[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 103 (Monday, July 21, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7752-S7763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1998

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the hour of 3 p.m. 
having arrived, the Senate will now proceed to the consideration of 
Senate bill 1034, which the clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1034) making appropriations for the Departments 
     of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and 
     for sundry independent agencies, commissions, corporations, 
     and offices for fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and 
     for other purposes.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BOND addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, I thank the Chair.
  Madam President, with my distinguished ranking member, I am pleased 
to present to the Senate the fiscal year 1998 VA-HUD and Independent 
agencies appropriations bill. This bill is not perfect, as is usually 
the case with the measures that we present, and not everyone is fully 
satisfied, but, nevertheless, every attempt was made to achieve a 
balanced, fair bill which meets our highest priority.
  While I am very grateful for the support of the appropriations 
chairman in the allocation process, it should be recognized that the 
allocation is slightly above the amount assumed in the budget 
agreement. Our job was made extremely difficult once again this year by 
an extraordinarily tight initial 602(b) allocation. I might add that we 
are awaiting final Budget Committee action, which I expect will be 
forthcoming shortly, to achieve the final allocation numbers.
  The allocation represents a reduction of about $1.4 billion below the 
President's request in outlays. Clearly, fulfilling the President's 
request in many areas has been impossible under these numbers.
  The bill totals approximately $69.4 billion in discretionary budget 
authority, plus an additional $21.5 billion in mandatory spending.
  Our highest priority was adequately funding VA medical programs, 
which in the budget agreement took a $300 million cut. Protecting VA 
medical care meant that fulfilling the President's full request for 
EPA, for which a 12 percent or $850 million increase was requested, 
simply was not possible.
  In addition, the subcommittee did not apply cuts totaling $230 
million to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or the 
National Science Foundation which were assumed in the budget agreement.
  Finally, the budget agreement suggested that public housing, 
community development block grants, the HOME Program for local 
governments to assist in housing, and the McKinney

[[Page S7753]]

Homeless programs all be cut. Clearly, those cuts were unacceptable, 
and we did not include them.
  For the Veterans Administration the committee recommendation totals 
$18.7 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $92 million 
above the President's request and almost $400 million above the amount 
assumed in the budget agreement. Increases were provided to VA medical 
care, research, and the State home construction grant program, the 
latter of which demand far exceeds available Federal matching funds.
  The recommendation for VA is predicated on enactment of 
reconciliation legislation giving VA authority to retain collections 
from third-party payers and copayments. Such collections are estimated 
to total $600 million next year, and together with the medical care 
appropriation will result in an increase over fiscal year 1997 of $617 
million in available discretionary funding for VA medical care. The 
amount recommended will enable VA fully to continue on the path of 
improving the quality of health care services, increase the number of 
veterans served, and increase the provision of care in ambulatory and 
community-based settings.
  The bill would also require VA to begin implementation of a number of 
preliminary recommendations of the National Academy of Public 
Administration report regarding the Veterans Benefits Administration. 
These recommendations are intended to improve and expedite the 
processing of veterans' claims for benefits. Addressing this problem is 
long overdue.
  For the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the committee 
recommends $25.4 billion, including flat funding for most programs such 
as CDBG, HOME, public housing, and homeless assistance. The budget 
agreement assumes cuts in each of these programs. And as I indicated, 
the committee did not accept that budget agreement recommendation.
  In addition, the mark restores the President's budget cut of $365 
million to elderly and disabled housing, with a total of $839 million 
included in the recommendation for this program.
  Furthermore, the bill provides $9.2 billion to fund section 8 
contract renewals fully for which the budget resolution included a 
special reserve account.

  For the Environmental Protection Agency, the committee recommendation 
totals almost $7 billion, an increase of $180 million over the fiscal 
year 1997 level. While this recommendation is $680 million less than 
the President's request, the reduction is attributable primarily to the 
decision not to fund a requested 50 percent increase for Superfund.
  Given that the Superfund Program is sorely in need of reform and 
reauthorization, with the General Accounting Office designating it as a 
high-risk program subject to fraud, waste and abuse, coupled with our 
budget constraints previously described, a $700 million increase simply 
could not be justified. Senators Chafee and Smith, chairman of the 
authorizing committee and subcommittee respectively, have indicated 
their opposition to a large boost in Superfund appropriations prior to 
reauthorization and reform badly needed in that program. Finally, there 
are serious questions as to whether EPA could even spend the full 
amount being requested.
  In terms of operating programs, which are up almost $100 million over 
last year, the largest reduction--$122 million--below the request was 
taken from a laboratory construction project in Research Triangle Park, 
NC. Sufficient funds remain available to continue progress on the new 
building at this time.
  In addition, all major operating program accounts in the 
Environmental Protection Agency will receive increases. Again, this 
year the committee made as its highest priority EPA funding for States 
for implementation of environmental requirements. A significant 
increase is recommended for State revolving funds.
  The committee recommendation restores the President's proposed $275 
million cut to clean water State revolving funds and fully funds the 
$175 million increase for drinking water State revolving funds, for a 
total of $2.075 billion. These funds are vitally needed, Madam 
President, with the EPA's estimate of drinking water and clean water 
infrastructure requirements nationally exceeding $200 billion. I 
believe every Member of this body, when she or he returns to their 
State, will find that these priority needs are there. They are critical 
and they are absolutely essential to maintaining the health of our 
populace as well as the quality of our environment.
  In addition, the committee recommends a $50 million boost to State 
environmental assistance grants, in part for additional 
responsibilities in the area of air quality standards, for a total of 
$725 million. The leaking underground storage tank grants are increased 
$5 million, for a total of $65 million. This program is vital in 
protecting ground water resources.
  To minimize controversy and expedite consideration of this bill, 
there are no EPA legislative provisions included in the committee 
recommendation. If Members wish to offer such amendments, we ask that 
you bring them forward. We will deal with those in the full body. We 
did not deal with them in committee.
  For the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the committee 
recommends $13.5 billion for NASA, the same as the President's request. 
The past few weeks in the news have exemplified NASA's situation, from 
the heady excitement of seeing the American robot Sojourner cruising 
the surface of Mars to the continued concerns over the safety of our 
American astronaut and his Russian companions on the Mir space station. 
We have supplied NASA with the President's request and will work with 
the agency to allow them the flexibility to continue their exciting 
research and development missions while at the same time working to 
control their costs.
  For the National Science Foundation, the recommendation includes 
$3.377 billion for the National Science Foundation, $10 million above 
the President's request and $60 million above the budget agreement 
assumptions. This subcommittee believes that research and development 
is essential to our Nation's future and wants to give the NSF the 
necessary resources.
  Included in the mark for NSF funding is the provision for a new plant 
genome initiative. An interagency working group convened by the 
President's science adviser has recently reported on the exciting 
prospects in genome research. Their report recommends expanding current 
studies of plant genomes to economically important crop species, 
including corn. We have supplied NSF with the resources to jump-start 
that effort and applaud the agency's interest and support in exploring 
the broader applications of the research they fund.
  For the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the recommendation 
totals the President's request of $788 million exactly, including $320 
million for disaster relief. A prohibition on spending is included in 
the recommendation, consistent with legislation FEMA recently proposed 
to reform the disaster relief account. This is an area I have long been 
interested in addressing, as the costs of this program are completely 
out of control. The limitation on spending included in this measure as 
recommended by FEMA would prohibit disaster relief funds from being 
spent on such projects as golf courses, stadiums, parks, and 
recreational facilities, trees and shrubs. While the limitation on 
spending is modest, it is at least a first step, long overdue, and an 
important one that we should take. I anticipate the authorizing 
committee will expedite its consideration of FEMA's proposed Stafford 
Act amendments in September.

  Also in FEMA, the newly authorized dam safety program is fully funded 
at $2.9 million and State and local assistance grants are increased $3 
million.
  I might add that, as mentioned earlier, we are waiting final action 
from the Budget Committee to revise the 602(a) allocation, which is 
anticipated shortly, after which the subcommittee 602(b) allocation 
will be revised so that we may be in conformance with that allocation. 
The action is necessary owing to the budget resolution's special 
treatment of the HUD section 8 contract renewal accounts.


                         Privilege Of The Floor

  Mr. BOND. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Sarah 
Horrigan, who has worked on space and science issues on this bill, be 
allowed

[[Page S7754]]

the privilege of the floor during consideration on S. 1034, the VA-HUD 
appropriations bill and any votes therein.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, it is now my pleasure to yield to my 
partner in this effort, the distinguished Senator from Maryland.
  I yield the floor.
  Ms. MIKULSKI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland is recognized.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, thank you very much.


