[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 25, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2866-S2870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. SNOWE:
  S. 2455. A bill to enhance Department of Education efforts to 
facilitate the involvement of small business owners in State and local 
initiatives to improve education; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.


    small business employment and education enhancement act of 2000

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation, the Small 
Business Employment and Education Act of 2000, which is designed to 
enhance federal efforts to facilitate the involvement of small business 
owners and entrepreneurs in state and local initiatives to improve the 
quality of education programs for our young people.
  Mr. President, last year, the Small Business Committee, of which I am 
a member, held a hearing on the challenges facing the small business 
community as a result of the failure of many of our educational 
institutions to teach students the basic skills that are necessary to 
succeed in today's work environment. The committee heard testimony from 
a number of small businesses and organizations about this growing 
problem.
  And just how big is the problem? A 1999 American Management 
Association survey on workplace testing found that approximately 36 
percent of employees tested for basic skills were found to be deficient 
in these skills, and small businesses reported deficiency rates well 
above the national average. Sixty percent of AMA-member companies 
reported that the availability of skilled manpower was scarce, and 67 
percent believe that the shortages will continue.
  A 1999 NFIB report found that 18 percent of NFIB members report that 
finding qualified labor is the single most important problem facing 
their business today.
  Likewise, a 1999 poll of U.S. Chambers of Commerce found that 83 
percent reported the ability--or lack thereof--to find qualified 
workers was among their biggest concerns, and 53 percent said education 
is the single most pressing public policy issue to them.
  This information clearly illustrates that the business community, and 
small businesses in particular, have an important stake in the 
education of our youth. One of the most fundamental needs that any 
growing business faces is the need for employees with basic skills, and 
concerns have been expressed by the small business community that many 
students are not graduating with the basic skills in reading, writing, 
mathematics, and science--skills that need to succeed in today's 
workplace or become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
  The fact of the matter is, Mr. President, the growth of high-skilled 
jobs is outpacing growth in all other fields. We must not allow basic 
skills to slip away if we are to remain competitive in an increasingly 
aggressive and technology-based global market.
  Small business is the driving force behind our economy, and as we 
authorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we must take into 
account the needs of businesses, and small businesses in particular. To 
that end, locally-driven initiatives are crucial. In order to create 
jobs, we must encourage small business expansion and foster small 
business entrepreneurship, and I believe that education initiatives are 
key to this.
  Under the Small Business Employment and Education Enhancement Act, 
the Department of Education would disseminate information and 
facilitate the sharing of information designed to assist small 
businesses in working with school systems to improve our education 
institutions. For example, the agency would publish guidance materials, 
best practices, checklists and other materials on the World Wide Web, 
in Department of Education publications and articles, letters, links to 
related World Wide Web sites, public service announcements, and through 
other means at the Department's disposal.
  The Department of Education would establish a centralized database of 
materials and act as a clearinghouse for information on initiatives 
that have proven successful.

  The Secretary of the Department of Education would also establish an 
Office of Small Business Education to promote efforts to address the 
needs of small businesses through education programs. This division 
would work to remove any existing impediments to partnerships between 
school systems and small businesses, and propose solutions to 
education-related problems facing small businesses.
  The goal of the bill I am introducing today is to facilitate 
partnerships between communities and businesses. I believe it should be 
easy for communities that are interested in designing business/school 
partnerships to get the information they need on how to do so. With 
access to kinds of sources envisioned in this legislation, communities 
would be able to model a program after a proven approach.
  In addition, my bill authorizes technical assistance to be 
administered by the Office of Small Business Education to be used to 
provide guidance to small businesses, small business organizations, 
schools systems, and communities working cooperatively to enhance the 
teaching of basic skills.
  The bill would also establish tax credits to encourage companies to 
provide work study, internship, or fellowship opportunities for 
students and teachers.
  Finally, the bill includes a provision directing the Department of 
Education to conduct a study and report to Congress on the challenges 
facing small businesses in obtaining workers with adequate skills; an 
assessment of the impact on small businesses of the skills shortage; 
the costs to small businesses associated with this shortage; and the 
recommendations for the Secretary on how to address these challenges.
  Mr. President, I hope this legislation will provide a foundation for 
cooperative initiatives between small businesses and school systems, 
and I look forward to working with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions Committee and others as we prepare to reauthorize the 
elementary and secondary education act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself and Mr. Kohl):
  S. 2458. A bill to designate the facility of the Unites States Postal 
Service located at 1818 Milton Avenue in Janesville, Wisconsin, as the 
``Les Aspin Post Office Building''; to the Committee on Governmental 
Affairs.


