[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9449-S9450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1998

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, we have today an opportunity to discuss 
and to ultimately vote on, I think, one of the more important issues, 
both substantively and philosophically, within the Department of the 
Interior appropriations bill, that having to do with the future of 
Federal-State-local partnerships that have existed now for some years 
with the National Endowment for the Arts and funding for the arts in 
America.
  There are some who would suggest that somehow this is an elitist 
enterprise that involves large cities in urban areas. Coming from the 
State of South Dakota, I can assure my colleagues that the NEA and the 
funding that has gone to my home State of South Dakota has been 
absolutely critical as seed money for the promotion and the development 
of artistic efforts that have benefited virtually every school 
district, virtually every county, and community across my very large 
and rural State.
  We have, as so many States do, a great deal of artistic talent, 
commitment to the arts, but we don't have a lot of corporate sponsors, 
we don't have a lot of philanthropists, we don't have a lot of sources 
for funding that can create the seed money that we need for the arts to 
blossom, to bloom in places like South Dakota.
  The function of this funding has been absolutely critical in our 
State. It has gone to our school and communities, our touring artists, 
artisan school programs. It has gone for our Arts Corps Program for 
South Dakota's juvenile correctional facilities in partnership with our 
Department of Corrections and the South Dakota Arts Council. It has 
gone for the Indian services to sponsor the Northern Plains tribal art 
show and market, which has created a whole new environment, a whole new 
series of opportunities for Northern Plains Native Americans to develop 
their artistic skills and to market those skills. It has gone for our 
Youth at Risk Program. It has gone for our Arts in the Classroom 
Teachers' Conference, and it has created a whole new environment for 
the arts in our State.
  When I look back at what existed prior to 1965 when the NEA was 
created, we had people with great artistic talent in the State then, 
too, but we didn't have the structure to really promote the arts. Now, 
thanks to the seed money of the NEA over the years, we have in place 
the South Dakota Arts Council, we have in place the South Dakota Museum 
Association, the Rural Arts Presenting Program, Dakota Prairie 
Playhouse, the Black Hills Chamber Music Society for Big Sioux Arts 
Council. We have literally pages of arts organizations that now exist 
in every county, in virtually every community of our State that did not 
exist prior to the creation of the NEA.
  So, Mr. President, I can't emphasize too much the importance of this 
organization to enhance the quality of life for those who would 
otherwise not have great opportunities to experience performance art or 
art of any kind without this. I think we need to keep in mind that the 
issue here is really a philosophic one and not so much a budget issue.
  There is $100 million involved here for the Nation's entire artistic 
effort, less, I might add, relative to the budget and that of any other 
Western industrialized nation on Earth, but that portion of money has 
gone a long, long ways in our country. And, in fact, to keep this in 
some sort of perspective, we are going to be debating later on this 
month a defense appropriations bill where there are those in conference 
who would like us to purchase nine more B-2 bombers at a cost of $1 
billion apiece. Our entire arts program, that goes to every school, 
every county and every city in our Nation costs one-tenth of one 
bomber. It costs less than it would cost to maintain this fleet of 
aircraft that the Pentagon does not even want.
  So this is, relative to the entire budget, a modest effort, less than 
what other countries devote, but yet crucially, crucially important, 
not just for large urban areas and large artistic organizations, but 
for those of us in rural America who find this an absolute lifeline.
  It is certainly my hope that by the time we conclude the debate on 
the Interior appropriations bill today that we will find our way to 
insist that there continues to be a strong Federal-local, public-
private partnership in the arts that has gone on now for over 30 years 
and which has been responsible, I think, for an enormous amount of very 
constructive, positive effort for our children, for the quality of life 
in our communities, big and small.
  I know that there are several amendments pending. I won't go into 
detail about each of them, other than to say, again, I certainly ask my 
colleagues to very carefully review these amendments. It is critical 
that when the day is done that we continue to have modest but 
responsible funding for the arts in the United States. I yield the 
floor.
  Mr. GORTON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington is recognized.


                      Unanimous-Consent Agreement

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, the following request has been cleared.
  I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate considers Senator 
Bryan's amendment regarding forest roads, there be 90 minutes equally 
divided in the usual form. I further ask unanimous consent that no 
second-degree amendment be in order to the Bryan amendment. I further 
ask unanimous consent that following the expiration or yielding back of 
time, a vote occur on the amendment at a time to be determined by the 
two leaders.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I understand that Senator Bryan is on his 
way to the floor to begin that debate. I believe that the principal 
opponents of the amendment have also been notified. In any event, they 
should proceed immediately to the floor to engage in

[[Page S9450]]

the debate, which is on a seriously contested amendment.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The 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.
  The Senator from Alaska is recognized.
  Mr. STEVENS. Thank you, Mr. President.

                          ____________________