60 
million over the amount that was approved in the transportation 
appropriations bill. The funds will finance much need track maintenance 
and upgrades, and the electrification of the Northeast Corridor. This 
additional funding will greatly facilitate achievement of NECIP's goal 
to provide reliable, high-speed rail transport service between 
Washington, DC, and Boston, with the objective of achieving 3-hour 
service between Boston and New York.


                             SMALL BUSINESS

  I am pleased that the Small Business Programs Improvement Act of 
1996, which is included in the omnibus appropriations bill, includes 
legislation that I introduced earlier this year to end discrimination 
by the Federal Government against small business and also includes an 
amendment I sponsored that will provide fishermen access to SBA's 
disaster assistance program when fishing is prohibited because of a 
commercial fishery failure or a fishery resource failure.

[[Page S12141]]

  Last year, Congress passed the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act 
of 1995 which lowered the maximum guarantee rate for SBA's section 7(a) 
guaranteed loan program. The legislation also lowered the guarantee 
rate from 90 percent to either 75 or 80 percent depending on differing 
circumstances, for SBA's Export Working Capital Program, which 
guarantees loans made by banks and other lenders who use loans to 
produce goods and services to export. However, financing for business 
loans through the Export-Import bank are still guaranteed at 90 
percent.
  My legislation that is as part of the omnibus bill restores the 90 
percent guarantee for the Export Working Capital Program to assure that 
small businesses do not lose export opportunities just because they 
cannot get financing from banks. This change will have a minimal impact 
on SBA's credit subsidy rate and overall lending authority. However, it 
is crucial to small business exporters who need better access to 
financing. At a time when exports are a key component of continued 
economic growth, increasing the SBA guarantee will increase the amount 
of small business exports--which in turn will create jobs in 
Massachusetts and across the Nation.
  This legislation also includes an amendment which will provide 
fishermen access to disaster assistance under section 7(b)(2) of the 
Small Business Act's disaster assistance program if fishing is 
prohibited because of ocean conditions or a commercial fishery failure. 
Most fishermen are individual small business owners and consequently 
are very susceptible to severe economic loss or even economic failure 
in the event of fishery closures or declines. Fishing is a capital 
intensive industry composed primarily of individually owned fishing 
vessels. These small businesses are financially incapable of enduring 
even a short term fisheries closure.

  This amendment allows the Administrator of the SBA, after the 
Secretary of Commerce has declared a commercial fishery failure or a 
commercial fishery disaster, to provide fishermen access to disaster 
assistance. I know how important it will be to helping maintain the 
commercial fishing heritage in Massachusetts, and it is for that reason 
I believed it was essential to include such a provision in this 
legislation.
  The decline in the groundfish stocks off the coast of Massachusetts, 
and the subsequent Federal restrictions on fishing in Georges Bank, 
have resulted in significant economic hardship for Massachusetts 
fishermen. These problems in the fishing industry have driven many 
fishermen to the brink of economic demise. In many cases, having taken 
loans to purchase their fishing vessels, fishermen confronting a 
fishery collapse have lost their homes which they commonly use as 
collateral for their vessel loans.
  I believe that we need to continue to implement fishery conservation 
and rebuilding measures or the Massachusetts fishing industry will 
cease to exist. I believe the interim financial support the SBA can 
offer through disaster assistance will play an important role in 
keeping commercial fishing alive in Massachusetts and all Coastal 
States that from time to time experience the economic devastation 
associated with a fisheries natural disaster.
  This bill also improves and expands the Small Business Investment 
Company Program which is crucial to the growth of small business and 
our economy. Small businesses need access to capital, and SBIC's have 
invested $12 billion in over 75,000 small businesses and have helped to 
create one million new jobs. This bill increases the level of private 
capital needed to obtain an SBIC license from SBA, requires experienced 
and qualified management for all SBIC's, requires diversification 
between investors and the management team and increases fees paid by 
SBICs which will reduce the credit subsidy rate.
  I want to thank Small Business Committee Democratic Ranking Member 
Senator Bumpers and his staff, especially John Ball, for their 
assistance with this portion of the omnibus bill. I also would like to 
acknowledge the assistance of Chairman Kit Bond and his staff.