  legislation naming the janesville post office in memory of les aspin

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
rename the United States Post Office in my home town of Janesville, 
Wisconsin in honor of Les Aspin. I am joined by my colleague from 
Wisconsin, Senator Kohl. This bill is a companion to legislation 
introduced in the House by Congressman Paul Ryan, who represents the 
First District of Wisconsin, which includes Janesville.
  This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of Les' first campaign for 
the First Congressional District seat in Wisconsin. I was a junior at 
Janesville Craig High School at the time, and I signed up as a 
volunteer on Les' campaign. He won that election after a tough recount 
in the primary, defeating the incumbent Congressman.
  Following the campaign, I interned in his district office in 
Janesville during the summers of 1971 and in 1972. I am proud to say 
that during the next 25 years, Les and I had a continuing friendship, 
as he carved out a distinguished career in the United States House of 
Representatives, eventually rising to become the Chairman of the Armed 
Services Committee, while I prepared for and began my own career.
  Les Aspin served his country ably in many capacities. As an Army 
captain, he worked as an analyst in the Pentagon; he served on the 
staff of President John F. Kennedy's Council of Economic Advisors; he 
represented Wisconsinites for 22 years in Congress; he enthusiastically 
took on the giant task of steering the Defense Department into the 
uncharted waters of the post-Cold War era. Mr. Aspin served as 
Secretary of Defense under President Clinton and, at the time of his 
death in 1995, he was the chair of the President's Foreign Intelligence 
Advisory Board, working on needed reforms in our intelligence 
communities.
  Mr. President, Les Aspin was a man I deeply respected and admired, 
and I felt a profound sense of loss at his passing. Renaming the 
Janesville post office in his honor is a fitting way to remember a man 
who spent his life serving the people of Wisconsin and of the

[[Page S2867]]

United States. I hope my colleagues will support this legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2458

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF LES ASPIN POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 1818 Milton Avenue in Janesville, 
     Wisconsin, shall be known and designated as the ``Les Aspin 
     Post Office Building''.
       (b) Referrences.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Les Aspin Post Office Building''.

