[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17429-17434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        ISSUES BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it has been quite a while since the Senate 
has been in session. I spent the entire time traveling up and down my 
State learning a lot from my people, as I always do. I am coming back 
here ready to work for as long as it takes to protect the American 
people, to do what we can about the health care crisis, Medicare, and 
the rest. How much we get done is going to be up to us. Of course, the 
leadership around here has to go to the bills that will make us safe, 
help our seniors, take up the issue of health care, and will get the 
deficits under control. That is their job. We will see what happens.
  I hope we go to Homeland Security appropriations because there is a 
lot of work we need to do on that bill to make sure it truly does 
protect the American people.


                Best Wishes to Former President Clinton

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I want to use this opportunity to send my 
best wishes to President Clinton as he recovers from very serious 
surgery, which, thank the Lord, appears to be successful. I know the 
first few days are the toughest. We have had a number of calls into our 
office from my constituents. I wanted to say that if they want to send 
a message to President Clinton, they should, if they have access to a 
computer, go to the following site: www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org. 
Then they can go to the right side of the page and there is a link 
where they can send personal best wishes to President Clinton.
  As usual, President Clinton is going to teach the country something 
about heart disease. I thought I would take a moment to say this is 
something I have been working on for years, since 1997. I introduced 
the Women's Cardiovascular Disease Research and Prevention Act. I was 
proud to do it with Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Together, we wrote 
this bill and it was to expand and coordinate the efforts of fighting 
heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in women.
  A lot of women don't think cardiovascular disease--heart attack and 
stroke--is a threat to them. Yet, if you look at the numbers, nearly 
500,000 women die of cardiovascular disease each year. The number is 
far less for breast cancer. Of course, we live in fear of breast 
cancer, which kills far fewer. But cardiovascular disease in women is 
the biggest killer. More than 20 percent of Americans have some kind of 
cardiovascular disease, with over half being women.
  So President Clinton, I know, is going to do very well. He has taught 
us so many things about issues and I know he will teach us a lot about 
how to prevent heart disease and how to make sure, if you have a family 
history, you take the right exams so that you find out early if you 
have it. I am proud my bill became law in 1998 as part of a larger bill 
on women's health.


                        American Deaths in Iraq

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, according to CNN this morning, there have 
been 999 total U.S. deaths in Iraq. We are one away from 1,000 deaths. 
When the President stood on the carrier with the ``mission 
accomplished'' sign behind him, 138 of our soldiers had died. That was 
May 1, 2003. Since the President declared mission accomplished--and he 
did it, as many of us said on both sides of the aisle, without a plan 
for the aftermath of the war, which was brilliantly executed--we have 
lost 861 more soldiers.
  When I was home, I met with veterans from this war and the one in 
Afghanistan. Mr. President, 6,916 Americans have been injured in Iraq. 
According to a report in the L.A. Times, 57 percent have been injured 
so severely that they are unable to return to duty. I asked what the 
suicide rate was in

[[Page 17430]]

Iraq. I learned from the military that the suicide rate is very high--
64 percent higher than the suicide rate in our country, and it is 34 
percent higher than in any other war theater. So we better be ready for 
the veterans who are coming back from that war, with 6,916 wounded.
  The Washington Post got hold of the veterans budget of this 
administration, and what did they learn? They learned that the Bush 
draft budget for 2006 includes an overall VA cut of $910 million. If we 
love our soldiers--and I believe we all do--how could we possibly cut 
the VA budget at a time when we are getting close to, at this point, 
7,000 injured vets coming home?
  The total of California's deaths is 254. I have paid tribute to each 
and every one of those who died from California--those who were either 
born in California, lived in California, or went to Iraq or Afghanistan 
from a California base. Today, I want to pay tribute to 48 more 
casualties that happened between the time we left 6 weeks ago and now.
  This relates to those killed in Iraq, not Afghanistan, since July 5. 
All of them are from California or based in California. So I will go 
through these names.