                            LAW ENFORCEMENT

  Mr. President, this bill includes funding for a number of important 
anti-crime programs. I am encouraged that it contains language 
originally offered by Senator Lautenberg which will keep anyone who has 
been convicted of a domestic violence crime from owning a gun. I co-
sponsored his legislation because simple common sense dictates that 
guns absolutely must be forbidden for those who abuse their spouses.
  The Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program provides funds to 
local communities to use as they deem necessary to reduce crime and 
enhance public safety. This allows localities to address community-
specific crime problems using solutions that they have developed with 
added resources and flexibility. Due to Democrats' efforts, $523 
million is contained in this legislation, $20 million more than 
provided by the Republicans.
  I am proud of the role I was able to play in passing the Community 
Oriented Policing Services [COPS] Program in the 1994 crime bill. This 
program was developed to deploy 100,000 new police officers on the 
streets of our Nation by the year 2000. This bill continues the 
commitment to that program with funding of $1.4 billion.
  Both the block grants and the COPS funding have been widely and 
effectively used in Massachusetts communities, and crime statistics as 
well as local observation show that they are working to reduce crime. 
It is vital that they be continued.


                               EDUCATION

  Mr. President, I am heartened that, despite the best efforts by some 
of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, it has been possible 
to include at least a minimally adequate level of funding in this bill 
for many key programs designed to aid this Nation's children. Democrats 
successfully fought to add money to the bills produced by House 
Republicans and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Unfortunately, the 
amounts still are not what this Nation ought to be providing for most 
of these programs and I urge Congress next year to provide sufficient 
resources to ensure that a floor of decency and hope is provided for 
all children.
  Head Start provides comprehensive development services for low-income 
children and families, emphasizing cognitive and language development, 
physical and mental health, and parent involvement to enable each child 
to develop and function at his or her highest potential. I support full 
funding for this prevention program because it is cost effective--for 
the price of a single space in a juvenile detention facility, we can 
provide a full-day, full-year Head Start experience for five young 
people. Children that participate in Head Start are more likely to 
graduate from high school, earn more, and commit fewer juvenile crimes. 
That is why I supported the President's 1997 request of $3.98 billion 
and am glad that due to Democrats' efforts, we will approve that 
amount, which is $381 million more than the amount originally approved 
by the Republicans.
  The Summer Youth Jobs Program offers work experience, supportive 
services, and academic enrichment to economically disadvantaged youth, 
ages 14 to 21. This important program addresses the severe problems 
facing out-of-school youth in communities with high poverty and 
unemployment. Cities and towns in Massachusetts depend on it, and I am 
glad it will be funded at $871 million, the President's request--an 
amount that is $246 million more than provided by the Republicans.


                    HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES/EMPLOYMENT

  The National Institutes of Health [NIH] is the world's leading 
biomedical research institution. Our investment in NIH's research saves 
lives and reduces health care costs while creating jobs and economic 
growth in a global economy. In recent years, this research has produced 
major advances in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and 
mental illness that have helped thousands of American families. NIH 
supports over 50,000 scientists at 1,700 universities and research 
institutes across the United States. I am glad that funding for NIH is 
increased by $819 million over fiscal year 1996, a 6.5-percent 
increase, bringing fiscal year 1997 funding to $12.7 billion, which is 
$332.6 million more than provided by the Republicans.
  The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant provides funds to States to 
meet a broad range of enhanced, wrap-around health services, including 
personal health services; general population-wide health services, such 
as

