[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11269-11271]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, now I will focus on the U.N. 
population fund. Last year I voted for the Foreign Operations 
conference report. I thought the funds provided there were inadequate 
to meet our pressing needs as we talked about them, but I recognized 
that the roughly $15 billion would provide help to millions of 
desperately poor people around the world and at the same time help 
improve the short-term and long-term security of our own country. I 
voted for that bill.
  Here we are 7 months later and some of the most important funding 
provided in that bill, the $34 million provided for the U.N. population 
fund, is still sitting at the Department of Treasury. It is not helping 
poor people. It is not helping to make America more secure. It is just 
sitting at the Treasury Department.
  The United Nations population fund works in over 150 countries, where 
it helps give women around the world access to reproductive health care 
and family planning services as well as services to ensure safe 
pregnancy and delivery. This population fund, the U.N. population fund, 
plays a critical role in helping prevent the further spread of AIDS. 
The withholding of U.S. funds, which is what we as a country are 
engaged in right now, only exacerbates the general inadequate health of 
poor women worldwide. It leads to more unwanted pregnancies and to 
deaths of more and more women during childbirth.
  Last fall, the Bush administration provided an extra $600,000 to the 
U.N. population fund to help women in Afghanistan, and these funds were 
very welcome and were certainly used, substantially to provide safe 
birthing kits, which are very important. They were also used to open 
and upgrade maternity hospitals, which is very important.
  I want to make clear that the population fund does not perform 
abortions. It does not support the performing of abortions in any way. 
Anyone who suggests that they do has not studied the situation in 
depth.
  The House of Representatives passed a conference report on the fiscal 
year Foreign Operations bill which included $34 million for this 
purpose. It was an overwhelming vote. The Senate approved $40 million 
for this purpose, also with a lopsided vote. But now, because of 
hearsay, because of unsubstantiated allegations that have been 
disproved many times, the administration is holding up this critically 
important funding.
  It is the most desperate women in the world who are adversely 
affected by this action; it is not the United Nations itself. The women 
who would benefit from this funding are the most adversely affected.
  I believe very strongly that the administration has been willing to 
follow the law and speed the appropriation of funds for these purposes 
in the past. I cannot understand why we are not moving ahead this year. 
The emergency supplemental appropriations bill that is presently being 
conferenced provides an excellent opportunity for us to resolve this 
issue.
  I urge the Senate conferees to ensure that language included in the 
supplemental passed in the Senate be included in the conference report. 
That language requires that this money, the $34 million that was 
appropriated last December, be released unless the President certifies 
by July 10 that doing so would violate U.S. law.
  This is fair. More important, it is the intent of Congress. It is the 
law of the land. I urge the administration to follow through in the 
conference.
  I will be glad to yield to my colleague, but I believe my time has 
expired.
  Mr. REID. I say to the Chair, this half hour is under the control of 
the Democrats. It is the minority's time this morning so we have 
whatever time we need, I say to my friend from New Mexico.
  I ask my friend two questions. The first is on pension reform. The 
Senator is the leader of a task force appointed by the majority leader. 
I acknowledge the fine job he has done.
  Would the Senator indicate if it is true that a lot of attention has 
been focused on pensions and how employees are treated as a result of 
the Enron debacle?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, in response to the question of my 
friend from Nevada, that is exactly right. I think the entire country 
was appalled to see what happened to the pension savings, the 
retirement savings of various Enron employees when that company 
collapsed. Accordingly, we have spent a lot of time discussing how to 
ensure that these funds that are in a pension fund for a worker can be 
safeguarded so we can avoid this situation in the future. That part of 
the problem has gotten a lot of rhetorical attention, at least. We have 
still not taken the necessary actions to solve it. I hope we are able 
to do that in the next few weeks as we consider the legislation

[[Page 11270]]