  LCpl John Vangyzen, age 21. Lance Corporal Vangyzen died on July 5 as 
a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the 
3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, at Twentynine 
Palms, CA.
  LCpl Michael S. Torres, age 21, died July 5 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st 
Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  Cpl Dallas L. Kerns died on July 5 as a result of enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, at Twentynine Palms, CA.
  LCpl Justin T. Hunt died July 6 as a result of enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance 
Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp 
Lejune, NC. He was from Riverside, CA.
  SPC William R. Emanuel, IV, age 19, was from Stockton, CA. He died 
July 8 in Baghdad. He was in the Iraqi National Guard Headquarters when 
it came under a mortar attack. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 26th 
Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
  Cpl Terry Holmes, age 22, died July 10 due to a noncombat-related 
vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  Sgt Krisna Nachampassak, age 27, died July 10 due to a noncombat-
related vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  PFC Christopher Reed, age 20, died July 10 due to a noncombat-related 
vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  SSgt Trevor Spink, age 36, died July 10 due to a noncombat-related 
vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  PFC Jesse J. Martinez, age 20, died in Talafar, Iraq, when his 
vehicle rolled over as the driver tried to avoid another vehicle. He 
was assigned to the Army's 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd 
Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Tracy, CA.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I did not have any time limit on my 
unanimous consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The request was for 10 minutes for each of the 
three people.
  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent for enough time until I conclude 
these names and another 10 minutes to talk about other issues. It 
should be another 10 to 15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. BOXER. If the Presiding Officer could tell me when I have used 
10 minutes.
  I wish I did not have to take so much time, Mr. President. These are 
48 of our best and brightest over there.
  LCpl Bryan P. Kelly, age 21, died July 16 due to injuries received 
from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Combat 
Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SSgt Michael J. Clark, age 29, died July 20 due to combat action in 
Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 
1, Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Mark E. Engel, age 21, died July 21 at Brook Army Medical 
Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, of multiple wounds he received as a 
result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd 
Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp 
Lejune, NC. He was from Grand Junction, CA.
  LTC David S. Green, age 39, died July 28 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was a reservist assigned to Marine Light Attack 
Helicopter Squadron 775, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3D Marine Air Wing, 
Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA.
  GySgt Shawn A. Lane, age 33, died July 28 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine 
Division, Camp Pendleton,CA.
  SPC Armando Hernandez, age 22, died in Samarra, Iraq, when an 
improvised explosive device exploded near his guard post. He was 
assigned to the Army's 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry 
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from Hesperia, CA.
  Sgt Juan Calderon, Jr., age 26, died August 2 due to enemy action in 
Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Dean P. Pratt, age 22, died August 2 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  CPT Gregory A. Ratzlaff, age 36, died August 3 due to a noncombat-
related incident at Forward Operating Base Duke, Iraq. He was assigned 
to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd 
Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, CA.
  GySgt Elia P. Fontecchia, age 30, died August 4 from injuries 
received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground 
Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  LCpl Joseph L. Nice, age 19, died August 4 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st 
Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine 
Palms, CA.
  Sgt Moses D. Rocha, age 33, died August 5 due to injuries received 
from enemy action in An Najaf, Iraq. He was assigned to Battalion 
Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Yadir G. Reynoso, age 27, died August 5 due to enemy action in An 
Najaf Province. He was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th 
Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Larry L. Wells, age 22, died August 6 due to enemy action in An 
Najaf, Iraq. He was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine 
Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Roberto Abad, age 22, died August 6 after being struck by an 
exploding mortar during enemy action in Najaf. He was assigned to 
Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp 
Pendleton, Ca. He was from Los Angeles, CA.
  LCpl Jonathan W. Collins, age 19, died August 8 due to enemy action 
in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Tavon L. Hubbard, age 24, died August 11 in a helicopter crash 
in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the Command Element, 11th 
Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SSgt John R. Howard, age 26, died August 11 in a helicopter crash in 
Al

[[Page 17431]]

Anbar Province. He was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 
166 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Corps Air 
Station, Miramar, CA. He was from San Diego, CA.