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues from 
Wisconsin in introducing this legislation to honor the memory of Les 
Aspiin. Long before I entered politics, Les Aspin was a good friend of 
mine. I had the good fortune to serve with Les Aspin in Congress and to 
work with him when he served as Secretary of Defense. Les Aspin was 
truly dedicated to public service. He was genuinely challenged by the 
policy making process, and he was not hesitant in bringing his great 
intellectual gifts to bear on the problems of our time. He was a master 
of the Sunday morning talk shows, expounding on the issues of the day 
with his trenchant analyses. As chairman of the House Armed Services 
Committee, Les Aspin was one of the most influential voices on U.S. 
defense policy.
  His ascension to the chairmanship of the House Armed Services 
Committee was not without rancor, but even those who disagreed with Les 
respected his verve and determination.
  When we lost Les Aspin, we lost a man of great vision. He was one of 
the few who realized that we needed a completely new way of thinking 
about national security policy in the post-cold-war era. He had the 
capacity to think through the difficult issues involved in developing 
such a policy. And, he was unrelenting in making us deal with those 
issues.
  Even though Les Aspin became a powerful national figure, he never 
forgot his roots. Les represented the 1st Congressional District for 22 
years and he cared deeply about the people of his district. He was 
aggressive in pursuing projects that would benefit the people of 
Wisconsin and he left no stone unturned in helping resolve constituent 
problems. He especially recognized the importance of reliable postal 
service in small and big towns alike. He was known to become personally 
involved in responding to complaints from constituents about postal 
service, often attending meetings across the district on postal issues. 
Les became intimately involved when the Janesville Postal Office was 
moved from downtown, working to ensure that service was retained for 
all, especially small businesses and other postal patrons who relied on 
the downtown post office. Thus, naming the Janesville Post Office after 
Les Aspin is a most fitting tribute to his many years of service to the 
people of the First Congressional District.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and hope for its 
speedy passage.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. COVERDELL (for himself, Mr. Lott, Mr. McCain, Mr. 
        Thurmond, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Helms, Mr. Warner, Mr. Murkowski, 
        Mr. Jeffords, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Lugar, Ms. Collins, 
        Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Crapo, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. 
        Inhofe, Mr. Burns, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Grams, Mr. Mack, 
        Mr. Craig, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Enzi, 
        Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Smith of New 
        Hampshire, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Gorton, and Mrs. 
        Hutchison):
  S. 2459. A bill to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of 
the Congress to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy 
Reagan in recognition of their service to the Nation; to the Committee 
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.


                  the reagan congressional gold medal

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, it is with a deep sense of honor that I 
rise today to introduce legislation awarding former President and Mrs. 
Ronald Reagan the Congressional Gold Medal. Very few Americans have had 
as profound an impact upon this Nation and the world as this remarkable 
couple have.
  In his eight years in office, President Reagan restored American's 
sense of pride and set us squarely on the course of prosperity we still 
enjoy today. He was instrumental in the collapse of the Soviet Empire 
that brought an end to the Cold War. Who could forget his ringing 
challenge from Berlin's Bradenburg Gate, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 
this Wall!'' By 1989, to the amazement of the world, Germany was 
unified, and the Wall became a memory. Reagan's character, wit, and 
eloquence as the ``Great Communicator'' brought honor to the Office of 
the President and endeared him to us all.
  As First Lady, Nancy Reagan's contributions were equally significant 
in their own right. She not only bestowed elegance and grace upon the 
White House, but she also brought critical leadership to righting the 
scourge of illegal drugs. Tirelessly encouraging our Nation's youth to 
``Just Say No,'' Mrs. Reagan was instrumental in successfully reducing 
the rate of illegal drug use among our children.
  The Reagans have continued to inspire us even after their years in 
the White House. President and Nancy Reagan have confronted his 
Alzheimer's disease with the same dignity and bravery they displayed in 
office. Their fight inspires hope in millions of Americans who also 
must struggle with this disease. Our thoughts and best wishes for them 
are constant.
  The leadership and dedication that President and Mrs. Reagan provided 
this Nation will undeniably endure throughout the course of human 
events. It is now time for a grateful people and Nation to say, ``Thank 
you.'' I am very appreciative of my many colleagues who join me today 
in sponsoring this legislation and invite others to join us in honoring 
President and Nancy Reagan.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2459

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Both former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy 
     Reagan have distinguished records of public service to the 
     United States, the American people, and the international 
     community.
       (2) As President, Ronald Reagan restored ``the great, 
     confident roar of American progress, growth, and optimism'', 
     a pledge which he made before being elected to office.
       (3) President Ronald Reagan's leadership was instrumental 
     in uniting a divided world by bringing about an end to the 
     cold war.
       (4) The United States enjoyed sustained economic prosperity 
     and employment growth during Ronald Reagan's presidency.
       (5) President Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy not only served as 
     a gracious First Lady but also as a proponent for preventing 
     alcohol and drug use among the Nation's youth by championing 
     the ``Just Say No'' campaign.
       (6) Together, Ronald and Nancy Reagan dedicated their lives 
     to promoting national pride and to bettering the quality of 
     life in the United States and throughout the world.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan 
     in recognition of their service to the Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the 
     presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
     Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
     gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 at a price sufficient 
     to cover the costs of the medals (including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses) and the cost 
     of the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

