[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 147 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11000-S11002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PAUL AND SHEILA WELLSTONE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING ACT

  Mr. BARKLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. 3156, introduced earlier today by 
myself and Senator Dayton.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3156) to provide a grant for the construction of 
     a new community center in St. Paul, Minnesota, in honor of 
     the late Senator Paul Wellstone and his beloved wife, Sheila.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BARKLEY. Madam President, today, Senator Dayton and I are 
introducing legislation to pay tribute to Senator Paul Wellstone and 
his beloved wife Sheila.
  Our legislation would provide a $10 million authorization of Federal 
funds for construction of the ``Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for 
Community Building'' at Neighborhood House in St. Paul, MN, where Paul 
and Sheila lived.
  First, let me thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for 
facilitating consideration of this legislation. Senator Dayton and his 
staff, Senator Wellstone's family and staff, and especially my 
colleague from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, have literally moved heaven 
and earth to bring this bill to the floor.
  I may be the newest Member of this Chamber, but I fully appreciate 
the extraordinary efforts of so many to allow Senator Dayton and I to 
create a living legacy in honor of Paul and Sheila Wellstone in such 
short order.
  Neighborhood House was founded by the women of Mount Zion Temple in 
the 1880's as a settlement house, helping newly arrived Eastern 
European Jewish immigrants to establish a new life and thrive in their 
new community.
  Senator Wellstone always had a genuine affinity for Neighborhood 
House,

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as his parents, Leon and Minnie, were Russian Jewish immigrants 
themselves. But his affinity reached far beyond this personal link. 
Neighborhood House truly embodies everything that Paul Wellstone fought 
for over the course of his entire life: that all people, no matter 
their background or economic status or country of origin or race or 
creed, would have a fair shake at life, and an opportunity to belong to 
and enrich their communities.
  Neighborhood House has been building doorways of opportunity for 
diverse communities for nearly 120 years. The Neighborhood House is a 
multicultural-multilingual agency that provides and houses an array of 
programs, including legal services, child care, recreation programs, 
senior programs and education. ``Senator Paul,'' as he was referred to 
by many at Neighborhood House, came every year to the Freedom Festival 
at Neighborhood House to honor the new American citizens from the 
Hmong, Latino, and other communities.
  Indeed, the entire Wellstone family was very committed to 
Neighborhood House. Just 2 weeks before their deaths, Senator Wellstone 
sent his daughter Marcia to tour Neighborhood House and talk with staff 
about important issues for our community.
  In addition, Sheila Wellstone's championing of women's issues is 
embodied in Neighborhood House programs such as Hispanic Women in 
Action, a cultural empowerment group that enables women to retain their 
culture while learning a new one, address challenging family issues, 
and develop into leaders not only for their families but also their 
community.
  When Neighborhood House began to research the construction of a new 
facility to meet growing needs, it was Senator Wellstone himself who 
suggested that the organization seek a Federal statute to help fund the 
construction.
  The Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building will be a 
93,000 square foot state-of-the-art community gathering place on St. 
Paul's west side. It will house social services, community engagement, 
recreation, and arts programs for residents of St. Paul, as well as new 
Americans in the greater Twin Cities area.

  The Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building will also 
serve as an education and learning center for communities throughout 
the entire State of Minnesota. Last evening, the memorial program for 
the service to celebrate the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone 
contained these words:

       Complete those dear, unfinished tasks of mine. And I, 
     perchance, may therein comfort you.