  LCpl Kane M. Funke, age 20, died August 13 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th 
Marines, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 
Twentynine Palms, CA.
  PFC Fernando B. Hannon, age 19, was killed August 15 while conducting 
combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
Ca. He was from Riverside, CA.
  PFC Geoffrey Perez, age 24, was killed on August 15 from an explosion 
while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He was 
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 
Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Los Angeles, CA.
  LCpl Caleb J. Powers, age 21, died August 17 due to enemy action in 
Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Harvey E. Parkerson, III, age 27, died after sustaining a fatal 
gunshot wound to the head while conducting combat operations in Najaf 
Province. He was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine 
Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, CA. He 
was from Yuba City, CA.
  PFC Nachez Washalanta, age 21, died August 21 from injuries received 
due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Light 
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  LCpl Seth Huston, age 19, died August 21 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Jason Cook, age 25, died August 21 from injuries received due to 
enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored 
Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Nicanor Alvarez, age 22, died August 21 from injuries received 
due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Combat 
Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was 
from San Bernardino, CA.
  GySgt Edward T. Reeder, age 32, died August 21 in a noncombat-related 
vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Headquarters 
and Service Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  LCpl Jacob R. Lugo, age 21, died August 24 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat 
Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  LCpl Alexander S. Arrendondo, age 20, died August 25 as a result of 
enemy action in An Najaf. He was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/
4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  PFC Nicholas M. Skinner, age 20, died August 26 from injuries 
received due to enemy action in An Najaf, Iraq. He was assigned to 
Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special 
Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SPC Omead H. Razani, age 19, died August 27 in Habbaniyah, Iraq, of 
noncombat-related injuries. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th 
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Greaves, 
Korea. He was from Los Angeles, CA.
  LCpl Nickalous Aldrich, age 21, died August 27 from a nonhostile 
vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd 
Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Regiment, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  Sgt Edgar Lopez, age 27, died August 28 due to enemy action in Babil 
Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejune, NC. He was from Los 
Angeles, CA.
  CPT Alan Rowe, age 35, died September 3 due to enemy action in Al 
Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine 
Palms, CA.
  LCpl Nicholas Perez, age 19, died September 3 due to enemy action in 
Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 
Twentynine Palms, CA.
  1LT Ronald Winchester, age 25, died September 3 due to enemy action 
in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine 
Palms, CA.
  LCpl Nicholas Wilt, age 23, died September 3 due to enemy action in 
Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Ground Combat Center, 
Twentynine Palms, CA.
  As my colleagues know, I have paid tribute to every Californian who 
has died in Iraq from the beginning of the war. I have paid tribute to 
them if they were born and raised in California or if they were 
assigned to a California base. I have read into the Record and paid 
tribute now to 254 soldiers. It takes a lot of time, but this time is 
nothing compared to a lifetime of grieving, tears, and pain these 
relatives are going through, not only from my State but all over the 
country.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield?
  Mrs. BOXER. I will.
  Mr. REID. I express my appreciation to the Senator from California 
for her diligence in coming to the Senate floor and spreading on the 
Record the names of these soldiers who were killed in Iraq. As the 
Senator knows, about 25 percent of all the deaths in Iraq are related 
to the State of California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Yes.
  Mr. REID. We are within a score of having a thousand deaths in Iraq. 
I say to my friend from California, I appreciate it so much because I 
have been on the Senate floor where I have lamented the fact and have 
referred to major newspapers around the country where the deaths of our 
servicemen have been relegated to page 14 and page 7 of newspapers 
around the country. Each one of these 254 deaths involves the sons, 
daughters, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, cousins, and neighbors, 
people who will long remember those who died in service to their 
country.
  We cannot take for granted what is happening in Iraq.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, how much time remains on my time?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator wanted to be notified when she 
used another 10 minutes.