[[Page S2868]]

     SEC. 5. FUNDING AND PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authorization.--There is hereby authorized to be 
     charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund 
     an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the 
     medals authorized by this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. FEINGOLD:
  S. 2460. A bill to authorize the payment of rewards to individuals 
furnishing information relating to persons subject to indictment for 
serious violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.


             expansion of rewards program to include rwanda

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to 
authorize payment of rewards to individuals furnishing information 
relating to persons subject to indictment for serious violations of 
international humanitarian law in Rwanda. This bill would add the 
masterminds of the Rwandan genocide to the list of individuals our 
rewards program is helping to track down, and this legislation will 
send those individuals a clear message--that there is no impunity for 
genocide, that the world will not forget, and that they cannot evade 
justice forever.
  Six years ago today, a headline ran on the front page of the New York 
Times reading--``Rwandan Refugees Describe Horrors After a Bloody 
Trek.'' The lead-in read as follows:

       Their clothes are blood-soaked, and their wounds are eerily 
     similar. Pursued by fear, the 450 or so men, women and 
     children in the makeshift hospital here made the same journey 
     across the border from Rwanda, nursing the deep gouges made 
     by the machetes that struck their skulls, necks and hands.

  Six years ago today the media was just waking up to the horror 
unfolding in Rwanda, although the killing had been going on for weeks. 
Six years ago today, the reporters filing their stories from Burundi 
and Zaire were still cautious about the word ``genocide.'' They still 
referred to ``ancient tribal hatreds'' as the source of the 
incomprehensible violence engulfing the tiny central African country. 
Six years ago today, the death toll in the Rwandan genocide continued 
to mount while the international community stood by and watched, 
despite clear warnings, and despite the International Convention on the 
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide that committed 
signatories to act. Six years ago, U.S. leadership failed, the 
international community floundered, and the global bond of basic human 
decency broke, leaving the people of Rwanda to face terror alone.
  Mr. President, we know today that the genocide was not a series of 
spontaneous acts; it was not about crowds gone wild or tribal 
bloodlust. It was carefully planned and centrally directed. Extra 
machetes had been imported, militias groups were in place, and 
incitements to murder had become a regular element of programming on 
the hate-radio station. The planners targeted not only ethnic Tutsis, 
but also politically moderate Hutus who threatened their grip on power. 
We know today that individual people--leaders and planners--are 
responsible for the deaths of some 800,000 people, and that the blame 
for these atrocities cannot be heaped on some imagined cultural failing 
or the flaws of the human heart in general.
  Holding those individuals responsible for the genocide accountable 
for their actions is the only remaining opportunity for the 
international community to do the right thing with regard to the events 
of 6 years ago. For this reason, I have consistently supported the 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, known as the ICTR. The ICTR 
was created by the United Nations Security Council in November 1994 to 
prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations 
of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda during 1994. Its 
structure mirrors that of the International Criminal Tribunal for the 
Former Yugoslavia, the ICTY.
  I have come to this floor in the past to raise the issue of parity 
between the ICTY and the ICTR. In particular, I have pointed out that 
whereas the ICTY has the authority to prosecute individuals for serious 
violations of international humanitarian law committed since 1991 
through the present, the ICTR's mandate covers only those acts 
committed within Rwandan borders during 1994. Last year, the Senate 
approved an amendment that I offered to the State Department 
authorization bill requiring a report on the merits of expanding the 
mandate to the ICTR in space and time, both to deter further abuses and 
to hold the perpetrators of the continuing atrocities in the Great 
Lakes accountable for their actions.