                         Privilege Of The Floor

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I now ask unanimous consent that 
during the consideration of S. 1034, the VA-HUD appropriations bill for 
fiscal year 1998, Ms. Stacy Closson, a detailee from DOD serving with 
the VA-HUD Subcommittee be provided floor privileges during the 
consideration of this bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Thank you, very much, Madam President.
  Today, I rise to join my distinguished colleague, the Senator from 
Missouri, to offer for floor debate and the consideration of the Senate 
the fiscal year 1998 appropriations bill for VA-HUD and independent 
agencies.
  This is an extraordinary bill because it deals with 7 Cabinet-level 
Government agencies and 18 other agencies that are important to the 
United States of America. These agencies range from Veterans, Housing, 
the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Space Agency, the 
National Science Foundation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, as 
well as the National Corporation for Volunteer Services, and we go on 
to Selective Service.
  People would be surprised to know that Arlington Cemetery is also 
funded in this bill. We stand sentry for consumers through the consumer 
product safety legislation. Those little pamphlets that taxpayers send 
for from Pueblo, CO, a big chunk of their funding comes out of this 
bill. So when we say veterans, housing, and independent agencies, this 
is probably, along with defense and the Labor-HHS bill, the most 
complex bill. Therefore, when we bring it to the Senate, sometimes our 
funding sounds like it is significant in terms of its dollar amount, 
but we really have worked very hard to get a dollar's worth of services 
for a dollar of taxes.

  The bill before the Senate is a $90 billion bill that includes $21.5 
billion in mandatory spending which is primarily directed at veterans, 
and appropriates a total of $69.4 billion in discretionary budget 
authority. This is almost equal to the House in total funding, and more 
than $90 million below what President Clinton requested. However, the 
allocation for the Senate, which is the total amount given to us to 
spend, was almost $800 million below that of the House.
  Given the tight allocation, the chairman and I did the best we could 
to balance the needs of diverse groups of agencies funded within this 
subcommittee. With a better allocation, we could have funded all the 
agencies in this bill at higher levels. But we were ready to make tough 
choices and set priorities.
  On the majority of the aspects of the bill, I want to say 
unequivocally I support Senator Bond, the chairman of the committee, 
the Republican, on his priorities. There are some yellow flashing 
lights related to President Clinton's agenda that I will address in my 
remarks, but we are very much in sync and in alignment with what we 
want to do. I am particularly grateful for Chairman Bond's efforts 
reflected in this bill to continue many of the initiatives voted by the 
subcommittee over the past several years when I chaired it.
  As I said, I wholeheartedly agree with Chairman Bond's attempt also 
to avoid controversial riders this year and to keep out significant new 
legislative provisions not dealt with by this subcommittee. We have 
essentially said to Democrats and Republicans alike, don't play pin the 
tail on the donkey with this bill, adding controversial riders, and 
also, if you have new ideas for new initiatives, hey, why not try the 
authorizing committee for a change and see if we can move legislation 
that way.
  There are several things, though, that I really approve of in this 
bill. Both Chairman Bond and myself consider veterans to be a very high 
priority and veterans medical programs to be of special priority. This 
bill restores $300 million worth of cuts assumed in the budget 
agreement and puts them in veterans medical care and also in veterans 
medical research. Veterans funding remains a key concern of mine, and I 
will continue to fight to ensure that promises made are promises kept. 
I will also stand sentry to make sure that the Veterans Administration 
meets its projections in third-party insurance collections that are 
designed to help increase medical care spending.
  This bill also restores several cuts made to key programs at the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development. This was restored as the 
community development block grant funds so important to mayors and 
local communities, the project HOME, public housing and homeless 
assistance.
  Also, something I am particularly pleased to work with Chairman Bond 
on is we restored the cuts in elderly and disabled housing. When the 
budget agreement was first proposed, there was a suggestion that this 
particular area of funding receive $400 million. Senator Bond and I 
agreed we should fully fund it at last year's level and have $839 
million that will go to being able to build housing for the elderly and 
for the disabled.
  The Senate bill has also added a modest increase to the Hope 6 
revitalization program. This is a program that is very important 
because, hopefully, it ends public housing in the way we know it and 
says that public housing should not be a way of life, but be a way to a 
better life. Always where there is compelling need there is often 
sometimes sloppy administration. I concur with the report language 
offered by Senator Bond directing the Government Accounting Office to 
continue its analysis of Hope 6 to make sure that the effectiveness of 
the program is being monitored to ensure that for those receiving Hope 
6 benefits in public housing, which was designed to community build and 
have work force readiness, the GAO will make sure that the work force 
readiness aspect is really doing what it should.
  Then we move on to our very important science programs as well as 
Federal Emergency Management. Thanks to the efforts of this 
subcommittee, the national space agency, the National Science 
Foundation, and Federal Emergency Management are all funded at the 
President's request level. We, on this side of the aisle, say thank 
you, thank you to Chairman Bond for working with us to make sure that 
core science programs are funded and Federal Emergency Management 
continues to be fit for duty should other people around the United 
States have to dial 911. I think all of us who watched Hurricane Danny 
were glad it was downgraded to a tropical storm, but when it hits 
Alabama with over 25 inches of rain in a very short time and you see 
people carrying out their children and their most precious possessions, 
we know why FEMA exists.
  Despite the tight allocation, I am pleased we were able to meet the 
President's request for these key agencies while protecting the funding 
in veterans medical care, disaster relief, critical science and space. 
I think America has to be incredibly thrilled with the breakthroughs 
NASA has made as Sojourner continues to roll across Mars. Scientific 
developments, such as the Sojourner, the Hubble telescope, Mission to 
Planet Earth, are truly special American projects, and show that we are 
No. 1 in space. FEMA is another agency that is doing a very good job, 
and this critical agency has shown steady improvement in recent years 
in responding to America's natural disasters.

  Madam President, I also want to call to your attention the fact that 
the administration does have some serious concerns with the reductions 
in this bill. I call these yellow flashing lights. Given the tight 
allocation, I understand that not all the programs could be funded at 
the President's request. Measures had to be taken, protective measures, 
for several key programs. That meant that other important initiatives 
could not be adequately addressed. So, in looking out for veterans' 
medical care, that meant fulfilling the President's full request for an 
$850 million increase to the EPA budget

[[Page S7755]]

simply was not possible. As a result, the request for a 50-percent 
increase in the Superfund was not yet met.
  As you know, the President is a strong advocate of the Superfund. 
This will be a key issue to resolve during the upcoming weeks while the 
House and Senate are in conference on this bill. I really encourage the 
authorizers, while we are in conference, to try to pass the authorizing 
bill so that the authorizing bill could match, perhaps, what we were 
able to do in conference.
  Another yellow flashing light is the $146 million reduction to the 
President's request for the Corporation for National and Community 
Service. This request was to be used for the President's program called 
the America Reads Challenge. It is to be a national literacy campaign 
to ensure that every child can read, and read well and independently, 
by the third grade. The budget agreement called for funding in this 
program. However, it was not funded in either the House or the Senate 
bill.
  Illiteracy in this country is of great concern for all, and all ages, 
but, really, if we could make sure every child was immunized by the 
time they were 2, could read by the time they were in third grade, had 
access and knew how to use a computer by the time they were 12, we 
would do a lot about empowering our children. I support the restoration 
of that funding.
  A third flashing light to the administration is the elimination of 
funding for the community development financial institutions, something 
called CDFI, another program that was protected in the budget 
agreement, which helps to spur business activity and traditionally 
underserved communities, and is particularly focused on microenterprise 
endeavors that enable women of modest means to be able to move in terms 
of economic development in business. The House bill funded this at $125 
million, and we hope this will be a restoration where there is some 
type of agreement. This is a high priority of mine during the 
conference.
  It will be my intent to offer an amendment or perhaps work with 
Senator Bond as we go through the other amendments to see if we could 
not address the issues of empowerment zones, America Reads, and Federal 
emergency mitigation efforts to see if we could find some funds to be 
able to have a placemarker in this budget going to conference for these 
very important programs.
  I do appreciate Chairman Bond's willingness to fund the EPA 
brownfields request and the inclusion of the report language allowing 
the HUD-CDBG money to be used for brownfield activities. A concern for 
the administration is the absence of the request of increase for the 
HUD brownfields program. The brownfields initiative can play a critical 
role in restoring urban areas. In my own home State of Maryland, in the 
Baltimore metropolitan area alone, we estimate that there are over 
3,000 acres of brownfields in and around our port area which, if we 
could clean them up, would offer kind of a second version of an 
empowerment zoning.
  Madam President, given these concerns, I will be offering an 
amendment, as I said, that will restore funding, some funding, modest 
funding, for the America Reads Program under the Corporation for 
National Service, empowerment zoning in the HUD budget and predisaster 
mitigation for FEMA. I will in no way make an effort to restore full 
funding for those programs, because it just is not fair. But I will be 
looking to see what we could do to have a placemarker to go to 
conference.
  Madam President, there is mixed news in this bill for the 
administration. Like you, I am interested in producing a final bill 
that is agreeable and signable. I believe the bill that we have 
produced is a very good start. In fact, it is an excellent start to 
ensuring funding for many of this Nation's vital programs. I will work 
with my colleagues now on the floor to see how we could accommodate 
them. I will work with my chairman during conference and continue to 
try to address the administration's concern.
  In closing, I want to thank Senator Bond again for his hard work and 
his willingness to listen to my side of the aisle's concerns and to 
honor many of the requests made by President Bill Clinton. I am 
pleased, when it came to funding like NASA, like the National Science 
Foundation, the funding for Federal Emergency Management, it knew no 
party, because when we are up there on Sojourner, when we might have to 
be part of the rescue operation for Mir, when we are doing so many very 
important things at the National Science Foundation and helping rescue 
Americans who have been hit by national disasters, this is not about 
party. I commend the cooperative nature in which this bill has been 
crafted. I believe we have produced a bill that can be signed into law 
with some of the appropriate amendments in conference consideration.
  Madam President, before I yield the floor, I say to all of my 
colleagues from my side of the aisle, if you have amendments, please 
let us know them. We know that between now and 5:15 when we start 
voting on Treasury, Post Office, it would be enormously useful to 
Senator Bond and myself to know what any amendments are so that we 
could either work with you to accommodate you or be able to set the 
stage on how we can proceed with this bill. I believe it is Senator 
Bond's intention, and I will do my best to cooperate with him, that we 
will conclude this bill tomorrow at the earliest possible time.
  Having said that, I look forward to the debate, as always, on this 
bill and, as always, have enjoyed working with my colleague, Senator 
Bond. I yield the floor.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, when major measures like this are 
considered on the floor, it is usually boilerplate for each side to say 
nice things about the counterpart. In the case of the VA-HUD bill--this 
is a very difficult bill--I say without reservation, and not as a 
matter of mere formality, that one of the great benefits I have in 
working through a very, very difficult bill is that I have the 
distinguished Senator from Maryland as my ranking member. She has 
helped me a great deal learn and understand many of the great 
challenges in this bill from her position as having chaired this 
committee. She has presented to us, in very workable fashion, a number 
of the concerns we have been able to meet in this bill, and I really 
could not be here with this difficult a bill in as good a shape as I 
believe it is without her support. It has been absolutely invaluable to 
me to have her assistance and that of her able staff.
  She mentioned a modest amendment that I look forward to working with 
her to include.
  I guess my whole concern over this bill--it was with a slight tear in 
my eye that I read the statement of administration policy from Budget 
Director Raines. He said some nice things about working with the 
committee. On the first page of his letter, he said, ``We urge the 
committee to reduce funding for lower priority programs or for programs 
that would be adequately funded at the requested level and to redirect 
funding of programs of higher priority.''
  Unfortunately, we have looked at the programs. We have not funded the 
lower priority programs to the best of our ability. The priority 
funding that we have included in this bill does reflect the priorities 
of what I hope will be a bipartisan majority of this body. We do have 
the option when we go to conference, we hope, of increasing the overall 
allocation, so that there will be more funds available, and that we 
will be able to put some more money in the higher priority programs. 
But given the nature of the allocation and the many pressing needs, as 
my ranking member has outlined and as I have outlined, there are not 
low-priority programs funded in this bill.
  I note that on the America Reads Program, it has not been authorized. 
We don't really have any details on it yet. So we were reluctant to go 
forward with the President's full request. When I first heard about it, 
I thought it would be a program that would be funded in Labor-HHS if it 
is a reading program. But I am certainly willing to work with my 
minority colleagues in trying to make some accommodation of the 
President's interests there.
  With respect to the brownfields HUD program, I have said on this 
floor many times that HUD is a very troubled agency that is having a 
great deal of difficulty running the programs it is supposed to run. 
That is why I am reluctant to give it a new responsibility in the 
environmental area. EPA is handling that program. We have included