  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent for an additional 5 minutes after 
my additional 5, so it would be an additional 10.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. I simply want to say that it is important to me to do what 
we can to recognize what is going on in Iraq. It is a situation that is 
extremely difficult and desperate. It appears now that we have not 
solved the Sadr problem. We have moved from Najaf to where we lost 7 
Marines last night in Sadr City where he now resides, with more than 2 
million people residing in that city.
  So I again want the record to reflect my appreciation to the Senator 
from California for giving recognition to these gallant servicemen who 
have lost their lives in Iraq. I wish she would continue to do so. At 
the very least, the relatives and friends of these gallant soldiers 
should have their names recognized. They deserve more than that, but 
certainly that is a step in the right direction.
  Mrs. BOXER. If I could respond to my friend, and also say to my 
friend from Iowa, I have found there is so little focus on these young 
men and women who are sacrificing. We do not see them when they come 
home. We do not hear about them and the ones who are wounded. I say to 
my friend, and he may not be aware of this, one more soldier and we are 
going to see a thousand dead. It is 999 today.
  Mr. REID. I did not realize that. The last number I saw was about 
978.

[[Page 17432]]


  Mrs. BOXER. Right, 999. Now is the time, if ever there were a time, 
to reflect on this policy. Now, President Bush says we are not turning 
back. One has to ask themselves: What does that mean? We are not 
turning back from what? We are not turning back from a war without a 
plan?
  Well, I hope we will get a plan. We need a plan. Just as we had a 
military plan, we need a plan. Things are at a state now where I have 
to come and take the time to do this. There is discontent on the other 
side. It takes a long time to read 48 new names of Californians. Is 
that not the least we can do? I have talked about what the potential of 
each of them was. These are the sons and daughters of our people.
  Mr. REID. Would the Senator yield?
  Mrs. BOXER. Yes.
  Mr. REID. We are focused today, and certainly I support the Senator 
in doing so, on the soldiers who are dead. As the Senator indicated, it 
is now 999. The one thing we do not focus on is this war is different 
than any war we have ever had. The ratio of deaths to casualties is 
much different. The casualties in this war--those people being 
wounded--are very severe although they have the use of body armor and 
other protections included in most of the vehicles. We have many severe 
burns, people being blinded, paralyzed, losing limbs. These are people 
who are nameless, hundreds and hundreds, into the thousands now, of 
people who have been severely wounded, not wounded but severely 
wounded. I wish there were some way we could recognize the suffering 
that is going on.
  Mrs. BOXER. I say to my friend, when I opened up my remarks, I stated 
that 6,916 Americans have been injured in Iraq. My friend is right, it 
is an enormous number. According to a report in the L.A. Times, 57 
percent have been injured so severely that they are unable to return to 
duty. These are very severe injuries.
  My point is, is this the time, then, to have a budget that the 
President--we found out about it because The Washington Post got a 
copy--cuts VA by $910 million? There are these many Americans, and God 
knows what the total will be by the end of the month.
  ``We are not turning back.'' The President says that over and over 
again. ``We are staying the course.'' Well, why do we not look at this 
course? Why do we not look at these policies? Why do we not see if 
there are ways to better handle this, to internationalize this, to take 
the burden off of the backs of our young people, as Senator Kerry has 
said? Where is the plan?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. HARKIN. I ask the Senator to yield. I thank the Senator for her 
very perceptive and very sensitive approach on this issue of what is 
happening with our troops in Iraq. The Senator from Nevada is 
absolutely right about this, that this war is different than any we 
have ever had. I suppose the good news is we are saving a lot more 
lives than we have ever in the past. We are there with our medical 
equipment, as the Senator said, as well as because of body armor and a 
lot of other things. But what we are also experiencing, as the Senator 
from California pointed out, is a higher level of individuals with 
severe injuries, injuries that not only won't allow them to return to 
active duty but will mean they are going to carry their burdens the 
rest of their natural lives, for them and their families.