  Even if we accept the confines of the current mandate, I fear that 
the ICTR is being given short shrift. Under current U.S. law, the 
Secretary of State can confer with the Attorney General and, through 
the rewards program that offers incentives to turn in terrorists and 
other international villains, pay a reward to any individual furnishing 
information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any 
person who is the subject of an indictment of the ICTY. Similarly, the 
reward may be made to any individual furnishing information leading to 
the transfer to or conviction by the International Criminal Tribunal 
for the Former Yugoslavia. But there is no such provision for the 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
  It is situations like these that feed perceptions of a double-
standard in American foreign policy, wherein African lives are somehow 
less valuable than European ones, and African atrocities are somehow 
more acceptable. That perceived double-standard undermines American 
credibility and casts doubt on our commitment to the values we hold 
most dear, the values at the very foundation of our national identity.
  The ICTR is not perfect, but it has been responsible for the first 
convictions for the crime of genocide ever to be issued by an 
international court. It has been the first international body to 
recognize rape as a crime of genocide. And knowledgeable observers 
agree that it has made a great deal of progress since its early days, 
and that it has gone further to bring ``big fish" to justice than the 
ICTY. But more needs to be done. I will submit for the Record an 
article from the most recent issue of The Economist, headlined ``Still 
Wanted,'' which details some of the challenges the international 
community faces in bringing the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide to 
justice. The United States should assist in these efforts. And the 
existing law that I propose amending ensures that the State Department 
and the Department of Justice--not the U.N.--will govern the offering, 
administration, and payment of rewards. Six years after the Rwandan 
genocide, six years after the slaughter of 800,000 people, including 
those indicted by the ICTR in the rewards program is the very least we 
can do.
  I yield the floor, and ask unanimous consent that the bill and 
article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2460

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF REWARDS PROGRAM TO INCLUDE RWANDA.

       Section 102 of the Act of October 30, 1998 (Public Law 105-
     323) is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by inserting ``OR RWANDA'' 
     after ``YUGOSLAVIA'';
       (2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``or the 
     International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda'' after 
     ``Yugoslavia''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)-
       (A) by inserting ``(1)'' immediately after ``Reference.--
     ''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) For the purposes of subsection (a), the statute of 
     the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda means the 
     statute contained in the annex to Security Council Resolution 
     955 of November 8, 1994.''.
                                  ____


                  [From the Economist, Apr. 22, 2000]

                              Still Wanted

       Will Felicien Kabuga or Tharcisse Renzaho ever be brought 
     to justice? They are still at large, among several hundred 
     other senior Rwandans who in 1994 planned and promoted the 
     genocide of up to 1m people. Mr. Kabuga was a businessman who 
     financed the murderous Hutu militias, supplied them with 
     machetes and was part owner of Radio Mille Collines, the 
     radio station that broadcast the orders for genocide. Colonel 
     Renzaho was the governor of the capital, Kigali. He directed 
     the killing squads there, ordering them to make sure that 
     ``none can escape'', and he was a member of the committee 
     that co-ordinated the slaughter throughout the country.
       So far, 44 people have been detained by the International 
     Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda,

[[Page S2869]]