[[Page S7756]]

money for the EPA for the brownfields program. We made brownfields 
clean up an eligible activity for the community development block 
grants, so that communities without an undue benefit, Federal 
bureaucratic interference, might be able to clean up some of them 
themselves. So we feel that the brownfields program is not one that 
ought to be added to HUD's already too-full plate.
  After speaking briefly with my ranking member, I join with her in 
urging our colleagues to bring forward the amendments. We hope to know 
by 10 o'clock tomorrow what amendments are pending. We want to be 
accommodating. We want to accommodate our colleagues if they do have 
amendments and, if possible, we would try to accommodate them. If we 
simply do not see the resources available, we would like to move 
expeditiously to a vote on it, if that is required. I am most 
encouraged by the optimistic thought that we could finish this very 
important bill by not too late tomorrow. I am from Missouri and it is 
the ``show me'' State. I will believe it when we have final passage. 
But I commit to working with the ranking member and all of my 
colleagues.
  In the past, we have been swamped at the end with a large number of 
colloquies and senses of the Senate. I have found, through very painful 
experiences, that I need to read those and make sure that we have time 
to consider them fully on both sides. So if colloquies or other 
noncontroversial items are to be inserted, it would be of great help to 
me and I would appreciate it, as my ranking member would, if we could 
see those colloquies as soon as possible, so we will be able to give 
them full consideration.
  Now, Madam President, I had hopes that one of our very distinguished 
colleagues would be able to be over this afternoon. We heard that 
Senator Glenn might wish to come and talk about the space station. We 
are open and we are ready to do business. We will be more than happy to 
entertain any measures. If any colleagues have an amendment that may 
need to go to a voice vote, we would like very much to lay it down 
today. We have both the time from now until 5:15 and then after the 
votes to do it. It is the request, I believe, of the leaders that we 
move forward. If there is an amendment that we can debate and set for a 
vote tomorrow morning, we would like very much to do so.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I, too, am looking forward to the 
statement on the space program of our distinguished colleague from 
Ohio. I have been advised by his staff that the distinguished Senator 
from Ohio is in a meeting and hopes to join us perhaps around 4. In the 
meantime, if any other Senators have statements they wish to make, they 
could do that, and this might be a good time to offer an amendment.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hagel). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, if there is anything that sets this country 
apart from other nations around the world, it seems to me it would be 
our, almost our innate curiosity, our questing spirit that led people 
not only to explore geographically, but led them to explore in the 
laboratories of our Nation and express our curiosity in learning new 
things. That is at the heart of science, learning the new and putting 
it to use. We could run through a whole gamut of things in history. We 
could talk all night tonight about different things that have 
revolutionized our way of doing things on Earth.
  The Wright brothers were curious about whether we could fly or not, 
whether you could get the air to react enough off an airfoil so you 
could fly--and they were ridiculed for it. Some people said, ``If God 
wanted us to fly, why, he would have made feathers on us so we could 
fly.'' Their curiosity led to airplanes and the aviation industry and 
changed the nature of the whole world. You can say the same thing about 
curiosity about the internal combustion engine and automobiles and 
communications and how we transmit sounds from one place to another--
the telephone, the Bells--computers and plastics and TV and nuclear 
energy and agricultural research.
  We never think of agriculture in this country as being such an 
example of basic research, yet, just in my own lifetime, the corn 
production in Ohio has gone from about 48 bushels per acre to something 
like 137 on the average and, in some places, going close to 240 bushels 
an acre in certain selected spots. That is just enormous. That did not 
occur because people are working three or four times as hard. It 
occurred because of basic, fundamental research, people curious about 
soil and about fertilizer and seeds and hybrids and so on. We can go on 
with antibiotics and anatomy and physiology and all the things we know 
in medicine these days. We could talk for many hours about where this 
questing, curious nature that we have in this country has led us.
  Part of the bill before us here involves the NASA budget. An area 
where we, as a nation, are expressing our curious, questing nature, is 
in the area of space and space research. Every year we are asked why do 
we invest billions of taxpayer dollars for space exploration and 
research. There is one very short answer to it. In my view, we do it is 
to benefit people right here on Earth. This has been true for the whole 
program. It was true ever since I was involved in the space program 
many years ago, during Project Mercury and our first orbital flights. 
There are a number of examples of research connected just with the 
space program, and particularly with the space shuttle experiments, 
that I think everyone can relate to.
  We will have applied science and scientific research going on through 
the years with the international space station project. Every year we 
debate this on the floor. Fortunately, to my way of thinking, we have 
continued to fund the space station. It is one of the greatest 
scientific engineering cooperative efforts in the history of this 
world. We have a number of things that are being looked into now on the 
shuttle that could be done better and longer term on the international 
space station when it comes along. Parts of it will start being put up 
at the end of next year. But a lot of things that have come out of the 
shuttle program so far are of very, very practical use right here on 
Earth.
  One experiment that I find most intriguing is protein crystal growth. 
It is fascinating. It brings a whole new input to medicine, to the 
thousands of different proteins and combinations that make up our 
bodies and literally stands to transform the way medicine looks at 
itself and the way we treat disease and what we can do with regard to 
immunities.
  Let me give just one example. We have a chart here I would like to 
have put up that shows what is going on with treating flu. A flu remedy 
is being developed with space-grown crystals, where you can better find 
out how the flu bug itself reacts. The loss of productivity due to flu 
is staggering. Its costs range as much as $20 billion a year. There are 
high-mutation rates of the flu virus. New data from the protein 
crystals grown in space and on Earth have unlocked the secret of the 
flu bug and revealed its Achilles heel. The secret lies in a small 
molecule which is attached to the host cell's surface and each flu 
virus, no matter what strain, must remove this small molecule to escape 
the host cell to spread infection.
  But using data from space and Earth-grown crystals, researchers from 
the Center of Macromolecular Crystallography are designing drugs to 
bind with this protein's active site, in other words, the lock on this 
site. This lock-and-key reduces the spread of flu in the body by 
blocking its escape route.
  In collaboration with its corporate partner, the CMC, the Center of 
Macromolecular Crystallography, has refined drug structure in 
preparation for clinical trials, and those clinical trials are 
starting. When tested and approved, relief is expected from flu 
epidemics by the year 2004. I give some detail on that because I think 
it is an example of the kinds of things that are underway that we can 
directly relate to the space program. We have some 20 to 40 million 
people every year that get