  What is unanswered, among all the other things that are unanswered--
how we are going to get out of Iraq, how we are going to protect our 
troops better, how we are going to get other countries to come in, how 
we are going to pay for it, endless questions--the one nagging 
question, which I believe the Senator from California has just put her 
finger on, is: Will we, will this administration, and will this 
Congress commit itself to ensuring that these young men and women who 
have been so severely injured will have the supporting mechanisms, the 
educational benefits, the kind of things that are needed so they can 
live a full, rich, productive life here in America? That has never been 
committed to by this administration.
  When the President says he wants to stay the course, is that one 
course on which he wants to stay, I ask my friends, that we will not 
commit ourselves to making sure these brave young men and women are 
taken care of, that all their medical needs are met, but more important 
that they are able to lead full, productive lives here in America?
  Mrs. BOXER. Absolutely. The sad truth is we got a copy of their 
budget.
  Mr. HARKIN. That is right.
  Mrs. BOXER. President Bush, this is going to be an issue. People are 
going to take a look at this. It is one thing to send our troops to 
war; it is another thing to not be there with what they need when they 
come back. And we are going to make that an issue.
  There is one other thing we need to make an issue because there are 
some things going on in this country that are on the wrong track. I 
know my friend agrees with this. The seniors in this country just got 
hit with a 17.4-percent increase in their Medicare premiums. I say to 
my friend from Iowa, who is a champion not only of veterans but of 
seniors and children and education and all these other issues, how are 
our elderly going to handle this? This is the largest single premium 
increase in nearly 40 years of history with Medicare.
  My friend and I know why. The No. 1 reason is this: This 
administration worked on a Medicare bill that has a $14 billion slush 
fund to the HMOs, to ``convince them,'' to convince them to take 
Medicare patients. That is $14 billion.
  What else? Medicare is prohibited from negotiating for lower drug 
prices. I say to my friend, if you walked down the street in Des Moines 
or anywhere in your State, and you went up to someone and said: Guess 
what. The Government is telling you you can't shop around for the best 
price. If you want to go around and buy a bike for your kid, you have 
to go to Mike's bike shop, not Ray's bike shop or Barbara's bike shop.
  Your constituents would say: Senator, if that is the kind of 
Government I have, hey, this is not the country I know it is.
  Yet and still, this administration, backed by the majority party, 
tied Medicare's hands. Now our people are paying through the nose and 
they are frightened.
  I have been home for the last 2 months, and my senior citizens--first 
of all, they say this is the worst prescription drug benefit they ever 
saw. They don't understand it. The only time they can take advantage of 
it is if they fit a certain profile. Most of them don't even want it. 
Now they have to pay for something they didn't want because it is built 
into these premiums. That is what the administration says. They are 
giving you a great new benefit. Now you pay for it. And they are paying 
for a slush fund for the HMOs.
  Here is the deal. This President says we are not going back; we are 
not changing course. All well and good if the course is working. But 
when it is not working, when we are paying the cost of Iraq, 90 percent 
of it both in the injuries and in the pocketbook, and we are spending 
now in excess of $200 billion over there and the deficits are--what are 
they now, $400 billion plus? The highest ever in the history of our 
country? Stay the course? Don't turn back from debts that are falling 
on our people? Don't turn back from Medicare premium increases?
  I ask for 1 additional minute.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered. One additional minute.
  Mrs. BOXER. So it is one thing to stand in front of a microphone and 
say don't turn back, if you have policies that are working. But when 
you have policies that are costing us lives in Iraq, 90 percent of the 
casualties, 90 percent of the cost, and then you turn your back on our 
allies? When the President landed on that ``mission accomplished'' 
carrier, our allies begged to help us in Iraq. Oh, no, we weren't going 
to share the spoils of this with them. The rebuilding was just going to 
Halliburton folks.
  That is the price our people are paying. I love them dearly and I 
want to see them come back home and be relieved by people from all over 
the

[[Page 17433]]

world. And I want to see our senior citizens not have to choose between 
medicine and food. This is wrong.
  So, hopefully, we will see some changes in this country. I think you 
and I agree they are sorely needed. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa is recognized for 20 
minutes.