[[Page S12142]]

screening; family support services; and integrated systems of care. 
About 16 million women, infants, children, adolescents and children 
with special health care needs will be served in 1997. Due to 
Democrats' efforts, $681 million is approved, which is $2.9 million 
more than provided by the Republicans.
  The Substance Abuse Block Grant provides funds on a formular basis to 
States to support alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and 
rehabilitation services. Due to Democrats' efforts, this program will 
receive $1.3 billion, which is $125 million more than provided by the 
Republicans.
  The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program [LIHEAP] provides 
assistance to States to help low-income households meet the costs of 
home energy. It is crucial to New England States including 
Massachusetts. States have great flexibility in how they provide 
assistance, which may include direct payments to individuals and 
vendors and direct provision of fuel. In this legislation, LIHEAP is 
funded at the President's request level of $1.3 billion and includes 
$300 million in fiscal year 1996 advanced emergency funds. Due to 
Democrats' efforts, we were able to save this program from the House 
Republicans who eliminated it in their Labor-HHS appropriations bill.
  Mr. President, I am disappointed that this legislation does not 
include any funding for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program 
[HVRP], which has been authorized for fiscal year 1997 by both the 
Senate and House Veterans Committees at $10 million. HVRP is a 
successful job placement program that has put 13,000 homeless veterans 
back to work. A sizeable proportion of homeless people in this country 
are veterans; this should not be the case. The HVRP Program helps 
veterans on public assistance become productive, tax-paying citizens. 
It is so successful because HVRP provides grants to community-based 
groups that employ flexible and innovative approaches to help homeless 
veterans reenter the work force.
  Furthermore, HVRP is cost-effective. It is estimated that it only 
costs $1,200 per person placed in a job, which is equal to the cost of 
unemployment for 1 month. HVRP succeeds in breaking the cycle of 
poverty and homelessness by giving people the ability to work their way 
out. Instead of giving handouts, this program gives veterans the tools, 
skills, and training they need to be productive members of society. As 
a veteran of the Vietnam war, I believe that we owe this type of 
service, among others, to the men and women who so honorably served our 
country.
  In my home State of Massachusetts, the New England Shelter for 
Homeless Veterans has helped over 6,600 veterans since opening its 
doors in 1990, and housed within the shelter is the Vietnam Veterans 
Workshop, which is one of the community-based organizations that 
provides job training and work placement. The program has trained over 
1,600 veterans, 72 percent of which are working citizens today. In the 
absence of earmarked appropriations for the coming year, I hope that 
the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Labor will find 
some discretionary money to fund this important program.
  Mr. President, I am pleased that the Labor-HHS title in the bill 
continues the Democrats' strong commitment to combat the AIDS epidemic. 
After 12 years of inaction and ignorance by Republican administrations, 
this country has moved decisively into a new era in the fight against 
HIV-disease. Working with President Clinton, Health and Human Services 
Secretary Donna Shalala, and the director of national AIDS policy, 
Patsy Fleming, the Democrats in Congress have pushed for increases in 
the Ryan White CARE Act of more than $200 million over last year's 
level. We have nearly tripled the money going to States and cities 
affected by the AIDS epidemic through the previously underfunded Ryan 
White Program, and we have renewed our pledge to the States that the 
Federal Government will take seriously the critical AIDS Drug 
Assistance Program. In calling for these increases, I was pleased to 
work with the AIDS Action Committee in Boston and other groups across 
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who serve on the front lines of the 
epidemic as care and service providers.
  Caring for those already infected with HIV is only one piece of a 
comprehensive national response to the AIDS epidemic. In this 
legislation, we are finally providing enough funding to the Centers for 
Disease Control to undertake a serious campaign to prevent new 
infections. Democrats on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue urged the 
appropriators to increase funding for the CDC's AIDS prevention 
programs by nearly $33 million over last year's level to bring it to 
$617 million for fiscal year 97. And we are providing a substantial 
increase to the National Institutes of Health for our top biomedical 
researchers to redouble their efforts to find a cure for this dread 
disease. We cannot set our sights lower than finding a cure to AIDS. To 
that end, in this bill, we are committing nearly $1.5 billion to NIH 
research and retaining the Office of AIDS Research.

  Mr. President, these funding levels are the clearest signal of the 
Democrats' commitment to fight a war on AIDS--and not a war on people 
with AIDS that characterized the Government's response during the 
1980's and early 1990's.


