[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23689-23690]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        ISSUES BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the order before the Senate is that until 
quarter to 5 today, we are going to spend time talking about matters 
before the Senate. The two issues about which we are going to vote deal 
not with the railroad retirement, but rather with a moratorium on 
cloning and, in addition to that, legislation dealing with energy.
  The Presiding Officer, of course, has spent a good part of his life, 
especially the last several months, coming up with legislation on 
energy for this country.
  I have worked with the Presiding Officer in his capacity as chairman 
of the Energy Committee on a number of occasions. Of course, I, as most 
everyone else in the Senate, am impressed with his ability to 
understand issues.
  Rather than moving forward on legislation in the normal fashion, we 
are now going to deal with this issue in a piecemeal fashion.
  The majority leader has said we should have a full and complete 
debate on this issue. He has stated we could take this matter up before 
the month of February of next year, but prior to the President's Day 
recess. We would have a debate, have the legislation before the Senate, 
have the Republicans' proposal and the Democrats' proposal,

[[Page 23690]]

and move forward on this legislation in the normal manner.
  It appears they cannot take yes for an answer. They have said they 
want a definite time. The majority leader said they have that definite 
time. It is clear this is not an effort to get an energy bill, but 
rather to slow down what we are trying to do; namely, the railroad 
retirement bill.
  I think everyone in the country acknowledges we should have an energy 
policy and that is why we should have a time set aside to do an energy 
bill, but I am sorry to say this appears to be an effort to kill 
something that is extremely important to lots of people in America 
today; that is, management and labor on the railroad retirement bill.
  In an effort to save face for the 74 people who have cosponsored 
this, a number of people are saying: We like the railroad retirement 
bill, but not now; we will do it some other time.
  Remember, it has passed the House. I believe the vote in the House 
was 380 in favor and a few against. In the Senate, we have 74 
cosponsors. This should be a lesson on how to move legislation, but it 
is a lesson on how not to move legislation. So I certainly hope we can 
move forward on the railroad retirement bill, get rid of this 
extraneous material at the earliest possible date.
  I oppose the Lott amendment for a variety of reasons. I will focus 
for a moment on the issue of jobs. We have heard some Senators speak 
about the job implications of drilling for oil in the Arctic National 
Wildlife Refuge. I understand, without any question, Senator Murkowski 
and how important he believes this is for his State. It is important 
for his State because there is no question that drilling in ANWR would 
create jobs. That is important for Alaska, which really needs jobs. The 
other oil they have is winding down, and they want not only the ongoing 
jobs with the oil they have, with any field that has been demonstrated, 
but also the exploration and development would mean thousands of jobs.
  I appreciate Senator Murkowski feeling about this the way he does, 
but in spite of his strong feelings, it is still wrong. As I have 
indicated, the railroad employees and the unions and management oppose 
the Lott amendment. I will list a few examples of those unions. We 
could have other organizations also who oppose the Lott amendment. For 
example, we have lots and lots of environmental groups. I do not think 
there is an environmental group in America that supports what Senator 
Lott and Senator Murkowski are trying to do.
  My friend from Alaska, the distinguished junior Senator, has given 
the impression organized labor wants this in the worst way, but these 
are the unions that oppose the Lott amendment: The Association of 
American Railroads opposes the Lott amendment; American Shortline and 
Regional Railroad Association; Family Railroad Organization; National 
Association of Retired Veteran Railway Employees; American Train 
Dispatchers; Boilermakers and Blacksmiths; International Brotherhood of 
Locomotive Engineers; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; Firemen and 
Oilers; Service Employees International Union, known as the SEIU; Hotel 
Employees; Restaurants Employees; International Association of 
Machinists; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; 
Ironworkers Union; Seafarers International Union; Sheetmetal Workers 
International; Transportation Communications International Union; 
Transport Workers Union; United Transportation Union. Each of these 
unions is urging the Senate to vote against the Lott cloture motion on 
amendment No. 2171 which adds energy and cloning legislation to the 
railroad retirement bill. They know if this is attached, the bill is 
dead.
  Some argue opening up ANWR to oil development would be a great 
economic stimulus. As we know, the job numbers thrown around have been 
grossly exaggerated. CRS estimates job creation from ANWR might be 
about 60,000, but could go higher than that. Again, this assumes jobs 
are not shifted from the Gulf of Mexico or the Rocky Mountain region.
  I agree, however, that creating jobs is very important given that our 
country has been in recession since March. As I noted last week, there 
are better ways to create jobs than by exploring, and some say 
exploiting, the National Wildlife Refuge.
  For example, construction of an arctic natural gas pipeline would 
create between 350,000 to 400,000 jobs in steel production, pipe 
manufacturing, trucking and shipping, and construction jobs for 3 to 4 
years assembling the pipe. This pipeline would be a mammoth project, 
requiring four times as much steel as used for all the cars produced 
globally in 1999.
  The potential natural gas resources could supply the American market 
for 50 to 60 years as compared to the oil from ANWR which might yield 6 
months' worth of America's petroleum supply.
  There are other reasons, all of which are good, to oppose the energy 
provisions in the Lott amendment--and we are going to vote on this 
matter very shortly--but there is no reason to sacrifice the financial 
security of these retirees who have an interest in the railroad 
retirement bill--not only the retirees but the widows who would 
benefit.
  Sadly, those who are pushing the Lott amendment are working against 
the hard-working Americans who have retired from the railroads around 
our country and, of course, the widows of those hard-working railroad 
workers. So I hope we will defeat soundly the Lott amendment.
  Also, I have mentioned the provision dealing with the Arctic National 
Wildlife Refuge. I was in Las Vegas over the weekend, and somebody I 
had not seen in several decades, somebody I used to go to high school 
with, came up to me. We had not seen each other but, I, of course, 
recognized him in a second: Claude, how are you? He said: I am fine.
  I know his family. It is a very conservative family. He said: I want 
you to know you have to do everything you can to make sure we can go 
forward with therapeutic cloning. Those were his words. Stem cell 
research.
  Why did he care? Because he has two diabetic children, and it is 
genetic; he believes there is hope. He is someone who has worked with 
his hands all his life and does not have a scientific mind. His hope 
comes from his heart, but hope is coming from the minds of people who 
are scientists. They believe therapeutic cloning could be the 
breakthrough for diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and many of these 
other dread diseases.
  If we could find a cure for the three diseases I mentioned, not only 
would it be the right thing to do for the families and the individuals 
with these diseases, but it would also be an economic boon to this 
country that would be unsurpassed. That people are in institutions 
because of Alzheimer's is really a drag on the economy of this country.
  So I hope there will be a resounding vote to make sure we do not go 
forward on this legislation attached regarding ANWR and cloning. I am 
in favor of therapeutic cloning.
  Maybe the word is wrong, ``cloning.'' We had scientists who came and 
talked to us last Thursday. Maybe it is the wrong use of words, but 
that is what has developed in the vernacular we are using. Scientists 
believe they need to go forward so they can do the stem cell research 
unfettered. Frankly, if we do not do it, it is going to happen 
someplace else anyway. Other countries are going to do it. So we who 
lead the world in scientific endeavors should make sure we also lead 
the endeavors regarding therapeutic cloning.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator has used 10 minutes.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. 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.




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