  Mr. HARKIN. I thank the Senator from California for her very clear 
presentation today. What is happening to make America weaker? We are 
getting weaker all the time. As the Senator from California pointed 
out, we are getting weaker because our seniors now are denied the 
medical care they need and ought to have. We are getting weaker because 
our deficits are going up at an alarming rate. We are getting weaker 
because we are getting sucked further and further into the quagmire of 
Iraq with no end in sight. We are getting weaker in this country 
because the middle class is getting squeezed. The wealthy are getting 
the tax breaks.
  I am beginning to think that George W. Bush stands for George Weaker 
Bush. Weakening America, that is what is happening in this country. We 
are weaker than what we were.
  I thank the Senator from California for her very perceptive analysis 
and for her continued progressive views on turning our country in the 
correct direction.
  I like the expression, what the Senator from California said about 
President Bush, saying he wants to stay the course or don't turn back. 
Don't turn back.
  Mrs. BOXER. Right.
  Mr. HARKIN. It seems to me, if you are on a highway in a car, and you 
are headed towards a cliff and there is a bend in the road that you can 
take and it will save you, what sense does it make to keep going 
straight off the cliff?
  Mrs. BOXER. Good one.
  Mr. HARKIN. That seems to me what the President is saying: Stay in 
the car with me. I do not change course.
  We are already kind of over the cliff. We are going to go down it.
  We could make some changes in our economic policy, our fiscal policy. 
Certainly, we can make changes in our foreign policy, in our policy in 
Iraq, to turn this country so we do not continue to go off the cliff.
  I guess the President says that he knows where he is going. There is 
one thing about being resolute in one's determination to do certain 
things. But there comes a point where you are stubborn in the face of 
facts and reality. I am afraid this President does not realize the 
difference between being resolute and carrying out policies, and being 
stubborn when those policies are hurting America and making us weaker.
  I want to change the focus of the discussion. I want to talk about 
the economy. This morning the Congressional Budget Office announced it 
now projects this year's budget deficit will rise to $422 billion, an 
all-time high. Actually, if you look at this chart, if you look at the 
red, that is the budget deficit of $422 billion for 2004. But if you 
exclude Social Security surplus, the budget deficit is really $574 
billion.
  Bear in mind, this comes from a President who originally pledged he 
would not run deficits and he would protect Social Security surpluses. 
Talk about flip-flopping, this is the flip-flop of all time.
  Now we see these deficits are not only huge but they are going to 
continue as far as the eye can see. It is shocking when we look at 
where we were 4 years ago when we had an all-time-high budget surplus 
and we could see these surpluses continuing on through this decade when 
we were strong in the world, when we had other countries supporting us, 
and now to see where we have come in 4 short years.
  Right now our operating budget deficit, without counting the Social 
Security surplus, is about 5 percent of the gross domestic product.
  Last year the President's Council of Economic Advisers predicted 
normal job growth would be 228,000 jobs a month, about the average 
level during the Clinton administration. The Council of Economic 
Advisers said the job growth would be even more if we passed the 2003 
tax bill which was done. It said we would create 305,000 jobs a month. 
Unfortunately, over the past 3 months job creation has been about one-
third that rate. A million jobs have been lost since Mr. Bush took 
office.
  It seems to me the appropriate question to ask is are we better off 
today than we were 4 years ago as a nation? Again, look back. It seems 
almost like a distant utopia when I read the figures. We were the envy 
of the world in 2000, with 23 million new jobs created and the largest 
budget surplus in U.S. history--$236 billion in 1 year. But now, 4 
years later, we are weaker in almost every respect in this country.
  Data released by the Census Bureau paints a very disturbing picture. 
Since Mr. Bush took office, real median household income has fallen by 
$1,535. During the Clinton administration the real median household 
income went up $5,489. Look at the difference. Median income up under 
the Clinton administration, median income down $1,535 a year under the 
Bush administration.
  Then look at poverty. The number of Americans living in poverty has 
risen by 4.3 million under President Bush through 2003. During the 
Clinton administration, 6.4 million Americans were lifted out of 
poverty. In 4 years of Bush, 4.28 million have been driven into 
poverty.
