[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 154 (Thursday, November 6, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11849-S11850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECIPROCAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT OF 1997

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration S. 1269, for the purpose of laying 
down two first-degree amendments only.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1269) to establish objectives for negotiating 
     and procedures for implementing certain trade agreements.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DORGAN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.


                           Amendment No. 1594

    (Purpose: To establish an emergency commission to end the trade 
                                deficit)

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, the Senator from North Dakota calls up 
amendment No. 1594, which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from North Dakota [Mr. Dorgan] for himself, Mr. 
     Byrd and Mr. Sarbanes, proposes an amendment numbered 1594.

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under 
``Amendments Submitted.'')
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me take just 1 minute to describe the 
amendment. I offer the amendment on behalf of myself, Senator Byrd from 
West Virginia, and Senator Sarbanes from Maryland. I hope that this 
amendment will be agreed to at some point. It is an amendment that 
deals with the trade deficit. It would establish an emergency 
commission to end the trade deficit, a commission that would be 
comprised of 21 members to study and analyze and evaluate the trade 
deficit and, over 16 months, make recommendations to the Congress on 
how to grapple with this vexing trade deficit.
  Mr. President, we have had 21 years of consecutive trade deficits, 
each of the last 3 years the highest trade deficits in the history of 
this country. Our trade strategy isn't working. We need to change it. 
The question is how do we change it so that we end these crippling 
trade deficits. We propose a commission to make recommendations to 
Congress. I hope it will be successful.
  Mr. President, with that I intend to come back to the floor and speak 
at greater length, but at this point I yield the floor.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Dorgan 
amendment be set aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1602

   (Purpose: To establish a research and monitoring program for the 
national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter 
    and to reinstate the original standards under the Clean Air Act)

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask 
for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Oklahoma [Mr. Inhofe] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1602.

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       At the end of the bill, add the following:
            TITLE __--OZONE AND PARTICULATE MATTER RESEARCH

     SEC. __01. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Ozone and Particulate 
     Matter Research Act of 1997''.

[[Page S11850]]

     SEC. __02. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) implementation of the national ambient air quality 
     standards published in the Federal Register on July 18, 1997 
     (62 Fed. Reg. 38856), would damage the international 
     competitiveness of the United States manufacturing industry 
     and effectively subsidize imports, penalize exports, and add 
     to an already large United States trade deficit;
       (2) Public Law 101-549 (commonly known as the ``Clean Air 
     Act Amendments of 1990'') (104 Stat. 2399) established a 
     number of measures and programs that address ozone and 
     particulate matter pollution and the precursors to ozone and 
     particulate matter pollution;
       (3) as of the date of enactment of this Act, most of the 
     measures and programs are continuing or have yet to be 
     implemented;
       (4) the United States has made significant progress in 
     reducing atmospheric levels of ozone and particulate matter 
     since the enactment of Public Law 101-549 and will continue 
     to make significant progress in reducing atmospheric levels 
     of ozone and particulate matter through continued 
     implementation of that Act during the 5-year period beginning 
     on the date of enactment of this Act;
       (5)(A) the national ambient air quality standards for ozone 
     that were in effect on July 15, 1997, are explicitly 
     incorporated into part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (42 
     U.S.C. 7501 et seq.); and
       (B) the changes to those standards published in the Federal 
     Register on July 18, 1997 (62 Fed. Reg. 38856), could nullify 
     many of the ozone provisions in Public Law 101-549 and lead 
     to disruptions and delays in the reduction of ozone and the 
     precursors to ozone;
       (6) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee have 
     recommended that additional research be conducted to 
     determine any adverse health effects of fine particles 
     (including research on the biological mechanism for adverse 
     health effects, toxicity and dose response levels, and the 
     specification of the size and type of particle that might 
     have adverse health effects); and
       (7) available atmospheric data regarding fine particle 
     levels in the United States are inadequate to provide an 
     understanding of any adverse health effects of fine particles 
     or a basis for designating areas under title I of the Clean 
     Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).

     SEC. __03. PARTICULATE MATTER RESEARCH PROGRAM.