  Paul, this is our first step toward finishing your work. I also 
commit to working during my short tenure in this distinguished body to 
try to help pass your signature legislation, the Mental Health Parity 
Act.
  Again, I thank the Senate leadership for the extraordinary 
accommodation to allow us to bring this bill to the floor today. It, 
too, is a tribute to the respect and love of Paul Wellstone by his 
Senate colleagues.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. DAYTON. Madam President, I am proud to join with my colleague, 
Senator Barkley, in cosponsoring the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center 
for Community Building Act. I pay tribute to my colleague, Senator 
Barkley, for taking the initiative on this matter, for your leadership. 
I believe it has been one week to the day since the Senator arrived in 
Washington, and even before he had undertaken the oath of office and 
assumed the official title of Senator from Minnesota, he was acting on 
behalf of our State.
  He deserves the credit for this measure. Others are moving Heaven and 
Earth, as the Senator said. I believe he is too modest. He is the prime 
mover in this matter. I salute my colleague for his doing so under such 
extraordinary circumstances. I could not think of a better way for 
anyone to begin service in this Chamber than to honor our colleague, 
Paul Wellstone, and his wife Sheila, who cared about these matters from 
their own heart.
  As Senator Barkley said, with the experience that Paul had being the 
son of immigrants and his undying compassion for those who came to this 
country under any circumstances, Paul's concern extended beyond those 
who could do him some good in this society. Paul's concern was for 
those he could do good in this society. He devoted countless hours, 
thousands and thousands of hours to people and causes where there was 
no benefit for him, there was no political advantage.
  Most of the people coming to this center were not citizens and would 
not be for a number of years. Paul did it out of his heart; Sheila did 
it out of her heart, out of their common compassion for their fellow 
citizens, with no thought of gain or benefit to themselves.
  This is a fitting first tribute. I hope it will be only the first 
tribute. I join with Senator Barkley in asking my colleagues here and 
in the House to ultimately pay tribute to Paul and Sheila, especially 
Paul, since this was his matter of concern, the Mental Health Parity 
Act. He worked tirelessly with Senator Domenici to pass this in the 
Senate, and unfortunately it was not adopted in conference committee.
  I join Senator Barkley in hoping that measure could be passed in this 
session. If it is not possible, I will do everything I can, working 
with Senator Domenici and others next year to see it does pass. This is 
an important statement of the Senate and the House. We need to pass it, 
honoring Paul and Sheila Wellstone. It is appropriate because it 
symbolizes that compassion, that spirit of humanity which marked their 
lives.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). Do Senators yield back their 
time?
  Mr. BARKLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read 
three times and passed and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3156) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                S. 3156

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Paul and Sheila Wellstone 
     Center for Community Building Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Senator Paul Wellstone was a tireless advocate for the 
     people of Minnesota, particularly for new immigrants and the 
     economically disadvantaged.
       (2) Paul and Sheila Wellstone loved St. Paul, Minnesota, 
     and often walked the neighborhoods of St. Paul to better 
     understand the needs of the people.
       (3) Neighborhood House was founded in the late 1800's in 
     St. Paul, Minnesota, by the women of Mount Zion Temple as a 
     settlement house to help newly arrived Eastern European 
     Jewish immigrants establish a new life and thrive in their 
     new community.
       (4) Paul and Sheila Wellstone were very committed to 
     Neighborhood House and its mission to improve the lives of 
     its residents.
       (5) When Senator Wellstone became aware that the 
     Neighborhood House Community Center was no longer adequate to 
     meet the needs of the St. Paul community, he suggested that 
     Neighborhood House request Federal funding to construct a new 
     facility.
       (6) As an honor to Paul and Sheila Wellstone, a Federal 
     grant shall be awarded to Neighborhood House to be used for 
     the design and construction of a new community center in St. 
     Paul, Minnesota, to be known as ``The Paul and Sheila 
     Wellstone Center for Community Building''.

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION GRANT.

       (a) Grant Authorized.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development shall award a grant to Neighborhood House of St. 
     Paul, Minnesota, to finance the construction of a new 
     community center in St. Paul, Minnesota, to be known as ``The 
     Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building''.
       (b) Maximum Amount.--The grant awarded under this section 
     shall be $10,000,000.
       (c) Use of Funds.--Funds awarded under this section shall 
     only be used for the design and construction of the Paul and 
     Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, which 
     shall remain available until expended, to carry out this Act.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. I congratulate our new colleague from Minnesota, not 
only for the nobility of the purpose for which this legislation is 
dedicated, to honor the memory of our dear friends Paul and Sheila 
Wellstone, but for the fact he achieved the passage of a measure so 
early in his time here as a Member of the Senate. I congratulate him 
for his purpose and for his success.

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