  Is that progress? We should stay the course? We should not turn back? 
I would love to turn back to the economic policies of the Clinton 
years. No. This President says no, stay the course.
  In every single way we are weaker.
  The number of Americans without health insurance has gone up 5.2 
million in the last 4 years. The policies of this administration have 
weakened our economy. They have depleted our Federal Treasury. They 
have made America a weaker country.
  Now look at taxes. A new study by the Congressional Budget Office 
tells us the real story. The share of taxes borne by those making more 
than $1 million a year was reduced by 10 percent thanks to the tax cuts 
of this administration. But the share of taxes borne by the middle-
income taxpayers actually increased by almost 5 percent. Meanwhile, 
interest on the public debt because of these huge deficits will nearly 
double in the next 4 years. By 2009, every year we will be paying 
$1,000 in interest for every man, woman, and child in America. That is 
$4,000 for a family of four. It is making our future weaker.
  We hear a lot of talk from this administration about doing away with 
the so-called death tax, the tax on accumulated wealth--so-called 
estate taxes--the idea being that we don't end up with those with 
billions of dollars being able to pass it all on while average 
Americans have to face more and more debt. The Bush administration says 
they want to get rid of the estate tax.
  What about the birth tax? What about the tax this administration is 
leveling on every child who is going to be born in America in the 
future? Every child born in the United States henceforth will have 
$1,000 taxes put on his or her head as soon as they are born. No one is 
talking about the birth tax. We ought to be talking about that rather 
than trying to have the wealthy pay a little bit more fair share of 
their taxes in this country.
  Again, because of the interest on the national debt, a family of 
four, as I said, will be paying $4,000 a year. Guess what? That is one 
tax that cannot be cut. Who is going to be paying it? Middle-income 
taxpayers, $4,000 a year. That is a new birth tax on every child born 
in America. But no, we do not hear the administration talking about 
that.
  The real reason the economy is so weak is that for 4 years the Bush 
administration has been preaching fiscal conservatism, but has been 
practicing a reckless ``damn the torpedoes'' brand of fiscal 
radicalism. We have had a radical fiscal policy over the last 4 years. 
The Bush team sees cutting taxes as the be-all and end-all of their 
political existence. For them, cutting taxes is not an economic plan; 
it is not even an ideology. It is a theology of one size fits all. If 
the economy is weak, you

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cut taxes. If the economy is strong, you cut taxes. If there is a 
surplus, you cut taxes. If there are huge deficits, you cut taxes. You 
have a war on terrorism, cut taxes.
  How many Americans realize that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are 
the first wars in American history to be paid for and financed by tax 
cuts? In the past, we have always asked the American people to help 
fight our wars by paying increased taxes. Now tax cuts for the wealthy, 
birth tax on the kids of middle-income taxpayers, more costs for 
medical health for the elderly, and the deficit continues to go up.
  As I said, this year it is really $577 billion, not $422 billion--
$577 billion. That is because you have to count the Social Security 
surplus.
  The President says stay the course, don't turn back. For 4 years this 
President and his team have pursued policies that have led to deficits, 
debt, drift, and decline. He is leaving a dramatic and weakened economy 
and Treasury to his successor and to the next generation.
  We have to do better. We can do better. The answer is not to stay 
with the driver of the car who is going to drive you over the cliff 
because he is too stubborn to recognize what is weakening America. The 
answer is to modify our policies, change our course to build a brighter 
and a stronger and better America for our children and grandchildren. 
Vice President Cheney famously asserted that ``deficits don't matter.'' 
I couldn't disagree more. So do all mainstream economists. The truth is 
deficits do matter and they matter profoundly. Chronic, long-term 
deficits that we now see mean the Federal Government must accumulate 
huge and growing debt held in bonds. That means the Government is 
competing with limited dollars and crowding out other borrowers. This 
puts other pressure on interest rates. That is bad for job creation.
