[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 98 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S7690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. LUGAR (for himself and Mr. Bayh):
  S. 1181. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 2719 South Webster Street in Kokomo, Indiana, as the 
``Elwood Haynes ``Bud'' Hillis Post Office Building''; to the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to a distinguished Hoosier and tireless public servant, 
former Congressman Bud Hillis.
  My colleague, Mr. Bayh, and I are introducing legislation to honor 
Congressman Hillis by naming the Post Office in Kokomo, Indiana the 
Elwood Haynes ``Bud'' Hillis Post Office.
  Congressman Hillis honorably served the people of Indiana's 5th 
District in the House of Representatives from 1971 to 1986. Congressman 
Hillis was a fair and reasonable voice on national security, trade, and 
veterans' issues. A graduate of Indiana's Culver Military Academy, he 
enlisted in the Army at the age of 18 and fought in the World War II 
European Theater as an infantryman for 27 months. After leaving active 
duty as a first lieutenant, Bud Hillis attended Indiana University and 
the Indiana University School of Law. He went on to practice law in 
Howard County, Indiana, and served as Chairman of the county bar 
association.
  Before being elected to Congress in 1970, Congressman Hillis served 
two terms in the Indiana House of Representatives.
  The 1970s and early 1980's were difficult times for many in Indiana's 
5th District. A downturn in the auto industry during the recession 
brought unemployment in some of the district's more highly 
industrialized communities to over 15 percent. He founded the 
Congressional Auto Task Force and he helped to round up votes in 1979 
to pass legislation that I had sponsored here in the Senate to 
guarantee loans to the struggling Chrysler Corporation, an employer of 
more than 60,000 Hoosiers at the time. In 1983, he worked to protect 
the auto industry from Japanese imports by extending a voluntary 
restraint agreement. He was a strong force on the Congressional Steel 
Caucus and served as Vice President of the executive committee.
  As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Hillis was a 
dependable ally of the Reagan military build-up that helped to bring an 
end to the Cold War. He supported American service men by backing 
enlistment bonuses for military personnel and was a proponent of 
reinstating draft registration, which had ended with the Vietnam War. 
Further, he was instrumental in development and deployment of the M-1 
tank and the preservation of Grissom Air Force Reserve Base in Peru, 
Indiana.
  Congressman Hillis also took a personal interest with the veterans of 
our Nation. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, he was a 
leader in improving health care for veterans and was instrumental in 
the construction of the community-based outpatient clinic in Crown 
Point, IN.
  Congressman Bud Hillis has a distinguished record of service to his 
country and to the people of Indiana. The dedication of the post office 
in Kokomo, Indiana, a city that continues to be involved deeply with 
the American auto industry that Congressman Hillis supported so 
strongly, would be a fitting tribute for such an honorable statesman.
  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. 1181

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF ELWOOD HAYNES ``BUD'' HILLIS POST 
                   OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) In General.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2719 South Webster Street in Kokomo, 
     Indiana, shall be known and designated as the ``Elwood Haynes 
     `Bud' Hillis Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--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 Elwood Haynes ``Bud'' Hillis Post Office 
     Building.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. HOLLINGS:
  S. 1182. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Army to lease land at 
the Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake Project, South Carolina, to the 
South Carolina Department of Commerce, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that will provide economic stimulation to one of the poorest counties 
in South Carolina. This legislation will allow the South Carolina 
Department of Commerce, SCDOC, to proceed with a project that began 
almost a decade ago. Well, actually the project began long before that, 
way back when the Army Corps of Engineers built Lake Richard B. Russell 
in 1984.
  Lake Russell is a 26,000-acre freshwater lake on the South Carolina-
Georgia border and was very controversial when originally proposed by 
the Army Corps of Engineers. Enhancement of economic development in the 
region was a main selling point of the Corps to overcome State, local 
and environmental objections to the lake. Yet, to date, virtually no 
development has occurred despite efforts from South Carolina's 
Department of Commerce. Today, there is not a single room for rent by 
the public within sight of, or within reasonable walking distance of, 
the lake. There is only one gas pump on the entire lake and that is at 
a State park.
  Following the completion of Lake Russell in 1984, the Department of 
Commerce and Abbeville County began a plan for the development of a 
lakefront golf and vacation resort. The Department contracted with a 
development company in 1997 to develop the project, but in 1998, due to 
financial difficulties, construction was suspended and the developer 
defaulted on its Development Agreement with SCDOC. As a result of this 
default, the Commerce Department terminated the agreement and the 
property was returned to the State.
  In January 1999, in an attempt to complete this project, SCDOC 
solicited proposals from various qualified developers. After 
consideration of several proposals, a developer was selected that had a 
history of successful developments throughout the State of South 
Carolina. However, in order for the project to be successful, changes 
to the current lease have to be made. These changes are reflected by 
the proposed legislation.
  When drafting this legislation, I wanted to address several points 
that may cause concern. First, I wanted to make sure the public had an 
opportunity to be involved throughout the process. Second, I wanted to 
make sure any additional land that was included in the project would be 
mitigated by providing lands with similar ecological values and 
habitat. And third, I wanted to ensure that this project would be 
economically viable. I believe the legislation does this.
  Like I said, the legislation is simple and will bring economic 
development to a county that has longed for it. By completing this 
project, Abbeville County will be able to take advantage of the 
economic stimulation created by vacationers and tourism from the 
surrounding major cities, which include Atlanta, Macon, Columbia, 
Greenville, and Augusta. This economic development was promised when 
the lake was built in 1984 and I believe we should honor our 
commitment.




                          ____________________