[[Page S7757]]

the flu, and it causes some 20,000 deaths a year in the United States 
alone. This new data of space-grown crystals has helped unlock a secret 
to let us treat flu in a different way. That is just one example.
  Another example that can benefit from these same kinds of space-grown 
crystals is trauma from open-heart surgery, which often may lead to 
complications due to massive inflammation of heart tissue. Factor D is 
a protein which plays a key role in the biological steps that activate 
this immune response. Being able to block factor D's effects could 
enable heart surgery patients to recover more rapidly, and data from 
space-grown crystals allowed researchers to develop inhibitors which 
specifically block factor D. This drug is being readied for clinical 
trials.
  We have a new antiparasite drug from space-grown crystals. It is 
estimated that over 1 billion people in this world are infected with a 
round worm known as ascarids. It is a tiny parasite that infects the 
intestinal tract of vertebrates and is often fatal. Ascarids are 
dependent on a substance called malic enzyme to function properly. A 
new drug, developed in part by Upjohn, with the benefit of crystals 
grown on the USML-1 Spacelab mission, should interfere with normal 
functioning of malic enzyme and, thus, prove deadly to ascarids.
  Another example: Space crystals and the fight on AIDS. A new 
combination of drugs, which include protease inhibitors, have proven 
immensely successful in treating AIDS. In an ongoing experiment with 
DuPont Merck, NASA has crystallized HIV protease enzyme with an 
inhibitor to support structure-based drug design research, and the 
resulting drugs could represent the second generation of this 
successful approach to treating this disease.
  This chart shows some of the details. I don't know whether the 
cameras will pick this up well enough to show the interaction. This is 
something that gives real hope in the treatment of AIDS in the future.
  Another example on a different chart here indicates how diabetes 
patients may benefit from NASA's bioreactor research. The bioreactor is 
a tissue culturing instrument which allows microgravity researchers to 
grow tissues which are larger and more complex than other tissue 
culturing techniques. The bioreactor has the potential for changing 
disease treatment through tissue transplants.
  Forthcoming experiments plan to grow human pancreatic islet cells in 
the bioreactor for possible transplantation into diabetic patients. 
Trial runs with this technique have proven successful. If the upcoming 
experiments are successful, diabetic patients will not need to rely as 
heavily on insulin injections and will have less complications from 
their disease.
  Another chart: Modeling colon cancer with bioreactor. Mr. President, 
166,000 cases of colon cancer are diagnosed each year in the United 
States, and it is a leading cause of death. Colon cancer tissue grown 
in a bioreactor develops remarkably similar to tumors extracted from 
humans. Studying these tissues outside the human body may allow 
researchers to understand how cancer spreads, as well as identifying 
new therapies which may prevent it.
  This bioreactor is a fascinating thing. It lets tissues be cultured 
in the same way they occur in the human body. If you go into a 
laboratory and try to do experiments there, quite often the experiment 
becomes far more two-dimensional because it wants to settle to the 
bottom of the petri dish. A bioreactor in space, with all the right 
fluids that simulate the body, allows growth in a 3-D situation. They 
can be studied better so possible antidotes for them or possible 
treatments can be put into a culture there that is very similar to what 
is in the human body. It is not just something that is flattened out in 
the bottom of an experimental glass in the laboratory.

  Growing cartilage with the bioreactor is another potential 
application. An application of the bioreactor is culturing cartilage 
tissue for replacement and transplantation. Experiments with the 
bioreactor and space indicates it can successfully culture cartilage 
tissue that is quite similar to human cartilage.
  I use these few examples today just to illustrate that they are very, 
very practical and very, very useful for our future on Earth. The 
international space station will make it possible to continue some of 
the same experiments for longer periods of time. I know that every year 
when we have the budget battles on the floor, we have attempts made to 
cut out some of the money for the international space station, which 
would cut out some of the scientific inquiry that we otherwise would be 
able to perform. Let me talk about it very briefly.
  NASA has already had some 1,000 or more proposals per year for 
ground-based and flight investigations involving the international 
space station project. Selection of principal investigators and 
commercial developers is beginning this year for flights starting in 
1999, and this population will increase from 650 to 850 principal 
investigators and from 100 to 200 industrial affiliates by the time the 
station assembly is complete.
  About 650 life and microgravity sciences principal investigators are 
now participating at over 100 institutions of higher learning around 
the country, and the number of investigators is expected to grow to 
over 850 before assembly is completed. These researchers, in turn, 
employ about 1,400 graduate students at present, with that number 
expected to grow.
  What are they looking into? Well, a number of different areas, and I 
won't be able to go into all of them today. Biotechnology with an x ray 
diffraction system, for instance. Microgravity allows researchers to 
produce superior protein crystals, which I mentioned a moment ago, for 
drug development and to grow three-dimensional tissues, including 
cancer tumors, for research and cartilage for possible transplant.
  The long-term benefits: to provide information to design a new class 
of drugs to target specific proteins and cure specific diseases; to 
culture tissue for use in cancer research and surgery in bone and 
cartilage injury.
  Another area that can be looked into on the international space 
station also is in the area of materials science. Researchers use low 
gravity to advance our understanding of the relationships among the 
structure, the processing and the properties of physical materials.
  The long-term benefits: We advance the understanding of processes for 
manufacturing semiconductors, metals, ceramics, polymers, and other 
materials. We also determine fundamental physical properties of molten 
metal, semiconductors, and other materials with precision impossible on 
Earth.
  There are a number of people involved in this, people from the State 
University of New York, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and MIT up in 
Boston. Researchers indicate great progress from this new research tool 
in having projects in space in microgravity.
  Another area being looked into, and this one is a fascinating one, is 
combustion science, fluids and combustion facility, glove-box 
experiments, as they are called. Scientists are using low gravity to 
simplify the study of complex combustion processes, burning processes. 
Since combustion is used to produce 85 percent of Earth's energy, even 
small improvements in efficiency will have large environmental and 
economic benefits.
  The long-term benefits: Improved control of combustion emissions and 
pollutants reduce risk from incineration of hazardous wastes and 
enhance efficiency of combustion processes.

  These are only highlights of some of the prestation research that 
have already occurred. Dr. Robert Cheng and Dr. Larry Kostiuk, 
combustion science researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 
under contract to NASA, were awarded a patent for a ring flame 
stabilizer, which significantly reduces pollution from natural gas 
burners. Fitted into an off-the-shelf home heating surface, the device 
reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by a factor of 10 by increasing 
efficiency by 2 percent, and the device can be readily sized to 
industrial scales. That kind of experiment will continue on the space 
station.
  ``Almost every chapter in the combustion textbooks will be rewritten 
as a result of the microgravity work,'' said Prof. Howard Palmer, 
professor emeritus at Penn State University. And other statements by 
other scientists say the same thing.

[[Page S7758]]

  Furthermore, the international space station will continue research 
into fundamental physics. Scientists use low gravity to test 
fundamental theories of physics with degrees of accuracy that far 
exceed the capacity of earthbound science. Physics and low gravity 
expand our understanding of changes in the state of matter, including 
those changes responsible for high-temperature superconductivity.
  The long-term benefits will challenge and expand our theories of how 
matter organizes as it changes state, and that is especially important 
in understanding superconductivity and its advantages. We can also test 
the theory of relativity with precision beyond the capacity of 
earthbound science.
  Scientists will study gravity's influence on the development, the 
growth and the internal processes of plants and animals, and their 
results expand fundamental knowledge to benefit medical, agricultural, 
and other industries.
  The long-term benefits will improve the overall health of people of 
all ages. It can improve plants for agriculture and for forestry, and 
we will gain an advanced understanding of cell behavior.
  Biomedical research in space will provide unique insights into such 
things as how the heart and lungs function, the growth and maintenance 
of muscle and bone, perception cognition, and balance, the whole area 
of neuroscience, and the regulation of the body's many systems, called 
regulatory physiology.
  The long-term benefits will assist in developing methods to keep 
humans healthy in low-gravity environments for long, long periods of 
time; advance new fields of research in the treatment of diseases; 
enhance medical understanding of the role of force on bone in disease 
processes, including osteoporosis; advance fundamental understanding of 
the brain and nervous system and help develop new methods to prevent 
and treat various neurological disorders. These are the long-term 
benefits.
  I quote a friend and one of the most respected surgeons in this 
country--as a matter of fact, in the world--Dr. Michael DeBakey, 
chancellor and chairman of the department of surgery, Baylor College of 
Medicine, who said:

       The space station is not a luxury any more than a medical 
     research center at Baylor College of Medicine is a luxury. 
     Present technology on the shuttle allows for stays in space 
     of only about 2 weeks. We do not limit medical researchers to 
     only few hours in the laboratory and expect cures for 
     cancer. We need much longer missions in space--in months 
     to years--to obtain research results that may lead to the 
     development of new knowledge and breakthroughs.
  We also can either look out into space or, from an observation point 
in space aboard a spacecraft, the international space station, look 
back toward Earth. That is planned with the Earth Observation and Space 
Science, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, and SAGE to be deployed in 
2001.
  The space station will be a unique platform with multiple exterior 
attach points from which to observe the Earth and the universe.
  Conceptualized by Nobel prizewinning scientist Dr. Sam Ting, of MIT, 
the alpha magnetic spectrometer experiment will search the universe for 
antimatter and ``dark'' matter in an attempt to prove cosmological 
theory with direct evidence.
  Also, the stratospheric aerosol and gas experiment, SAGE-III, will 
also be delivered. It will obtain global profiles of aerosols, ozone, 
water vapor, and oxides in order to determine their role in 
climatological processes. It will allow cross-correlation of 
observations from SAGE's I and II at different latitudes and different 
time periods.
  I cite these examples to briefly indicate what a wide variety of 
scientific effort will go on with the international space station.
  Now, let me address these next remarks to two sets of people who may 
be watching or listening here today. How many of you are over 60 years 
of age? If you are not over 60 years of age I know that each of you 
hopes to live to be 60 or older. What I am about to say I believe is 
very relevant to you.
  For several years now NASA and the National Institute on Aging, which 
is part of the National Institutes of Health, have been working on some 
projects looking at what happens to astronauts in space.
  I became intrigued with this, and I have long been interested in 
issues associated with our aging population. In fact, when I first came 
to the Senate--I was sworn in in January 1975--I asked to be assigned 
to the Special Committee on Aging because I thought there was so much 
work needed to be done.
  Today, we find an aging population sometimes referred to as the 
graying of nations. I conducted hearings years ago on the graying of 
nations, and then had additional Governmental Affairs Committee 
hearings in New York called the Graying of Nations II. Dr. Robert 
Butler assisted in putting together those hearings. He was the first 
Director of the National Institute on Aging and did a superb job in 
getting that whole agency started.
  Nearly 45 million Americans today are 60 years of age or older. The 
demographic experts tell us that that is projected to grow to about 100 
million over the next 50 years, by the year 2050. NASA has begun to 
formally explore the similarities between the aging process and what 
happens to astronauts in microgravity. There are physical changes that 
occur in space and the National Institute on Aging has been very 
interested in and has worked with NASA to review these changes. They 
are in the process now of coming up with very specific proposals as 
specific experiments.
  But there is a great similarity between what happens to astronauts in 
the short term--it starts 3 to 5 days after they have been up there on 
current missions--and what happens to the elderly right here on Earth 
by the normal process of aging. This is fascinating because of the 
similarities in osteoporosis, for instance, changes in bone density, 
changes in orthostatic intolerance--in other words, the ability of the 
body to keep blood in the upper part of the body so you do not just 
black out--the vestibular and balance problems, sleep disturbances, 
decrease in muscle strength, the decrease in immune response, and 
similar changes in cardiac activity and blood glucose.
  Now, these changes occur in the younger astronauts in space right 
when they go up today. They occur during the first 3 to 5 days, or are 
noticeable, as I understand them, in the tests that have been run. At 
the end of the flight when they come back to Earth, the younger 
astronauts return to normal, their bodies recover, their bone structure 
is basically reformed again. They recover from it.

  Now, in the elderly here on Earth there is not that same kind of 
recovery. But what the National Institute on Aging and NIH is looking 
into with NASA is to propose experiments to see what happens if you did 
put an older person into space. What would happen? Would the changes 
that happen to the younger astronauts be additive to the older 
astronaut or would that person be semi-immune from those same changes?
  Would the change be to the same degree? What happens when you come 
back to Earth again? With these changes, would the older astronaut 
recover as fast as the younger ones? If not, why not? In other words, 
the questions being asked are basically what triggers these different 
systems and why do they change? Why do they change in microgravity? Why 
do they change in orbit? Would they change the same for an older person 
as they do for the younger people? I think this is a fascinating field. 
I am very hopeful that NASA and NIA will formalize this program 
primarily for the potentially enormous benefit that may come from it 
for hundreds of millions of people, not just people in this country, 
but people literally all over the world, and also because I can think 
of no more powerful and essentially untapped constituency for human 
research in space than the elderly.
  I will say a few words about the importance of international 
cooperation in space research, also.
  If you had told me some 35 years ago when I made my flight back in 
1962 that in June 1997, a U.S. astronaut would be beginning the 16th 
month of continuous U.S. presence on a Russian space station, I 
certainly would not have believed it.
  As a veteran of the cold war and the space race, I guess I could not 
be more pleased to see this kind of progress. Obviously, there is 
tremendous symbolic value when former enemies work together 
cooperatively. But symbolism

[[Page S7759]]

isn't the most important reason we cooperate. Again, it gets back to 
basic research. The quality of research is going to improve if we have 
the best and the brightest from 15 nations working on a project.
  The shuttle-Mir program, also called phase I of the international 
space station, is a perfect example of the benefits of such 
cooperation. As many of you know, this program consists of nine 
shuttle-Mir docking missions. The program is helping both the United 
States and Russia learn countless valuable lessons which will be put to 
use on the international space station.
  Now, obviously, the Mir space station has been having problems. We 
are aware of those from the daily news. Some problems are due to aging 
components of the station; some may have been due to crew or ground 
control errors. We will see what NASA and the Russian space agency 
leadership will recommend.
  Usually, for both the Russians and the Americans, space operations 
have been nearly flawless. For example, just a few days ago, the crew 
of STS-89 returned from a 16-day science mission which appears to have 
exceeded all expectations for scientific data.
  I would like to remind people of two things. First, space travel and 
research is still a risky and technologically complex undertaking. 
Things do not always go right. We are dealing with new fields of power 
and speed. There are going to be times when things do not always go 
right. So it would be completely inappropriate for us at the first sign 
of serious trouble to cut and run.
  Second, NASA emphasizes safety above all else. No one has ever 
intentionally put our astronauts in unsafe or hazardous conditions. 
Quite the opposite. I know from firsthand experience our astronauts are 
trained to handle emergencies of all sorts that can be foreseen.
  Some have suggested that before we send another astronaut to Mir, 
NASA must certify to Congress that it has done everything possible to 
make it safe. I find that an insult to NASA, because that has been 
their primary objective all the way through the whole program. For 
Congress to require that NASA had to certify it has done everything 
possible to make it safe before we would have another astronaut sent to 
Mir was about as unnecessary as anything I have seen since I have been 
around here. I think such a certification would be an insult to the men 
and women who work on this program every day. No one at NASA 
intentionally ever takes risks with people's lives. But space flight is 
risky, and we have to accept that.

  I do not know whether people realize the speeds involved up there. I 
meet with school groups quite often. I find them amazed when you say, 
well, we have to travel nearly 18,000 miles an hour just to stay in 
orbit up there. That is true. But that is such a large number, it does 
not mean much until you ask the same students, ``What is 5 miles from 
your school? Is the mall 5 miles from your home?'' It seems the mall 
has an attraction for a lot of the young people these days. To make 
that 5 miles trip in a spacecraft would take just 1 second. To stay in 
orbit you are traveling about 4.8 miles per second--per second. And 
when you come back in and start hitting the atmosphere again with the 
spacecraft, there is tremendous heat buildup just from the friction of 
the atmosphere, ionized layers out ahead that get up around 9,000 or 
10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and surface temperatures of, say, somewhere 
around 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
  We confront many challenges we have come to take for granted almost 
that we can meet the challenge successfully. We have done it amazingly 
successfully throughout the history of the space program. It has not 
been perfect. So to think that it is going to be perfect is just a 
wish.
  Even if we were forced to curtail the Mir activity, we have already 
learned a tremendous amount from the seven shuttle flights that have 
been made to that station.
  Let me just enumerate a few of the accomplishments.
  Most importantly, we have conducted countless joint science 
experiments in a variety of disciplines.
  American astronauts have maintained a continuous presence in space 
for nearly 470 days.
  We have successfully conducted six shuttle-Mir docking missions, with 
three more missions for the future.
  Russian and American engineers, astronauts and cosmonauts, in 
performing joint operations, have developed mutual understanding in 
originally dissimilar design philosophies and established close rapport 
between counterparts of the two different cultures. That is important 
for the future.
  We have learned to plan and execute a typical shuttle mission to a 
space station.
  We have verified and developed rendezvous and docking procedures.
  We have conducted joint ground and mission control operations.
  We have learned to transport and exchange supplies.
  We have developed joint extra-vehicular activities.
  We are testing schedules for long-duration Mir and short-duration 
shuttle crew work rest cycles during the docked and undocked phases of 
missions.
  We are jointly resolving safety and acceptance testing differences.
  And we are developing in-flight training protocols.
  Most importantly, we are working together on joint research projects.
  These accomplishments place us in an excellent position for 
initiating and conducting the assembly and subsequent operation of the 
international space station with reduced risk, with greater confidence 
and reduced learning curve expenditures in time and costs. The only 
other way to gain this experience would be to wait until assembly of 
the ISS and then learn, and that is a little late.
  Now all of this is leading up to construction and operation of the 
international space station. Let me show just a couple of charts here. 
This effort will be the largest peacetime international science 
collaboration in the history of this world. These international 
partners will include Canada, Japan, Russia, Britain, Italy, France, 
Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, and 
Switzerland.
  On-orbit weight will be 470 tons, and almost 20 percent of that, over 
85 tons, of hardware has already been built.
  This is an example of one piece of hardware now, one of the modules 
right here. When built it will have some 43,000 cubic feet of 
pressurized volume, which is the equivalent of a 747.
  When you think about the number of scientific breakthroughs that can 
come from such an orbiting laboratory as this, it is sort of mind 
boggling.
  I want to remind everyone of the critical importance of spreading the 
word about the benefits of human space flight. I hope staffs listening 
in the offices as well as Senators may go back to our communities in 
our States and find new outlets or organizations which may not have 
considered the significant impact which space research has had and 
could have and will have on their lives. If we can just invigorate and 
sustain such an effort I am very confident that the shuttle Mir and the 
international space station will merely be steppingstones to a much 
greater future.
  I have asked NASA to put together, if they can, a compilation of the 
of the scientific research projects that have gone on on each one of 
those shuttle flights. I hope I can get that this evening so we can put 
that in the Record tomorrow because I think it will show the diverse 
nature of the scientific experiments, some of the breakthroughs that 
have occurred because of those experiments, and I think that is the 
best way to show what has happened in the shuttle program and the 
potential that gives for the international space station.
  We have some other pictures of the space station that is already put 
together and is being worked on. This shows a technician working on 
this particular hatch. This shows two of the modules here that are 
already built, already tested out, and we have one unit that is 
undergoing tests down at the cape right now.
  This shows another view of what is being done. This is not something 
that is theoretical into the future. It is being done right now.
  This is a picture of some of the testing area where the hardware is 
being checked out. The hardware is roughly, as I said, almost 20 
percent complete right now. Now, that 470 tons will be the final size 
of the vehicle once it is up there.