                       FOREIGN RELATIONS AND AID

  Turning to the foreign aid components of this bill, I think it is 
important to note that the overall funding is $500 million less than 
what the administration requested. This decrease will result in 
programmatic cuts nearly across the board, resulting ultimately in the 
decreased ability of the United States to address global issues such as 
famine, child nutrition, sustainable development and the environment. 
With respect to the last of those, I am deeply concerned that the bill 
provides only $35 million for the Global Environment Facility. This is 
$65 million below the President's request.
  I am pleased that the omnibus bill incorporates the Humanitarian Aid 
Corridor Act which I cosponsored. This provision reaffirms the United 
States' commitment to the safe arrival of all U.S. humanitarian aid. It 
also provides $95 million in aid to Armenia, an increase of $10 million 
from the fiscal year 1996 level.
  The bill also retains a provision, which I strongly supported, taken 
from the Senate-passed foreign aid bill, that would establish a new 
exchange program focused on legal reform in Vietnam. I would note that 
the Senate voted to retain funding for this program by a vote of 56 to 
43. This program is in our long term interest; it is a means of 
bringing Vietnam into the larger international community while 
imparting our own values and norms, particularly in the economic arena.
  As one who has cosponsored all of Senator Leahy's bills on landmines, 
I am pleased that there is a $10 million earmark for demining in this 
bill and a $5 million earmark for assistance to the victims of 
landmines. There are over 100 million active, deadly landmines in 60 
different countries around the world, killing and maiming approximately 
26,000 people per year. Most victims are innocent children. These 
earmarks indicate the broad bipartisan support in Congress for devoting 
resources to clearing landmines, recognizing the integral role that de-
mining plays not only in saving the lives of innocent civilians, but 
also in the rebuilding of communities.
  Mr. President, by far the most egregious part of this bill that 
pertains to foreign aid is its treatment of international family 
planning programs. I am saddened and at the same time outraged that the 
House Republicans, in an undisguised way, tried to do as much damage as 
possible to population assistance. Their actions are mean spirited, 
punitive, and short-sighted.
  This bill provides that no fiscal year 1997 funds can be used for 
population assistance until July 1, 1997--a full 9 months after the 
fiscal year begins. Beginning in July, the program will be funded at a 
rate of 8 percent of the annual appropriation each month. Mr. 
President, this is ludicrous. No other program in this entire 
appropriations bill is crippled in this way, and the unwillingness of 
the House Republicans to accept the Senate's position on family 
planning programs is disgraceful.

  Mr. President, their tactics are simply illogical. By severing funds 
for family planning programs the Republicans are taking away the one 
tool that allows women in impoverished countries to choose not to have 
an abortion. Family planning does not mean abortion--it means quite the 
opposite. Those who continue to equate

