[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22807-22808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                AVIATION SECURITY ACT CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the Senate earlier today approved a 
conference report that will increase security substantially at our 
Nation's airports. And this is a good step--a good step--toward 
restoring the American people's confidence in their own safety. And it 
is a good step forward in rejuvenating our economy, the American 
economy.
  This is very fine legislation. But I wish to remind ourselves that a 
few days ago we had a golden opportunity to enact other very fine 
legislation that would go far in rejuvenating the hope, the faith, and 
the confidence in the minds of the American people that the Government 
was looking out for their security, for their welfare. And I refer to 
that amendment which Senator Harry Reid, the distinguished Democratic 
whip in this body, and the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Daschle, 
and Senator Hollings, and other Senators and I offered, to guarantee, 
to a much greater extent than I have to explain today, the defense of 
our homeland, homeland defense.
  That legislation was rejected by the minority in this body. So while 
we congratulate ourselves--and rightly so--on enacting legislation 
dealing with safety at our airports, safety to the travelers on 
airplanes, that does not bring an end to the threat of bioterrorism.
  The legislation we passed today will not provide for smallpox 
vaccines and anthrax antibiotics. My amendment a few days ago, the 
homeland defense amendment to the so-called stimulus bill, would 
provide for smallpox vaccine, would provide money, $4 billion, to end 
the threat of bioterrorism.
  Our Republican friends rejected it. I hear that some of the House 
conferees don't want to have any conferences over there in which the 
majority leader, Senator Daschle, or Senator Robert Byrd are in 
attendance. They don't want to hold any conferences, I hear. I read 
that in the paper, that certain Members of the other body have

[[Page 22808]]

said: We don't want Senator Daschle and Senator Robert Byrd to be in 
the room when we are talking about homeland defense.
  Will this legislation provide for smallpox vaccine and anthrax 
antibiotics? No. But our legislation which we offered the other day 
would have. It was turned down. The Republicans said: No, no, no.
  The bill we passed today doesn't improve the training of our doctors 
and nurses, but that $15 billion homeland defense amendment would have 
improved the training of our doctors and nurses, would have expanded 
the capacity of local hospitals and medical labs.
  The legislation we passed today is good legislation, but it leaves 
much work to be done. Of course, nobody ever told us that that 
legislation was the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, of 
homeland security legislation. I am not making that charge. But I am 
talking about some other homeland security provisions that were in the 
amendment which I offered at the time Mr. Max Baucus, the Senator from 
Montana, was offering his tax legislation.
  Does the legislation we passed today provide counterterrorism 
training for our local police and fire departments? Does it give them 
access to new resources and equipment so that they are prepared to 
respond to possible future terrorist attacks? Does it tighten security 
at our borders and at our shipping ports? Does it provide for better 
protection of our food supply against possible biological attack? 
Sadly, the answer to these questions is a resounding no, no, no.
  We in Congress have a responsibility to provide for the common 
defense. That is what the preamble to the Constitution mentions, among 
other things: Provide for the common defense. We have a responsibility 
to provide resources to prevent future potential terrorist attacks and 
to ensure rapid response should another attack, God forbid, occur. We 
have a job to do.
  While we are at home on Thanksgiving Day, we should give thanks for 
our many blessings, but we should also be thinking about the job that 
is still left undone. We have work to do.
  To date we have been unable to do that job because of partisan 
gridlock. What a sad commentary on the Senate. What a sad commentary on 
the Congress. When we return from the Thanksgiving break, we will 
refocus. We will be back, Lord willing. We will be back. We will 
refocus on homeland security, homeland defense. I hope we can make the 
same kind of rapid bipartisan progress to improve our defenses here at 
home as we have achieved today in airport security.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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