[[Page S7760]]

  I see this as an extension of the best that our country has to offer 
in the way of science and research and the questing nature of our 
people that have given us a standard of civilization beyond anything 
the world has ever seen. We have been a Nation that did not just say we 
will live on the Atlantic shore on the coastal plain. We moved beyond 
that to the Ohio River, to the Mississippi and on to the Plains.
  I read into the Record last year, and I may bring it to the floor 
again tomorrow, the statement by Daniel Webster, who for all his other 
brilliance was a skeptic, sometimes, and had a rather myopic vision. 
When they were considering buying lands west of the Mississippi from 
Spain or Mexico, Daniel Webster was against it and he rose and said 
words to the effect of ``What use can this area west of the Mississippi 
be, this area of cactus and prairie dogs, of blowing sand, of mountains 
with snow, impenetrable snow, to their base? Mr. President, I will not 
vote 1 cent from the public Treasury to move the Pacific coast 1 inch 
nearer Boston than it now is.''

  That may show somewhat of a myopic view of even such a learned person 
as Daniel Webster, but it does. And that is repeated somewhat today by 
people who say, ``What is the possible value of this?'' The possible 
value is clear in just a few of the things I have mentioned here today. 
We have whole catalogs that have come out, things that have benefited 
science, research, medicine, and engineering in this country, and they 
are continuing. That is what this is about.
  For the first time we will have some 15 nations involved in an 
international space station, working together instead of preparing to 
fight each other, working together using the best brains out of each of 
those countries to do research that is of benefit to people all over 
this Earth. That is the importance of it.
  Some years ago when people would rise on this floor and say what 
possible benefit can it be, we now have a good story to tell them. It 
is a success story that every single American can be very, very proud 
of.
  I am happy to be supporting the station. I presume we will have some 
amendments proposed on the floor that will change some of the program 
and the way it is outlined. I hope we will not approve those. I think 
the program has been revamped now. It is very well thought out. It is 
being done at about the cheapest we can possibly do it and still keep 
safety paramount, which is No. 1.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record a 
paper, ``Microgravity Research and Exploration'' provided by the NASA 
Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 Microgravity Research and Exploration

       In the mid-20th Century human ventures into space have 
     ushered in a new era of exploration and defined a new field 
     of research using gravity as a variable. In turn, this 
     research has led to exciting discoveries on how profoundly 
     gravity affects all elements of life on this planet and 
     beyond. Over the years unexpected connections have been made 
     between the findings in microgravity and the many physical, 
     chemical and biological processes here on Earth, opening new 
     vistas for understanding ourselves and our world. These 
     findings have wide-ranging applications from medicine to 
     understanding weather patterns, contributing to economic 
     growth and vitality here on Earth.
       These findings also serve as a sound foundation for future 
     human and robotic exploration and for settling new worlds in 
     the 21st Century. The International Space Station is the 
     first truly multinational effort by the people on Earth to 
     conduct a final rehearsal in low Earth orbit before spreading 
     into space on a new and exciting quest for the origins of 
     life.
       Gravity is a force that has profoundly shaped the evolution 
     of all living things. Gravity and its effects drive or 
     constrain the fundamental physical, chemical, and biological 
     processes that surround us. It is the basic force against 
     which every living organism on Earth must work. Gravity gives 
     us our sense of balance, guides the development of our bones 
     and muscles, and challenges our hearts to pump blood against 
     its constant downward pull. Space flight gives humankind the 
     ability to control gravity as an experimental variable for 
     the first time in the history of science. With the control of 
     gravity, we gain a whole new perspective on the physical 
     world and on the world of living things.


                        historical perspectives

       The human crew member has been an integral element of the 
     U.S. and Russian space programs since their inception. The 
     harsh environment of space has posed a number of critical 
     challenges for the protection of humans, planning for 
     missions, and the execution of experiments.1,2,3 
     The role of the human has grown as space missions and 
     programs have increased in duration and complexity. 
     Initially, the goal was to demonstrate man's ability to 
     survive in space. During the 1960s astronauts served mainly 
     as observers and backup operators to ground control 
     personnel. The Gemini and Vostok missions built on the 
     achievements of Mercury and Voskhod, and provided a technical 
     and biomedical foundation for the Apollo lunar landing and 
     Salyut space station programs. The Apollo missions required a 
     broad biomedical support program, including provisions for 
     in-flight illness. Like Gemini, the Apollo millions yielded 
     significant findings on human physiology in space, but few 
     insights into the effects of the space environment on 
     physical and chemical processes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Endnotes at end of article.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
       In the early 1970s Skylab provided the first opportunity to 
     study human adaption to microgravity over extended periods of 
     time, allowing researchers to identify those physiological 
     changes that are self-limiting. For the first time in the 
     history of space flight modest microgravity experiments were 
     conducted--the role of astronaut was expanded to that of 
     scientist/investigator. It is worth noting that during the 
     1970s many more experiments were executed in drop towers, 
     parabolic aircraft and suborbital robotic missions.
       Since 1981 the reusable Space Shuttle has provided routine 
     access to Earth orbit, expanded the space program to include 
     investigators from industry and academia, and for the first 
     time in the history of experimentation provided an 
     exceptional platform for microgravity research. In 1994 an 
     agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency allowed 
     for the deployment of US research hardware on the Russian MIR 
     space station for experimentation by NASA astronauts. Similar 
     experiments to Space Shuttle missions are conducted on this 
     platform but in a more constrained fashion.


                            results to date

       Since 1981 an unprecedented amount of scientific data has 
     been accumulated from space research that has revolutionized 
     our understanding of the nature and action of gravity on 
     physical and biological processes. To date the Space Shuttle 
     has flown approximately 720 days in space, of which 120 days 
     were dedicated to microgravity research. NASA astronauts have 
     flown 970 days on MIR with a total of 160 days dedicated to 
     microgravity experiments.


 research with benefits to industrial processes and earth applications

       Despite the relatively brief duration of actual research in 
     the life and physical sciences on orbit to date, numerous 
     applications have already been identified and acted on by the 
     private sector. These have been based on both scientific 
     findings as well as technological advances. Today, a 
     significant fraction of NASA's microgravity research program 
     is already conducted with substantial financial support from 
     other agencies and from industry, and we expect that 
     contribution to grow.
       Scientists have successfully used the low gravity 
     environment of space to understand and control gravity's 
     influence on the formation of materials including metals, 
     semiconductors, polymers and glasses. For example, space 
     research has produced cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) 
     crystals that have 50 times lower levels of a key defect than 
     the best commercially available crystals. These experiments 
     help researchers to verify mathematical models for 
     semiconductor crystal growth to improve semiconductor 
     fabrication on Earth. There have been many theories and 
     mathematical models developed to predict the formation and 
     development of dendrites, the tree-like structures that are 
     the building blocks of most metal products. On Earth, 
     gravity's effects limit the power of experiments to validate 
     these fundamental theories. The Isothermal Dendritic Growth 
     Experiment flown aboard the Space Shuttle has become the 
     scientific benchmark for testing our theoretical 
     understanding of metal formation.\4\
       Another field in which microgravity research continues to 
     make major contributions is combustion science. Combustion is 
     a highly complex process involving many factors, such as: the 
     physical flow of fuel and oxygen; the chemical conversion 
     of fuel and oxygen into heat and chemical products and the 
     transfer of heat. In many cases, combustion processes are 
     so complex that scientists have difficulty developing 
     accurate, complete models for them. By significantly 
     reducing gravity's effects, scientists are studying subtle 
     aspects of combustion that are often hidden. Research to 
     date has demonstrated that gravity has a profound effect 
     on combustion phenomena, with microgravity conditions 
     leading to behaviors never before observed. Because 
     combustion is so widely used for energy production and 
     transportation, our growing knowledge of gravity's role in 
     combustion phenomena holds the promise of improving the 
     efficiency of a wide range of everyday technology, with 
     potentially far reaching economic effects. For example, a 
     patented ring flame stabilizer device has been developed 
     by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