that has come out of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
Committee, and also legislation that is, I understand, going to be 
marked up in the Finance Committee.
  Mr. REID. Would the Senator also acknowledge what people are saying, 
that it seems so unfair that people who were working at Enron, who 
weren't so-called bosses, wound up with very little, whereas the 
bosses, the corporate leaders, ended up with millions and millions of 
dollars? Isn't that something they are talking about in New Mexico?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, in response to the question, it 
certainly is something that is a great concern in my State. I think 
people tend to lump all these issues together, understandably, because 
they are all part of a very much larger problem. One is the inadequate 
protection of the retirement savings of workers. Another issue is the 
inequity in compensation between the top officials of some of these 
corporations and the average worker. A third is the very unfair 
severance package arrangements that are made when some of these 
companies go bankrupt.
  How does it happen that the top officials wind up getting severance 
packages, in spite of the financial difficulties of the company, while 
the people at the very bottom get virtually nothing?
  Mr. REID. Madam President, let me ask the Senator from New Mexico, 
the chairman of the task force, it is true, is it not, that one of the 
things you are working on is legislation in conjunction with the 
committees of jurisdiction to make sure that in the future when this 
takes place there will be equity as far as employees are concerned?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, in response to that, we are trying to 
figure out what can be done in this regard. We essentially do not think 
Government should be dictating at what level companies compensate 
workers. But we do think the various laws we pass in Congress should be 
written in such a way that we don't provide additional benefits for 
extremely lavish compensation to high officials and inadequate 
compensation to people who are working every day in the bowels of these 
companies.
  Mr. REID. I also say to the Senator, based on the second part of the 
statement he made, I congratulate, commend, and applaud the Senator 
from New Mexico for bringing to the Senate's attention something that 
has been going on now for several years; that is, the inability of the 
United Nations to help poor women around the world with just basic 
information and educational opportunities as to why they get pregnant, 
and as to why they are not taken care of when they are pregnant. But 
does the Senator acknowledge that this has turned into some abortion 
issue that has nothing to do with family planning on the international 
scene? Is that true?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, my response to that question is the 
Senator from Nevada is exactly right. I think there is important 
assistance that the overwhelming majority of the House and Senate would 
like to see provided worldwide to these poor women who need assistance 
to deal with their very real issues of giving birth and planning their 
families for the future. We have appropriated money. That money has 
been appropriated now for 7 or 8 months, and it is sitting at the 
Department of the Treasury. I don't understand why they can't go ahead 
and spend that money as it was intended. I hope very much that happens 
in the very near future.
  Mr. REID. I say to my friend from New Mexico, if someone is really 
concerned about abortion, it would seem to me they should consider ways 
to help women be educated so there are less unintended pregnancies. 
Isn't that one of the main goals of international family planning?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, in response to that question, that is 
clearly my understanding of the main goal of international family 
planning. It is a worthwhile goal. I think clearly we do not want 
desperately poor families and desperately poor women to find themselves 
with unwanted pregnancies because of lack of information. What we are 
trying to do is get assistance to this population fund so that we can 
provide good information and assistance to these desperately poor 
women.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator also acknowledge that where we have had 
international family planning in the past healthier babies are born and 
less babies are born? Is that a fair statement?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, again, in response to the question, I 
believe there is a record of success with many of these programs, and 
with many of the efforts that have been made to this population fund. I 
think it makes good sense for the United States as the largest, most 
prosperous country in the world to participate with other countries--
with our friends and allies around the world--in supporting this 
effort. That is all we are trying to do. Our support is not 
overwhelming as compared to a lot of countries. But it is important, 
and we should provide it.
  Mr. REID. I also ask my friend, is it not true that the Congress, in 
good faith, has appropriated these moneys, and now they are being held 
up by the administration?
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, in response, that is certainly my 
information. My information is that the money was appropriated, and 
that it was appropriated last December when we passed the foreign 
operations appropriations bill. There is no reason that money should 
not be released for the intended use. That is what the law requires. I 
hope very much that the administration will move ahead. We are fast 
approaching the date when we are going to do another foreign operations 
appropriations bill. I don't think we serve the intended purpose by 
just delaying and delaying the use of these funds.
  Mr. REID. It is fair to say, is it not, that each day that goes by 
there are more people around the world and more women around the world 
who have this lack of information and unintended pregnancies and 
complicated pregnancies that could be helped by virtue of these moneys 
if, in fact, they were coming forward.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, again, in response to the question, I 
think it is easy for us to believe, when we are sitting here in a nice 
air-conditioned Senate Chamber, that there is no urgency and think 
these are all sort of theoretical problems out there and there is no 
urgency in getting about trying to deal with them. I think the reality 
is very different for a lot of the women to whom my friend in Nevada is 
referring.
  The reality is they have to either have assistance now or live with 
the consequences of not having the assistance. For that reason, I think 
it is very important we move ahead immediately.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I yield the remainder of our time to the 
Senator from Montana, Mr. Baucus.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is recognized for 4 
minutes.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, parliamentary inquiry: I wanted to 
know how much time there is in morning business, and if there is any 
time for the Republican side in morning business time.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There are 4 minutes remaining. 
There is no time reserved for the minority side.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, parliamentary inquiry: I would like to 
request of our leader--I am endeavoring to reach Senator Levin. I 
understand he will soon be available to give me some guidance as to 
what he desires as Chair. We are anxious to move ahead on this bill. I 
realize certain of our colleagues have extremely sensitive matters to 
speak to--the tragic wildfires experienced out West and the Amtrak 
situation. I am not sure what my good friend from Montana is going to 
address. But, at the same time, I am hopeful that with the support of 
our leadership, we can outline a course of action today so the Kennedy 
amendment--I spoke to Senator Kennedy late last night--can be voted on 
at a time that is convenient, preceded by, say, maybe 30 minutes of 
final remarks by Senator Kennedy and our side; that we

[[Page 11271]]

are able to go to the missile defense amendment, which I shared with 
the chairman last night; and, that we have today at least, say, 4 hours 
of debate on that with the hope we will vote this afternoon somewhere 
around 5 o'clock.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I would say to my friend, the comanager of 
this bill, that Senator Levin isn't due here until 10:30. We are 
supposed to take up the Defense bill at 10:30.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I am not hearing the Senator.
  Mr. REID. That is when we are supposed to take up the Defense bill. 
He will be here at or about 10:30. We, through staff, asked last night 
if the Republicans wanted any time for morning business. They said they 
didn't want any; they have a conference this morning. That is why the 
one-half hour was devoted to the Democrats. Had they wanted more time, 
we would have come in one-half hour earlier.
  I ask unanimous consent that--we used all of Senator Baucus' time in 
this colloquy--Senator Baucus will be recognized for up to 5 minutes to 
speak as if in morning business.
  I say to my friend from Virginia if Senator Hutchison and Senator 
Craig wish time, I am sure Senator Levin would have no problem giving 
them 5 minutes each. Is that fair enough?
  Mr. WARNER. I think that is fair enough.
  Mr. REID. Following the statement of the Senator from Montana, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senator from Texas be recognized for 5 
minutes, and following her the Senator from Idaho be recognized for 5 
minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. WARNER. Reserving the right to object, I think that is a very 
good reconciliation in the interest of time. But let us say we would 
return to the bill at 10 minutes to----
  Mr. REID. Why don't we return when we finish the morning business, 
which would be about a quarter till?
  Mr. WARNER. That is fine.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, reserving the right to object--I ask the 
indulgence of my friend--if I could have about 7\1/2\ minutes.

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