[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LANDMARK HEARINGS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today was a landmark day for the 
American people in hearings before two Senate committee on which I 
serve.
  As chairman of the Special Committee on Aging and the request of my 
colleague, Senator Shelby, I assembled several panels to raise the 
awareness of the second-leading cause of cancer death for men: prostate 
cancer.
  In the Finance Committee, we opened up 3 days of unprecedented 
oversight hearings into systemic abuses of power by the Internal 
Revenue Service.
  The telephones were ringing off the hook in my office as these 
hearings were underway. That's how much these issues struck a chord 
with the American people.
  And suddenly, the hearings were canceled. Why? Was it a national 
emergency? The death of a colleague? An international crisis? Hardly.
  Instead, the Democratic leadership used the Senate rules to shut down 
the public's business.
  They shut down important policy debates on prostate cancer and IRS 
abuses. And that's only in the two committees I was involved with. 
Other committees were affected.
  What's apparently more important to the Democratic leadership than 
these issues is a partisan political issue in Louisiana. It's an issue 
involving campaign irregularities in a campaign in Louisiana involving 
one of our colleagues.
  Certainly, this is an important issue, although political. But is it 
important enough to systematically close down the public's business?
  The hearing before the Committee on Aging this morning was called at 
the urging of Senator Shelby. He is a prostate cancer survivor. The 
hearing was designed literally to help save lives.
  This year alone 335,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate 
cancer. The ranking member of the Committee on Aging--Senator Breaux--
and I worked to put together a healthy policy debate about treatment 
options.
  This productive debate, a debate that could help save lives, was cut 
short this morning because of politically motivated maneuvering through 
Senate rules. We were therefore unable to engage in a full debate about 
when to screen and how to treat prostate cancer.
  Among the 10 witnesses scheduled to testify this morning was the 
distinguished former Senate majority leader Bob Dole. I'm happy we were 
able to hear his statement before the shutdown.
  Senator Dole's testimony this morning was his first official event on 
Capitol Hill since he left the Senate in June 1996.
  No better way, in my view, to get the message out.
  Today, I think this legislative body would be well-served to remember 
the productive, bi-partisan leadership of Senator Dole. The people's 
business was always Bob Dole's first concern as he presided over the 
work of the Senate for many years.
  The second very important effort stopped by this maneuvering today 
was landmark hearings of the Finance Committee to expose the excesses 
and abuses of the American taxpayer at the hands of the Internal 
Revenue Service.
  The fair-minded and very capable chairman, Senator Roth, spent 8 
months preparing these hearings to talk about the specific problems and 
to consider specific solutions on how the IRS can be restructured to 
work for taxpayers, not against them and at the expense of the civil 
liberties of individual Americans.
  All of this was disrupted by the Democratic leadership who put petty 
politics ahead of the public's health. I'm very disappointed. And I 
wouldn't be surprised to learn of the public's disappointment as well.
  The Democratic leadership needs to explain to the American people why 
partisan politics seems more important than No. 1: raising the 
awareness of the second-leading cause of cancer death for men, prostate 
cancer. No. 2: exposing abuse and mistreatment of hardworking taxpayers 
at the hands of the IRS.
  If you don't like the investigation into campaign irregularities in 
Louisiana, fine. But should the priorities of the American people be 
shoved aside for the partisan concerns of a political party? I don't 
think so.
  Mr. JEFFORDS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont is recognized.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Iowa.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa is recognized to speak 
for 2 minutes. copy

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