     based in Arusha in Tanzania. Seven have been convicted, of 
     whom six are on appeal. The prosecutor is still looking for 
     about 35 people. Although names are not published for fear of 
     alerting men on the run, Mr. Kabuga and Colonel Renzaho are 
     almost certainly on the list. Arrested or hunted, they are 
     still only a small proportion of the people who planned and 
     executed the fastest and most orderly genocide in history.
       While the UN tribunal grinds on in Arusha, the Rwandan 
     government is busy bringing genocide criminals before its own 
     courts. If the main perpetrators are to be caught, and the 
     evidence found to convict them, the two should co-operate. 
     But their relationship, though it now shows signs of 
     improvement, has long been unhappy. The government objects, 
     among other things, to the money spent on the tribunal, which 
     it feels could have been better used to rebuild a justice 
     system in Rwanda.
       The government has so far detained more than 120,000 people 
     accused of genocide, of whom over 2,000 have been convicted 
     and 300 sentenced to death. At the end of last year, it 
     produced a list of 2,133 people suspected of planning or 
     directing the genocide. Most of them are still at large.
       Many of the missing villains are in Congo. Senior military 
     officers fled there after their genocidal government was 
     defeated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which now rules the 
     country. In Congo, they regrouped soldiers and militiamen 
     responsible for the killing. Since Rwanda became involved in 
     Congo's civil war, many of the Rwandan militiamen are 
     fighting on the side of president Laurent Kabila, against the 
     Congolese rebels who, in their turn, are backed by the 
     Rwandan government. So long as Congo's fighting continues, 
     the missing Rwandans will be difficult to arrest--and they 
     are making sure that the war continues.
       Others are in Tanzania. Hutus from both Rwanda and Burundi 
     are well established in the administration of western 
     Tanzania from where, probably without the knowledge of the 
     central government, they protect some of the killers. Others, 
     again, are scattered around the world, some with false 
     identities. Mr. Kabuga was said to have been spotted in 
     Switzerland but is now thought to be in Kenya. Colonel 
     Renzaho is probably in Congo. Governments do not seem to be 
     making much effort to find them. Those who have been 
     discovered--in Britain, America, France, Belgium and 
     Denmark--have often been unmasked by journalists.
       By contrast, western security services expend considerable 
     energy on tracking down war criminals from the conflicts in 
     former Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav war-crimes tribunal in The 
     Hague has so far issued over 90 indictments, and arrested 
     more than 40 suspects, of whom 15 have been sentenced. It has 
     named 29 people it is still looking for. So far as is known, 
     they are all still in the region, either in power in Serbia 
     or hiding in Bosnia.
       It is much harder to find the dispersed Rwandans. Moreover, 
     even if they were caught and sent to the tribunal, gathering 
     evidence to prosecute them would be difficult. Persuading 
     witnesses to leave their homes and come to Arusha to give 
     evidence, and then providing them with protection when they 
     return, is fraught with trouble. The horrible fact is that 
     the only living witnesses to some of the worst Rwandan 
     massacres are the perpetrators themselves.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. Breaux):
  S. 2462. A bill to provide for the establishment of the Cat Island 
National Wildlife Refuge in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.


    legislation establishing the cat island national wildlife refuge

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my 
distinguished colleague from Louisiana, Senator John Breaux, in 
introducing legislation that would establish the Cat Island National 
Wildlife Refuge in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Cat Island is one 
of the last remaining tracts in the Lower Mississippi River Valley that 
is still influenced by the natural dynamics of the river. The 36,500 
acre site supports one of the largest densities of virgin bald cypress 
trees in the entire Mississippi River Valley. The site is also the home 
of the nation's largest cypress tree. Cat Island is important habitat 
for several declining species of songbirds and thousands of wintering 
waterfowl. The site is also home to the Louisiana black bear and high 
populations of deer, squirrel, turkey, and furbearing mammals such as 
mink and bobcats. We introduce this important legislation with the 
purpose of preserving and enhancing this valuable natural resource for 
our nation and generations to come.
  Mr. President, I recently had the good fortune of visiting Cat Island 
with Senator Breaux and representatives from the U.S. Department of the 
Interior, and I must tell you I was overwhelmed by the breathtaking 
beauty and bountiful natural resources of this site. Cat Island truly 
represents one of the most valuable and productive wildlife habitats in 
the United States. The site has high value for public uses such as 
outdoor recreation, environmental education, ecotourism, hunting, and 
fishing.
  There has been a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for protecting and 
enhancing the natural resources of Cat Island. Citizens and elected 
officials from the State of Louisiana, representatives from national 
environmental conservation organizations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service have supported our efforts in developing this important 
legislation. The Police Jurors of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, 
have passed a resolution in support of establishing the Cat Island 
National Wildlife Refuge. The Governor of Louisiana and the Secretary 
of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have endorsed 
creating the refuge. The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana has generously 
agreed to underwrite the operation and maintenance cost for the Fish 
and Wildlife Service during the first three years of operation of the 
refuge. The conservation organization will also facilitate the 
acquisition of the site and the transfer of ownership to the Fish and 
Wildlife Service. Most recently, the President allocated $4 million in 
his fiscal year 2001 budget for land acquisitions at the Cat Island 
site.
  Mr. President, Cat Island clearly represents one of the best examples 
of Louisiana's unique natural heritage and is deserving of inclusion in 
the National Wildlife Refuge System. This legislation supports the aims 
of the Lower Mississippi River Aquatic Resources Management Plan and 
the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture under the North American 
Wetlands Conservation Act.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2462

