[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S10147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEFENSE NATIONAL STOCKPILE
Mr. CLELAND. Madam President, I am pleased to join the Chairman and
our colleagues from the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator
Collins, and Senator Hutchinson, in a colloquy on the forest products
industry and the release of materials from the Defense National
Stockpile that poses a potential threat to this industry.
The forest products industry is an important industry for our Nation,
and for my own State of Georgia as well. It is important in the sense
that it provides materials critical to our way of life, and also
because it employs a large number of our fellow citizens. It is an
industry that reaches into a large number of States. Any process
undertaken by a branch of our Federal Government that would harm the
forest products industry would, therefore, be likely to draw the
attention and the immediate response of this Congress. I certainly
would seek to participate in such a response, and to engender the
greatest possible support among my colleagues.
We have been faced in recent weeks with the prospect that the sale or
other release of sebacic acid, a lubricant and plasticizer made by the
forest product industry, by the Defense National Stockpile might result
in the harmful depression of the sebacic acid market and thereby harm
the forest products industry. I have been following this matter
closely. My staff coordinated a meeting between the officials
responsible for the Defense National Stockpile and representatives of
the industry, in the hopes that such a meeting and negotiation would
resolve any potential problems associated with the authority for
Federal sebacic acid release. The officials responsible for the
stockpile assured me that the current authorization for release of
sebacic acid was not excessive and that the release would be gauged so
as not to have a negative impact on the price of sebacic acid. These
assurances were made while acknowledging the release of an additional
400,000 pounds of acid, which I understand was needed this year in
order to make up for the mismanagement of the contracting process for
last year's stockpile release.
The forest products industry in Georgia and, indeed, across the
country is highly concerned with this year's proposed release, and has
requested that Congress restrict the authorization to release material
from the stockpile. Having received assurances from the officials
managing the stockpile release, along with their request that we avoid
legislation affecting the annual authorization to release sebacic acid,
I am here today to serve notice that I will closely follow the scope
and effect of any sebacic acid release over the next year. If the
release has a negative effect on the market for sebacic acid, I will
vigorously pursue legislation in the next authorization bill to curtail
future releases of sebacic acid.
Ms. COLLINS. I thank the Senator. As does the Senator from Georgia, I
view this matter as one of national importance, deriving from the
policies of the Department of Defense, which fall within the oversight
of our Committee. I also share his concerns because, as does he and
many of our colleagues, I have constituents who depend on the forest
products industry for their livelihood.
I am also pleased that we have agreed to this colloquy as a
bipartisan expression of our mutual concern over the current Department
of Defense release authority for sebacic acid. Having taken this
measured step this year, I will monitor the impact of Department of
Defense sebacic acid release on the market, and will be ready to join
my colleagues in taking legislative action as required.
The fact that an additional amount of acid is being released now, due
to the acknowledged contracting miscues on the part of Department of
Defense officials last year, is a further indication that we must be
prepared to act in our oversight role to restrict future releases of
sebacic acid. The horrible acts of terrorism that befell us on
September 11 have had an effect on our economy. I believe the
Department must take current economic conditions into account as it
implements its releases of sebacic acid over the coming year.
Mr. HUTCHINSON. I thank my good friend from Maine, Senator Collins,
and our distinguished colleagues from the Senate Armed Services
Committee. I need not tell them that the forest products industry is an
important industry in Arkansas. I will stand with you, if it becomes
necessary, to restrict the Department of Defense authorization for
release of sebacic acid. I know that we will be joined by many others,
on both sides of the aisle. It is easy to see that the impact of this
issue has the potential to affect the quality of life of working
Americans across any number of states. I find it reassuring that our
Committee is making such a strong statement of our intention to act if
necessary. Our restraint this year demonstrates the trust we place in
the Department of Defense to act reasonably within the scope of current
legislative language. But that restraint will turn to resolve if the
release of sebacic acid under the current authority proves harmful to
the sebacic acid market.
Mr. LEVIN. I appreciate the Senator from Georgia, Mr. Cleland,
bringing this issue to my attention. I also appreciate the fact that
the Senators from Georgia, Maine, and Arkansas have sought a colloquy
on this issue to avoid offering an amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 and thereby slowing its passage
in this time of crisis. The current law requires the Department of
Defense to ensure that its sales of excess materials from the National
Defense Stockpile do not adversely affect the markets for those
materials. It is especially important in our current economic situation
that the Department not take actions that would harm the private
sector. I fully expect that the Department will comply with the law and
act prudently in this regard.
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