[[Page S7761]]

     based on the results of microgravity combustion research. 
     This device--applicable to residential furnaces and water 
     heaters--reduces emissions of nitrous oxides by a factor 
     of five over existing devices, while increasing overall 
     efficiency by 2%.
       Closely related to combustion science is fluid physics, a 
     field in which researchers study the behavior of liquids, 
     gases and mixtures. In microgravity, scientists observe 
     aspects of fluid behavior that are difficult or impossible to 
     understand in normal gravity. Microgravity enables scientists 
     to create physical models of important processes and make 
     observations that would be impossible on Earth. For example, 
     results from microgravity research have provided the only 
     controlled experimental observations of the convective 
     motions in physical models of planetary and stellar 
     atmospheres, laying a foundation for scientific understanding 
     of the nonlinear dynamics of planetary and stellar flows, and 
     giving us new insights into the dynamics of the sun and 
     gaseous planets.\5\ A new technique for stereo imaging 
     velocimetry to measure fluid flows in space experiments 
     developed by Lewis Research Center has found application in 
     the US industry, where it is being used to quantify fluid 
     flows in the steel casting process.
       Use of the microgravity environment has allowed researchers 
     to design experiments that achieve a measurement accuracy not 
     possible in the gravity environment of Earth. Areas of 
     investigation include research on general relativity, 
     critical phenomena, laser cooling for ultra-precise 
     measurement of atomic electronic properties, as well as other 
     thermophysical measurements of interest in condensed-matter 
     physics. For example, space flight research has been used to 
     confirm with unprecedented accuracy the validity of a Nobel 
     prize-winning theory describing the conditions under which 
     matter will change between different states, such as from 
     liquid to gas or from conductor to superconductor.\6\


                    Research with Benefits to Health

       Microgravity provides researchers with new tools to address 
     two fundamental issues in biotechnology: the growth of high-
     quality crystals for X-ray diffraction studies of large 
     proteins, and the growth of three-dimensional tissue samples 
     in laboratory cultures. Gravity plays central roles in each 
     of these processes and NASA research is providing access to 
     new data and techniques to the broader biotechnology 
     community.
       NASA's bioreactor, developed to simulate low gravity, has 
     proven dramatically successful as an advanced cell culturing 
     technology. This success has led to an extensive 
     collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 
     Work with NASA bioreactors at the NIH has already produced 
     advanced cultures of lymph tissue for studying the 
     infectivity of HIV. Other areas of outstanding success 
     include cultures of cancer tumors and cartilage.\7\ Initial 
     results of tissue culture research on the MIR space station 
     are very positive and suggest the possibility of major 
     advances in tissue culturing once the International Space 
     Station becomes available.
       Biotechnology researchers also use microgravity to produce 
     protein crystals for drug research that are superior to 
     crystals that can be grown on Earth. Already researchers have 
     produced crystal samples of proteins important to the study 
     of AIDS, emphysema, influenza, diabetes and other 
     diseases.\8\ Recently, researchers using space grown crystals 
     determined the highest resolution structure for insulin 
     published to date. By studying the structure and function of 
     insulin, scientists hope to produce improved drugs for 
     diabetics.
       Life is, of course, dependent on many of the same physical 
     processes I have already discussed. Convection, 
     sedimentation, and buoyancy are features of complex, living 
     systems as well as nonliving systems. But life possesses 
     additional properties--such as adaptation to maintain 
     homeostasis, and evolutionary development in response to 
     environmental factors--that are also affected by gravity.
       We are now demonstrating that microgravity can be used as a 
     model to study some aspects of the aging process here on 
     Earth. Indeed, astronauts experience bone and muscle loss, 
     inability to maintain balance, posture, gait, and blood 
     pressure, and changes in the general metabolism that mimic 
     some of the symptoms of aging. Thus, microgravity research 
     offers an unusual opportunity for us to study in a laboratory 
     setting this natural phenomena of the life cycle. The 
     symptoms caused by space flight reverse themselves on return 
     to normal gravity, presenting additional opportunities for 
     insight into the aging process.
       The accumulated data from experiments in the physical 
     sciences has formed the basis for a multidisciplinary 
     investigation of biological phenomena using the findings from 
     fluid physics research. As a result, we are obtaining 
     explanations for complex biological behavior at the cellular 
     and molecular levels. We are able to formulate a new set of 
     hypotheses regarding the behavior of complex ecological 
     systems in relation to multigenerational adaptive responses 
     to the pervasive effects of gravity.
       We have found that even the tiny single-celled organisms 
     suspended in water are equipped to respond to gravity. We 
     have used the low gravity environment of space to research 
     and establish the mechanisms individual cells use to 
     translate physical force, like acceleration due to gravity, 
     into chemical signals that drive adaptation and response. We 
     have begun work to explore the process by which plants 
     respond to gravity to produce lignin, the primary component 
     of wood. We look forward to exploring the role that gravity 
     has played on Earth, and possibly in other places, in the 
     genesis and evolution of life. If a planetary gravitational 
     environment necessary for the creation or continued existence 
     of life, how would living systems evolve in a different 
     gravitational environment?


                research with benefits for space flight

       Research into the effects of gravity on fundamental 
     physical, chemical, and biological processes is increasingly 
     serving as the underpinning for our understanding of how to 
     live and work in space. Space flight induces changes in 
     virtually all body systems. Most appear to be benign 
     adaptations to weightlessness, but if unchecked some 
     physiological changes could become life threatening. It seems 
     today that exposure to the low gravity environment produces a 
     disassociation between the chronological and physiological 
     ages. Thus, our task is to bridge this time gap by developing 
     countermeasures such as exercise and pharmacokinetics.
       The time course and extent of physiological changes in 
     astronauts must be characterized, and appropriate 
     countermeasures (compatible with the spacecraft design) 
     developed for long-duration orbital and interplanetary space 
     missions. This research promises to improve our general 
     understanding of human physiology and a number of medical 
     conditions. Similarly, the countermeasures that we devise may 
     benefit health care on Earth.
       To illustrate the breadth of the challenges we face, 
     consider the digestive system. Relatively little work has 
     been done on the effects of low gravity on the digestion, 
     absorption and transport of drugs and nutrients in space. You 
     might think that in a confined space like the human bowel 
     there would be little role for gravity to play. But keep in 
     mind that it is gravity that causes bubbles of gas to rise to 
     the surface of a liquid and dispersed particles to settle 
     out. We know that astronauts do not suffer from malnutrition, 
     but how are digestion and pharmacokinetics affected?
       Challenged by the need to monitor the health status and 
     deliver health care services to astronauts in ever more 
     remote and hostile environments, NASA is at the cutting edge 
     of medical technology requiring autonomy. Space programs have 
     pioneered the use of telecommunications, computer, and 
     microelectronic and nanoelectronic technologies in health 
     care. While critical for space flight and exploration, these 
     technologies also yield considerable benefit for medical care 
     here on Earth. The highly successful Spacebridge to Russia 
     program--a joint effort between NASA and the Russian Space 
     Agency--is an Internet-based telemedicine testbed that links 
     academic and clinical sites in the US and Russia for clinical 
     consultations and medical education. A predecessor project--
     Spacebridge to Armenia--was used to provide medical 
     consultation services during the recovery from the Armenian 
     earthquake in 1988. Pilot projects in telemedicine technology 
     have also supported health care delivery in a wide variety of 
     remote locations.
       NASA has developed a range of technologies in medical 
     informatics, sensors, diagnostic techniques, decision support 
     systems, image compression, and advanced training to support 
     health care delivery in space. These technologies include 
     compact, solid state sensors that permit non-invasive 
     monitoring of crew health and the space-craft environment. 
     NASA's Ames Research Center is adapting technology, 
     originally developed for space-related scientific 
     visualization, to stimulate complex surgery. This 
     application enables surgeons to reconstruct a patient's 
     face and skull from computerized tomographic (CT) scans, 
     allowing doctors to virtually manipulate the bone tissue 
     and visualize possible surgical procedures. Marshall Space 
     Flight Center has worked cooperatively with industry to 
     develop a Sensing and Force-Reflection Exoskeleton 
     (SAFiRE) that senses hand and finger motion as human 
     operator input and provides force-reflective feedback to 
     the operator for both telerobotic and virtual environment 
     applications. The SAFiRE project's technology base could 
     be used to develop a biomechanically sound resistance 
     exercise system.


                            future research

       Recent discoveries of life's adaptation to very extreme 
     environments and the potential for past or even present 
     existence of life on Mars or elsewhere in the Universe have 
     raised a range of compelling questions. Life's complex 
     processes are ubiquitous on Earth. Are they present on other 
     worlds as well? What role has gravity itself played in the 
     genesis and subsequent evolution of life on this planet and 
     elsewhere? Humanity's fascination with life and the physical 
     world propels our interest in the exploration of space.
       As demonstrated by the success of the Mars Pathfinder 
     mission, NASA has embarked on a promising path of 
     technological innovation that is creating a ``virtual'' human 
     presence on other worlds. Future missions of exploration will 
     require crew members to live and work productively for 
     extended periods in space and on planetary surfaces. As in 
     the past, key biomedical, life support and human factors 
     questions must be answered to ensure crew health, well-being, 
     and productivity. To address these

[[Page S7762]]

     challenges, NASA will apply innovative technology to the 
     challenges of robotic and human space exploration, ranging 
     from advances in telemedicine, telepresence, and life support 
     to in situ materials utilization, nanotechnology, and 
     bionics. In the coming decades, fundamental and applied 
     research in gravity's effects will lay the foundation for 
     humans to develop and use space, and to expand outward on 
     missions of exploration.