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) as the southernmost unleveed portion of the Mississippi 
     River, Cat Island, Louisiana, is 1 of the last remaining 
     tracts in the lower Mississippi Valley that is still 
     influenced by the natural dynamics of the river;
       (2) Cat Island supports some of the highest densities of 
     virgin bald cypress trees in the Mississippi River Valley, 
     including the champion cypress tree of the United States, 
     which is 17 feet wide and has a circumference of 53 feet;
       (3) Cat Island is important habitat for several declining 
     species of forest songbirds and supports thousands of 
     wintering waterfowl;
       (4) Cat Island supports high populations of deer, turkey, 
     and furbearing mammals, such as mink and bobcats;
       (5) forested wetland on Cat Island--
       (A) represents 1 of the most valuable and productive 
     wildlife habitats in the United States; and
       (B) has high recreational value for hunters, fishermen, 
     birdwatchers, nature photographers, and others; and
       (6) protection and enhancement of the resources of Cat 
     Island through the inclusion of Cat Island in the National 
     Wildlife Refuge System would help meet the habitat protection 
     goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, signed 
     by the Minister of the Environment of Canada and the 
     Secretary in May 1986.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS:

       In this Act:
       (1) Refuge.--The term ``Refuge'' means the Cat Island 
     National Wildlife Refuge established by section 3(a).
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND ACQUISITION OF REFUGE.

       (a) In General.--There is established a unit of the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System to be known as the ``Cat 
     Island National Wildlife Refuge'' in West Feliciana Parish, 
     Louisiana.
       (b) Inclusions.--The Refuge shall consist of the land and 
     waters (including any interest in the land or waters) 
     acquired by the Secretary for the Refuge under--
       (1) subsection (d); or
       (2) any other law.
       (c) Notice of Establishment.--The Secretary shall publish a 
     notice of the establishment of the Refuge--
       (1) in the Federal Register; and
       (2) in publications of local circulation in the vicinity of 
     the Refuge.
       (d) Acquisition.--The Secretary shall seek to acquire for 
     inclusion in the Refuge, by purchase, exchange, or donation, 
     approximately 36,500 acres of land and adjacent waters 
     (including interests in the land or adjacent waters) of Cat 
     Island, Louisiana, as depicted on the map entitled ``Cat 
     Island National Wildlife Refuge, Proposed'', dated

[[Page S2870]]

     February 8, 2000, which shall be available for inspection in 
     the appropriate offices of the United States Fish and 
     Wildlife Service.

     SEC. 4. PURPOSES OF REFUGE.