  Second, as the Government's debt increases, it is harder to find 
resources to make investments here at home in our roads and our 
bridges, our schools and educational systems. That means a less 
efficient transportation system and as less skilled workforce. That is 
bad for business.
  Third, as we are already seeing, a far larger share of our 
Government's bonds are being bought up by foreign governments. Japan, 
China, and South Korea have particularly heavy purchases of our bonds.
  Should that be a worry? It means their future decisions can have a 
major impact on our economy. In the long term, sooner or later we have 
to expect the dollar to fall dramatically if our policies don't change. 
That will hurt our economy by driving up inflation as we pay more for 
the imports that come into our country.
  Lastly, as I have said before and I will keep repeating it, it is 
especially troubling for the young people in America for them and their 
future; for our obligations that we have to meet the obligations of the 
baby boomers who will soon retire and make sure we keep our commitment 
to them to meet their health needs and to make sure Social Security is 
sound.
  We do not make Social Security sound by driving us further and 
further into debt. We do not solve the problem by privatizing Social 
Security. We already see in the private sector more and more retirement 
plans under fire. United Airlines and others. Now they want to take 
Social Security and put it out there on the stock market, too.
  Lastly, our incomes are down in America. We know that. What is the 
answer of this President? Cut overtime. A couple weeks ago the 
President put into effect administration rules that will take away 
overtime pay protection for over 6 million Americans. Before that rule 
was promulgated by the administration, they never had one public 
hearing.
  Thanks to the Senator from Pennsylvania, we did have a couple of 
hearings--two or three--in the Senate, but that was after the horse was 
out of the barn. At least we had the hearings. Every time we had the 
hearings, it became clear the overtime rules were going to hurt working 
Americans; that they were not going to clear up, as they said, 
ambiguous rules that already existed; that, in fact, this was an 
assault on overtime. It was a way of allowing employers the ability to 
redefine what you do as a worker, to reclassify you, have you work over 
40 hours a week, and not have to pay you overtime. That is what is 
happening.
  Lastly, the income tax of this country is moving away from being an 
income tax. It is under this Administration becoming a wage tax. If you 
work and you make wages, you get taxed. However, if you have investment 
income, dividend income, and a bunch of other things such as that, 
well, under the President's plans, you will not have to worry too much 
about paying taxes anymore.
  So what we will have in America is a work tax. If you work for a 
living and make a wage, you will pay taxes. You pay the full brunt of 
taxes. But if you are a very high income person, and most of your 
income is off of dividends, your taxes have already been sharply 
reduced and if the President's wishes come to pass, you do not pay much 
in taxes.
  We are robbing our kids. We are hurting our elderly. We are making 
America weaker and weaker as every day, every week goes by in this 
crazy economic policy of this administration. I cannot think of any 
other word for it other than to say it is beyond the pale. I don't mind 
an administration that takes a chance, that has maybe a new economic 
theory to test. OK, fine. But when it proves, year after year after 
year that it does not work, why keep doing it?
  Someone once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over 
again and expecting a different result. Why do we keep trying the same 
economic policy year after year after year? We see the same results: 
higher unemployment, less family income, more people in poverty, higher 
deficits, higher debt. Yet the President says: Keep me as your driver, 
stay in the car, as we continue to make America weaker and drive over a 
cliff.
  It is time to change course in this country. It is time to put our 
country back on a fiscally sound basis in this country or else this 
country is going to be facing even larger deficits, bigger debts, more 
foreign countries buying more bonds. As the old saying goes, he who 
pays the piper calls the tune. I am afraid a country that owns all of 
our debt will call our tune and that will be the ultimate weakness for 
America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cornyn). The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, thank you.
  (The remarks of Mr. McCain, Mr. Specter, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Bayh 
pertaining to the introduction of S. 2774 are located in today's Record 
under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. DOMENICI. Parliamentary inquiry: Are we still in morning 
business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burns). That is correct.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Is it appropriate for the Senator from New Mexico to 
ask to speak at this time?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. It is.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
permitted to speak for 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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