       (a) Independent Panel.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency (referred to in this title as the 
     ``Administrator'') shall request the National Academy of 
     Sciences to convene an independent panel of scientists with 
     expertise in the health effects of air pollution to establish 
     priorities for research on the health effects of particulate 
     matter.
       (2) Report.--Not later than February 1, 1998, the 
     Administrator shall report to Congress on the recommendations 
     of the independent panel.
       (b) Research Priorities.--At a minimum, the independent 
     panel shall consider--
       (1) the sizes and physical-chemical characteristics of the 
     constituents of particulate matter;
       (2) the health effects of individual exposure to 
     concentrations of fine particulate matter at ambient levels 
     versus indoor levels;
       (3) the identification and evaluation of biological 
     mechanisms for fine particulate matter as related to 
     shortening of lives, acute mortality, and morbidity;
       (4) controlled inhalation exposure as a determinant of 
     dose-response relationships; and
       (5) long-term health effect evaluations that examine 
     individual exposure to fine particulate matter, other 
     particulate indicators, and other copollutants and airborne 
     allergens.
       (c) Interagency Committee.--
       (1) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a 
     committee to be known as the ``Particulate Matter Interagency 
     Committee'' (referred to in this title as the ``Interagency 
     Committee'').
       (2) Purposes.--The Interagency Committee shall--
       (A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, develop recommendations for a program to coordinate 
     the activities of Federal agencies engaged in research on 
     human health effects of particulate matter that ensures that 
     the research advances the prioritized agenda of the 
     independent panel; and
       (B) monitor, review, and periodically evaluate the program.
       (3) Composition of interagency committee.--
       (A) Membership.--The Interagency Committee shall be 
     composed of 8 members, of whom--
       (i) 1 shall be appointed by the Administrator;
       (ii) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture;
       (iii) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense;
       (iv) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Energy;
       (v) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services;
       (vi) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the National 
     Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
       (vii) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology; and
       (viii) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the Office 
     of Science and Technology Policy.
       (B) Chairperson.--From among the members appointed under 
     clauses (ii) through (viii) of subparagraph (A), the 
     Interagency Committee shall elect a chairperson who shall be 
     responsible for ensuring that the duties of the Interagency 
     Committee are carried out.
       (C) Staff.--Members of the Interagency Committee shall 
     provide appropriate staff to carry out the duties of the 
     Interagency Committee.
       (d) Report to Interagency Committee.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall request the 
     National Academy of Sciences to periodically submit to the 
     Interagency Committee, the Clean Air Science Advisory 
     Committee, and Congress a report that evaluates the 
     prioritized research activities under the program described 
     in subsection (c)(2)(A).
       (2) Expenses.--The Administrator shall be responsible for 
     expenses incurred by the National Academy of Sciences in 
     carrying out paragraph (1).

     SEC. __04. SCIENCE REVIEW.

       Not earlier than 4 years after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Administrator shall--
       (1) complete a thorough review of the air quality criteria 
     published under section 108 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
     7408) for ozone and fine particulate matter and a thorough 
     review of the standards in effect under that Act for ozone 
     and particulate matter; and
       (2) determine, in accordance with sections 108 and 109 of 
     that Act (42 U.S.C. 7408, 7409), whether to--
       (A) retain the criteria and standards in effect under that 
     Act for ozone and particulate matter;
       (B) make revisions in the criteria and standards; or
       (C) promulgate new criteria and standards.

     SEC. __05. PARTICULATE MONITORING PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator may require State 
     implementation plans to require ambient air quality 
     monitoring for fine particulate matter pursuant to section 
     110(a)(2)(B) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2)(B)).
       (b) Grants.--The Administrator shall make grants to States 
     to carry out monitoring required under subsection (a).

     SEC. __06. REINSTATEMENT OF STANDARDS.

       (a) In General.--The national ambient air quality standards 
     for ozone and particulate matter under section 109 of the 
     Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409), as in effect on July 15, 
     1997, are reinstated, and any national ambient air quality 
     standard for ozone or particulate matter that may be 
     promulgated after July 15, 1997, but before completion of the 
     science review under section 4 shall be of no effect.
       (b) Revision of Standards.--The national ambient air 
     quality standards for ozone and particulate matter reinstated 
     under subsection (a) shall not be revised until completion of 
     the scientific review under section __04.

     SEC. __07. ALLERGEN RESEARCH.

       The National Institutes of Health shall carry out a 
     research program to study the health effects of allergens on 
     asthmatics, especially asthmatics in urban inner city areas.

     SEC. __08. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal 
     years 1998 through 2002--
       (1) $75,000,000 to carry out sections __01 through __06; 
     and
       (2) $25,000,000 to carry out section __07.

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I will make the same request that the 
Senator from North Dakota did. I will be wanting to come back and take 
up this amendment. I ask at this time it be set aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________