Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 149 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2003 No. 33 Senate The Senate met at 12:02 p.m., and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING U.S. Court of Federal Claims. I thank called to order by the Honorable LARRY PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE all Members for their attention. E. CRAIG, a Senator from the State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The f Idaho. clerk will please read a communication RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s to the Senate from the President pro prayer will be offered by our guest tempore (Mr. STEVENS). The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Chaplain, Norris A. Keirn, National The assistant legislative clerk read the previous order, the leadership time Chaplain of the American Legion. the following letter: is reserved. PRAYER U.S. SENATE, f The guest chaplain offered the fol- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, EXECUTIVE SESSION lowing prayer: Washington, DC, March 3, 2003. Eternal Father, You have been our To the Senate: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, shield and strength from the birth of of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby NOMINATION OF MIGUEL A. our Nation to this present day. Our appoint the Honorable LARRY E. CRAIG, a ESTRADA, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE homeland has been preserved in the Senator from the State of Idaho, to perform UNITED STATES CIRCUIT JUDGE palm of Your hand. By inspiration of the duties of the Chair. FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUM- Your Holy Spirit, we have continu- TED STEVENS, BIA CIRCUIT (Resumed) President pro tempore. ously moved to develop a more perfect The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under union that would mirror Your divine Mr. CRAIG thereupon assumed the the previous order, the Senate will now purpose. chair as Acting President pro tempore. go into executive session and resume Through Your guidance, these Sen- (Mr. CHAMBLISS assumed the consideration of executive calendar No. ators have been raised to make laws chair.) 21, which the clerk will report. and direct efforts for the enduring bet- f The assistant legislative clerk read terment of the peoples of this Nation the nomination of Miguel A. Estrada, RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING and the world. Grant great wisdom so of Virginia, to be United States Circuit MAJORITY LEADER that Your righteous purposes would be Judge for the District of Columbia Cir- fulfilled. Afford each one the strength The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- cuit. of will to be diligent dispensers of ator from Idaho is recognized. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The as- truth and justice. Bless them with soli- f sistant minority leader is recognized. darity that transcends personal views Mr. REID. The manager of the bill is and political affiliations. Grant a bi- SCHEDULE on the floor and the acting leader, Sen- partisan unity that would bring You Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, the Sen- ator CRAIG, is also here. Senator BINGA- glory! ate will spend the day in executive ses- MAN is here and wishes to speak. I un- Bless also those who defend this de- sion trying to reach an agreement for a derstand Senator CRAIG wishes to mocracy and place themselves in time to vote on the Estrada nomina- speak for about 15 minutes. I wonder if harm’s way. Dispatch Your angels to tion. The nomination has been pending I may direct attention to the distin- protect and to bring them home with before the full Senate since February 5. guished chairman of the Judiciary victory over the evil forces that would The majority leader has attempted on Committee, Chairman HATCH. Senator attempt to destroy freedom. Enable a number of occasions to reach a time BINGAMAN is here and I would like to them to break the bondage of oppres- certain for this nomination. Each time see if we can get him in the queue to sion as You have so graciously granted there has been an objection by the speak after Senator CRAIG. I know the in the past. In the Name of our Lord we other side of the aisle. Senator from Utah is managing this pray, Amen. If Members desire to speak, they are bill and, of course, I am sure he wishes f encouraged to do so during today’s ses- to speak. I wonder if he has any objec- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE sion. tion to Mr. BINGAMAN speaking. The Honorable LARRY E. CRAIG led As a reminder to all Members, there Mr. HATCH. I have no objection. the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: will be a rollcall vote today beginning Mr. REID. He only wants about 5 to I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the at 5:30. Under the unanimous consent 10 minutes. United States of America, and to the Repub- agreement reached last Thursday, the Mr. HATCH. I will have no objection, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, vote will be on the confirmation of and I have no objection to Senator indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Marian Blank Horn to serve on the CRAIG speaking as well. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2991 . VerDate Jan 31 2003 02:04 Mar 04, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A03MR6.000 S03PT1 S2992 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 3, 2003 Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- saying it watches them at the border. ity. The most recent Hynix bailout imous consent that Senator CRAIG be Then my bill requires a cash deposit of came 2 months ago when the Govern- recognized for 15 minutes and then estimated countervailing duties in the ment provided $4.1 billion in debt relief Senator BINGAMAN for up to 10 minutes. 80-percent range. That is a serious step. and another $4.1 billion in subsidy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Yet it is a legal and an appropriate Hynix only had $2.4 billion in sales last objection, it is so ordered. step and, yes, it is actionable under the year. It just does not add up. Take a The Senator from Idaho is recog- WTO, but it focuses us as a country on chalkboard out and outline that for the nized. the problem we are facing with this world to see, and the world will say MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES TO HYNIX kind of competition that I believe is il- that is a Government-controlled, Gov- SEMICONDUCTOR legal and is heavily Government sup- ernment-subsidized plant that is not Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise ported. even making a profit and, in fact, is today to visit with my colleagues I am angry, and I say that losing large amounts of money. about something that is going on in straightforwardly, at the Government Hynix will use the debt forgiveness to Idaho and across this Nation at this of Korea and their continued unrelent- continue to expand capacity. Just last moment that is critical to our econ- ing campaign of illegal subsidies to week—this is almost like a slap in the omy, and especially critical to the Hynix in an attempt to bring our do- face to the American workforce and to economy of the State of Idaho. The sit- mestic producer not only to its knees, Micron and its companies—just last uation that a company in Idaho finds but to destroy it altogether and then week Hynix announced it would begin itself in at this moment has resulted in dominate the semiconductor industry. work on new fabrication lines to its need to lay off 10 percent of its Since October of 2000, the Korean produce D-RAMs on state-of-the-art 300 workforce because of actions taken by Government, acting through the banks mm wafers which will result in even the Korean Government to prop up a it owns and controls, has provided an more subsidized D-RAM from Hynix. bankrupt competitor of Micron. incredible $16 billion—let me repeat They cannot make a profit, they are Micron is a company in Idaho that that—the banks of Korea have provided being subsidized heavily, and they are has been in place and is the world’s sec- an incredible $16 billion in subsidies to going to build more capacity. That ond largest producer of memory chips. Hynix, the Korean producer of D-RAM does not make any sense at all, but As a result of the Korean Government’s semiconductors. How much has our then again putting a lot of people out propping up of the Hynix Semicon- Federal Government subsidized Mi- of work in Idaho does not make any ductor Corporation, the market now is cron? Nada; not one bit. sense either when we are asking a com- tremendously softened and layoffs are I think it is time we at least put up pany to compete against this producer occurring. a barrier and test the international at well below market prices. In the mid-1980s, Micron almost went trade community to understand wheth- Now we read in the papers that Hynix out of business because of dumping by er this is or is not an illegal action. We and other Hyundai companies are being Japanese companies. At that time, I have that argument before the ITC at investigated for illegally transferring acted in concert with the Bush Govern- this moment. We hope there is a find- $500 million to North Korea in 2000. If ment. President Bush at that time ing soon.