       The purposes of the Refuge are--
       (1) to conserve, enhance, and restore the native bottomland 
     community characteristics of the lower Mississippi alluvial 
     valley (including associated fish, wildlife, and plant 
     species);
       (2) to conserve, enhance, and restore habitat to maintain 
     and assist in the recovery of animals (such as the Louisiana 
     black bear) and plants that are listed as endangered species 
     or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 
     1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
       (3) to conserve, enhance, and restore habitats as necessary 
     to contribute to the migratory bird population goals and 
     habitat objectives as established through the Lower 
     Mississippi Valley Joint Venture under the North American 
     Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.);
       (4) to achieve the habitat objectives of the Lower 
     Mississippi River Aquatic Resources Management Plan, prepared 
     by the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee;
       (5) to authorize the Secretary, through consultation with 
     Federal, State, and local agencies and adjacent landowners, 
     to assist in the restoration of forest habitat linkages 
     between refuge land and other land to reverse past impacts 
     associated with habitat fragmentation on wildlife and plant 
     species;
       (6) to provide compatible opportunities for hunting, 
     fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and 
     environmental education and interpretation; and
       (7) to encourage the use of volunteers and to facilitate 
     partnerships among the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, local communities, conservation organizations, and 
     other non-Federal entities to promote public awareness of the 
     resources of the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge and the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System (including public 
     participation in the conservation of those resources).

     SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer all land 
     and waters (including any interest in land or waters) 
     acquired under section 3(d) in accordance with--
       (1) the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act 
     of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.);
       (2) Public Law 87-714 (commonly known as the ``Refuge 
     Recreation Act'') (16 U.S.C. 460k et seq.); and
       (3) the purposes of the Refuge described in section 4.
       (b) Use of Other Authority.--The Secretary may use such 
     additional statutory authority as is available to the 
     Secretary to conduct projects and activities at the Refuge in 
     accordance with this Act, including projects or activities to 
     conserve or develop--
       (1) wildlife and natural resources;
       (2) water supplies;
       (3) water control structures;
       (4) outdoor recreational activity programs; and
       (5) interpretive education programs.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     such sums as are necessary for--
       (1) the acquisition of interests in land and waters 
     described in section 3(d)(1); and
       (2) the development, operation, and maintenance of the 
     Refuge.

  Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Landrieu in 
offering legislation to establish the Cat Island National Wildlife 
Refuge in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.
  The Mississippi River has provided for the commerce, transportation, 
and nourishment that has sustained Louisianians for over 300 years. 
Over time, communities have adapted to the unique environment that 
exists near the River. Today marks a milestone in the effort to 
preserve one of the last remaining tracts in the lower Mississippi 
Valley that is still influenced by the natural dynamics of the great 
River.
  The area known as Cat Island is the southernmost unleveed portion of 
the Mississippi River. It is actually a peninsula of bottomland 
hardwood forest adjacent to the River and located thirty miles north of 
our state capital at Baton Rouge. It supports one of the highest 
densities of virgin bald cypress trees in the entire Mississippi River 
Valley, including the nation's champion cypress tree, which is 17 feet 
wide and 53 feet in circumference. By designating this area as a 
National Wildlife Refuge, we aim to protect the habitat of several 
declining species of forest songbirds, thousands of wintering 
waterfowl, and breeding ground for Wood Ducks. The area also supports 
high populations of deer, squirrel, turkey, and furbearers such as 
bobcat and mink.
  The Cat Island Project represents a collaborative effort among 
several entities who have remained committed to its conservation. The 
Nature Conservancy spearheaded the effort, marshaled public support 
from Louisianians of all stripes, and worked diligently to secure the 
necessary funding for the initial acquisition of land from commercial 
and private landowners in the area. In fact, the Migratory Bird 
Commission provided the seed money to begin the acquisition process. 
Senator Landrieu and I have worked hard to find appropriate sources of 
federal funding to contribute to the cause, and we are delighted that 
the President has included $4 million for the Cat Island Project in his 
budget request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We have enjoyed 
the support of officials from the Department of the Interior as well. 
Assistant Secretary David Hayes visited the site of the planned refuge 
along with Senator Landrieu and me in February. As I said, this project 
is the result of the good faith, dedication and continued cooperation 
of many players. I express my sincere gratitude and congratulations to 
all who have been involved.
  The final piece in the completion of this project is the designation 
of the land as a National Wildlife Refuge. I am proud to offer 
legislation that will ensure the conservation of wild Louisiana for 
future generations to experience.

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