[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22793-22794]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              AFGHAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN RELIEF ACT OF 2001

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, we are all awaiting the bill that we 
have all worked so hard to produce this week, the Aviation Security 
Act. I will not speak about that act because, obviously, we have others 
who have worked very hard on the bill. We want to make sure that 
everyone is able to speak for or against it before we pass it. But the 
good news is, we are going to pass it.
  I did want to take this opportunity, though, during morning business 
to mention a bill that passed last night. It is a bill that was 
cosponsored by every woman in the Senate. There are 13 women in the 
Senate. All of us cosponsored this bill. It is to make sure that the 
Congress speaks on the priorities that we believe are imperative as we 
give aid to Afghanistan, that women be included in that aid.
  As so many of us know, the Taliban treated women especially cruelly, 
not allowing them access to health care. Not allowing a male doctor to 
see a woman effectively kept women out of the system because women are 
not allowed to work, and therefore female doctors are not allowed to 
practice under the Taliban.
  In addition, women have not been able to go outside their homes 
without a male escort, so many times a widow would not be able to get 
the food necessary to feed her children or the health care for her 
children.
  Women were not allowed to be educated under the Taliban, so we see 5- 
and 6-year-old girls who have had no education whatsoever because they 
have lived under the Taliban regime.
  The bill that passed unanimously in the Senate last night spoke to 
those issues to say we want United States aid to be especially there 
for the people of Afghanistan as we rebuild the country.

[[Page 22794]]

  We are seeing the Taliban flee. Thank goodness they are fleeing. But 
we want to make sure that we start playing catchup, that we give women 
and young girls the chance to be educated along with the young boys, 
that we bring women doctors in especially to give access to health care 
for the women of Afghanistan.
  The mortality rate of children in Afghanistan is stunning. It is 25 
percent. The mortality rate for children in that country is 25 percent. 
The major cause of that mortality rate, in the 21st century, is 
contaminated food and water. That is the most stunning statistic of 
all. In the 21st century, when clean water and uncontaminated food is 
universally available throughout the world, that 25 percent of the 
children would be dying from dysentery and contaminated food and bad 
water is just the saddest of all statistics.
  So we do want to go in fast and try to stem the tide of the mortality 
of children and women, and make sure that young boys and young girls 
are treated equally in education, that women have a chance to 
participate in a new government that hopefully would be a government of 
the people of Afghanistan that includes all of the tribes of that 
country.
  I am very proud that the women of the Senate came together to speak 
especially forcefully on this issue. We did pass the bill last night. 
So I am very pleased that we were able to persuade Senator Wellstone to 
raise his hold on the bill, which I thought was an unfair hold. I did 
not appreciate that he would take a bill such as this hostage for 
another bill that he had, but, nevertheless, he did, and so it took us 
2 weeks to pass a bill which should have been passed in minutes.
  Having said that, I do want to say, I am very proud of the women of 
the Senate for coming together to highlight this issue, to speak with 
one voice, and to say that U.S. aid will always be there for women as 
well as men on an equal basis, for girls as well as boys on an equal 
basis.
  So I am proud that we passed the bill. It now goes to the House 
Representative Deborah Pryce is working with Democratic and Republican 
women on the House side to try to see that this bill goes through on an 
expedited basis to support our President in putting forth more aid for 
Afghanistan that will be equally distributed among the population.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Domenici and Mr. Bond pertaining to the 
introduction of S. 1717 are located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, I ask unanimous 
consent that this Senator be recognized following the remarks of the 
Senator from Montana.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 
to speak and use whatever time I may consume. I do not think I will go 
past 10 minutes.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Reserving the right to object, it is not my intention 
to object except that I understand Senator Dorgan sought, by unanimous 
consent, to be recognized. The bill is now here. I ask unanimous 
consent that there be no more than 10 minutes for each of the speakers 
so that we can get to the bill in due course.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. That is the current order. The 
Senator from Montana sought to modify that order. Is there objection?
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I believe the Senator from Montana 
will agree to speak for no more than 10 minutes, as will the Senator 
from North Dakota. Do they agree to speak no more than 10 minutes so we 
can get to the bill?
  Mr. DORGAN. I agree to that request. I also want to speak on the 
bill. I understand when the bill arrives there will be comments by the 
chairman, by Senator Hutchison, and others. I want to make a comment 
about the farm bill. In fact, I will be glad to keep that to 10 
minutes.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. It is important when the bill is ready that we 
proceed to it so we can pass it back to the House to stay on time.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I understand the airport security bill is 
ready. I am going to be speaking on something else, but it is my intent 
to allow the committee to proceed so the Senate can consider this bill. 
I am going to speak on the airport security legislation, but I will 
make the remarks on the farm bill following this action.

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