                         protecting crew health

       Our first priority is ensuring the health and safety of our 
     crews. Long duration flights have demonstrated that it is 
     possible to survive extended term exposure to low gravity. 
     Yet, as I have described above, we must not forget that 
     adjusting to microgravity and then back to normal gravity is 
     a traumatic experience for the body. Many of our intuitive 
     theories for explaining these processes have already failed 
     in the light of hard data. Even some of our long-held 
     theories about the gravity dependence of physiological 
     processes for humans on Earth have been proven false by space 
     research. We must remain cautious in drawing general 
     conclusions from the small sample sizes currently available 
     and we must develop a rigorous understanding of the 
     mechanisms behind adaptation to microgravity as well as the 
     dose-response relationship. If we do a thorough scientific 
     job of understanding the mechanisms and dose-response 
     relationships of adaptation of low gravity we will create a 
     new storehouse of knowledge with innumerable applications to 
     Earth-based medical care.


                      telescience and Telemedicine

       In the next few years, the International Space Station will 
     serve as a platform for developing and testing systems that 
     will permit future space explorers to respond autonomously to 
     a wide variety of ongoing and emergency health care issues. 
     Medical monitoring will take advantage of noninvasive 
     microminiaturized sensors and advanced wireless 
     communications technology as well as next generation systems 
     for displaying and integrating the data stream. Emphasis on 
     portability and noninvasiveness of medical monitoring will 
     also pay large dividends by reducing the need for storage and 
     transportation of specimens.


                    advanced life support technology

       Future exploration missions will rely on advanced, 
     lightweight, closed-loop life support systems to sustain life 
     in the hostile space environment. Research on advanced life 
     support systems include both ground based and flight 
     components. We have already begun a series of closed tests 
     using crews of up to four people in ground based facilities 
     at the Johnson Space Center. Flight testing and validation 
     for life support systems will take place on the International 
     Space Station. Our goal is to demonstrate advanced life 
     support system on ISS that would be suitable for a Mars 
     transit vehicle by 2004, and validate system performance by 
     2008. Space Station environmental monitoring systems will 
     incorporate new miniaturized sensor technology requiring 
     greatly reduced resources to operate.


                           physical sciences

       We cannot overlook the vital role that fundamental research 
     in the physical sciences will play in the future of 
     exploration. Materials science research will explore advanced 
     radiation shielding materials vital to long-duration space 
     missions. Research in the behavior of fluids in low gravity 
     will help the designers of future space systems to move from 
     an empirical approach to approaches based on valid 
     mathematical models for such vital systems as thermal 
     control, fuel storage, and delivery, and life support 
     systems. Research on combustion phenomena will contribute to 
     improved technology for detecting and extinguishing fires in 
     spacecraft.
       Fundamental physical research is also required to lay the 
     foundation for efficient and safe operations on the surfaces 
     of other bodies in the solar system. We must understand the 
     behavior of materials in the novel environments found on 
     other solar system bodies if we are to design efficient 
     systems for in situ resource utilization for fuel, life 
     support, radiation protection, fire detection, and 
     construction. Microgravity researchers are now participating 
     in planning for robotic missions to Mars in 2001 and 2003 
     that will include experiments designed to explore these 
     issues.
       The quest for understanding in space is a voyage into the 
     unknown. We cannot accurately predict what we will find, or 
     what we will produce. But if we are to control the risks of 
     human space flight and extract the benefits of space 
     development for future generations, we must continue our 
     efforts to reduce our ignorance. We must focus our research 
     both in the life sciences and the physical sciences, using 
     robotic missions in parallel with crewed missions to reduce 
     the  risks of human space flight. As a result, we will extend 
     human virtual and physical presence further into the solar 
     system, paving the way for broad commercial and scientific 
     development in space. Ultimately, we will learn to send 
     astronauts on long duration missions of exploration. Their 
     work will serve to extend our research to new worlds, and 
     possibly to new forms of life.


                                endnotes

     \1\ Nicogossian, Huntoon, and Pool, Space Physiology and 
     Medicine, 3rd Edition, Lea and Febiger Publishing, 1994.
     \2\ Nicogossian, Mohler, Gazenko, Grigoryev, Foundations of 
     Space Biology and Medicine, Volume II: Life Support and 
     Habitation, American Institute of Aeronautics and 
     Astronautics, 1993.
     \3\ Dehart, Fundamentals of Space Medicine, 2nd Edition, 
     Williams and Wilkins Publishing, 1996.
     \4\ Glicksman, et. al., Physical Review Letters, Vol. 73, No. 
     4, 1993.
     \5\ Hart, et. al., Science, Volume 234, No., 61, 1986.
     \6\ Lipa, et. al., Physical Review Letters, Vol. 76, No. 6, 
     1996.
     \7\ The May 1997 journal published by The Society for In 
     Vitro Biology contains over a dozen original research papers 
     using the NASA bioreactor.
     \8\ McPherson, ``Macromolecular Crystal Growth in 
     Microgravity'' in Crystallography Reviews, Vol. 6, No. 2, 
     1996, 157-308).

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, as the ranking member of the VA-HUD 
Committee, of which NASA is one of our key agencies, I thank the 
Senator from Ohio for his detailed speech about what NASA is doing, not 
only today, but what it will do tomorrow. I believe the Senator, by 
talking about the exciting projects that we have, many of which have 
originated from the work at the Johnson space station, in the Presiding 
Officer's home State, the work in the area of health care. I visited 
these programs, know the merit they have, particularly in cancer 
research, tumor research, the issues outlined by the Senator from Ohio.
  Also, in 1992, NASA and NIH signed a joint memorandum of agreement on 
how they can work together to maximize the research being done by the 
space agency, along with NIH, on issues related particularly to cancer 
and to issues related to women's health. Issues like osteoporosis, the 
same kinds of problems that the astronauts face being in orbit, are 
what many face, particularly we women on Earth. We lose bone density.
  There has been a lot of joint effort and a lot of joint agreement. I 
think the Senator made a very valuable contribution and I thank him for 
his remarks.
  Sometimes for those of us who seek funding for NASA, it sounds self-
serving, that we would tout, pull out an item or two. But when Senator 
John Glenn, an astronaut-Senator, speaks to it, I think the whole world 
listens.
  We thank him for his comments and his contribution to the Senate and 
to the American space program.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. BOND. I join my distinguished colleague from Maryland in thanking 
our friend from Ohio. No one in this body speaks with more knowledge 
and expertise on space issues than Senator John Glenn. To hear him talk 
about the exciting things that are happening in space, science and 
medical advances, it truly is remarkable. It gives one a sense of what 
we can accomplish with the investments we make.
  This is extremely helpful, as we go into the debate, because these 
are very tight budget times. We have taken a step of assuring that 
money is available for space, for investment in our future by the 
exploration not just of space but of the scientific discoveries that 
can come from utilizing the space station.
  I thank him first as one who is interested in science. I envy his 
background and his knowledge. I appreciate very much his description of 
the exciting things that can come from space exploration, not just for 
those of us who are worrying about the funny-named rocks on Mars but 
those who want to see concrete and specific medical advances here 
today.
  Mr. GLENN. We have in room S. 211, for the information of Senators or 
their staffs, a panoramic view that has been put together by NASA of 
Mars as taken from the Pathfinder. A full-sized model is out there for 
people to look at. It is intriguing. It is so tiny you cannot believe 
it is sending all this information back to us on Earth.
  We invite staffs or Senators when they come over for a vote which 
starts at 5:15 to stop in and look at it. It is very worthwhile and 
gives a different concept than just seeing the pictures on TV.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. BOND. I had my picture taken with the Sojourner. I thought it was 
quite coincidental that the Sojourner model showed up today. Timing is 
everything.
  I urge my colleagues who are interested in this space exploration to 
look at the panoramic view to see how the Sojourner operates.
  I see my colleague from Texas is anxious to speak. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. DeWine). The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to say it was a pleasure for me 
to hear the Senator from Ohio talk about this very important subject. I 
am

[[Page S7763]]

proud the Senator from Ohio was once my constituent when he made the 
historic trip into space--that was really the beginning of our space 
program--and made us all so proud that we really could conquer space. 
What we have learned and what we have done for quality of life and for 
health research since his first foray into space has been, perhaps, 
more than even he could have dreamed would happen.
  I am very proud he is a supporter of the space station and the NASA 
Program and knows that what he did in the beginning is certainly not 
the end and certainly, I hope, we can continue the legacy that he has 
left for us.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I believe the leader is going to be here 
shortly to discuss the voting schedule for tonight. I know votes were 
scheduled to begin at 5:15, but pending the arrival of the majority 
leader, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________