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the two should take a minute to look at the facts. Statistics, across 
the board, show that when women have access to family planning 
programs, the incidence of abortion decreases. Those who continue to 
equate the two should also read the laws. Federal law prohibits the 
United States from funding abortions abroad. The U.S. Agency for 
International Development has strictly abided by that law. For the 
House Republicans to slash funding for international family planning 
programs on the premise that they do not want U.S. tax dollars funding 
abortions can only be described as illogical and wholly unwarranted.
  By denying people access to family planning worldwide by slashing 
funding for those programs, there will be millions more unintended 
pregnancies every year, close to a million infant deaths, tens of 
thousands of deaths among women and--let me emphasize to colleagues who 
oppose permitting women to choose abortions in the case of unwanted 
pregnancies--over one million more abortions.
  These programs provide 17 million families worldwide the opportunity 
to responsibly plan their families and space their children. They offer 
a greater chance for safe childbirth and healthy children, and avoid 
adding to the population problem that affects all of us.
  I am unwavering in my conviction that international family planning 
programs are in America's best interest. Funding for these programs is 
an investment in our future and an investment that will save the lives 
of thousands of women and infants. I will continue to fight for what is 
moral. The House majority needs to start acting responsibly on an issue 
that will affect generations to come.
  On matters pertaining to foreign policy, the bill offers mixed news. 
It provides $892 million for contributions assessed on the United 
States as a result of its membership obligations to the United Nations 
and other international organizations. While this figure is an 
improvement over the levels in the House-passed bill and the Senate-
reported bill, it is still $110 million less than the administration's 
adjusted request. This means that the administration will lack the 
funds to pay arrearages and that we will fall into greater debt at the 
United Nations. I strongly believe that we must press the United 
Nations to make administrative, financial, and management reforms, but 
continued failure to pay our contributions will only serve to undercut 
our ability to achieve those reforms. The bill provides a somewhat more 
reasonable level for peacekeeping, $352.4 million, but, it, too, falls 
short of the administration's adjusted request of $377 million.
  With respect to funding for international exchanges, the bill 
provides only $185 million. In the last 2 years, the Republican 
Congress has succeeded in cutting funds dramatically for exchange 
programs. I believe that this is a mistake. Exchanges, particularly the 
Fulbright program and other academic exchanges, are one of our most 
effective instruments of foreign policy.
  I am pleased that at the end of the day, House and Senate negotiators 
agreed to provide the President with his adjusted request of $41.5 
million for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. The challenges in 
the area of arms control and nonproliferation are increasing, 
not decreasing in the more complicated world that pertains after the 
breakup of the former Soviet Union. To make deep cuts in the ACDA 
budget, as was contemplated by the Senate appropriators, would have 
seriously undermined our national security interests.


                                DEFENSE

  Providing a sufficient national defense is one of the bedrock 
responsibilities of our Government to its people. I stand behind no 
Member of this institution in my commitment to an adequate defense. But 
I do not believe a gold-plated defense serves our Nation's interests, 
and I know without doubt that the tax dollars we spend for weapons and 
armies beyond those our armed services chiefs believe are necessary 
result in shortchanging our people in other vital ways, both now and in 
the future.
  Despite a number of component decisions that appear to me to be 
carefully considered and justified, the defense and national security 
portion of this omnibus bill demonstrates the inability of this 
Republican-controlled Congress to make tough choices when it comes to 
defense. While the budget negotiators used approximately $1 billion in 
defense spending to offset antiterrorism efforts funded in this bill, 
the bill still contains $9.3 billion more than the Pentagon's budget 
request. Illustrative of the flawed decisions that contributed to this 
distressing overrun is the Ballistic Missile Defense Program. Certainly 
one is not vulnerable to the charge of failing to prepare for a 
ballistic missile threat by supporting the Pentagon's and 
administration's request for $2.9 billion for their BMD effort. Indeed, 
I strongly support the vigorous research and development effort to 
enhance our technical capabilities to spot, track, intercept, and 
destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles and their warheads, and I 
have been a consistent supporter of programs to develop and field 
theater ballistic missiles.
  Unfortunately, the Republicans cannot recognize when they have had 
enough of a good thing. They insisted on spending an additional $885 
million for ballistic missile defense.
  The absence of the spending discipline with respect to defense and 
national security that the Republicans adamantly insist be directed 
toward domestic Government services is the cause of this legislation's 
single greatest flaw--an unsupported and unsupportably high aggregate 
appropriation for defense.


                               CONCLUSION

  In summary, Mr. President, the negotiators labored mightily. Thanks 
to the fortitude of President Clinton, his Chief of Staff, and other 
administration negotiators, and Democratic congressional leaders and 
appropriators, this product passes the smell test, and manages to pass 
muster. I voted for it, disappointed that it fails in so many ways to 
provide what I believe our Nation should be providing, but cognizant 
that it could have been far worse. That definitely is not the measure 
to which I believe we should aspire. But in the final days of the 104th 
Congress, I believe it is the best anyone could have expected. As we 
look to November, we also look with great hopes to the 105th Congress 
and the opportunity it will afford to come to terms again with the way 
in which our budget reflects our national priorities and values. I hope 
we will do better next time.

                          ____________________