October 26, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S11111 issue. The fact is that the voters in the health insurance coverage for children, lic debt. Given Bush’s large package of State of Oregon said we feel this way and the percentage of children without tax cuts, the budget will go negative on assisted suicide. As a result of the coverage has gone up under the Gov- quickly. There won’t be a surplus any- people of Oregon passing a law in the ernor. more. State of Oregon, we now have this ac- While nationwide Medicaid enroll- This is not a partisan report. It has tion. ment has increased, Medicaid enroll- been produced by one of the most wide- It seems to me those who keep talk- ment in Texas has declined. ly respected organizations in America. ing about States rights should leave a George W. Bush retains roadblocks to The American Academy of Actuaries is State alone. People of the State of Or- eligible populations in health pro- part of a growing chorus of voices egon voted a certain way. If you dis- grams. Even a judge found Texas guilty which have discredited Governor agree with what the people of the State of not providing 1.5 million children Bush’s plan to privatize this Nation’s of Oregon did in voting in favor of as- with adequate health care. This was most successful Federal program in our sisted suicide, then let’s at least have August of this year. The justice said history, Social Security. In August, the ability on the Senate floor to de- the State failed not only the 1.5 million the Century Foundation also concluded bate the issue which we have been pre- children but 13,000 abused and ne- that Governor Bush was making a vented from doing. glected children. Rather than taking promise to seniors and to young people My friend from Missouri, for whom I corrective action, the State decided to that he couldn’t keep with his Social have the greatest respect, talked about appeal the court’s ruling over the ob- Security privatization scheme. You health care. jection of State legislators. can’t do it for both. They always throw in the 1993 Clin- Texas legislators blame Bush for This study, which was written by the ton health care plan. Let’s bring this Texas’ poor health insurance coverage. respected economist Henry J. Aaron down to reality so people really under- In a letter to the Vice President from and former Federal Reserve Board stand what this is all about. Texas State representatives, the Gov- member Alan Blinder, found that di- When the health care debate started, ernor prioritized oil breaks over chil- verting just 2 percentage points of the 80 percent of the people of America fa- dren’s health insurance in 1999. In 1999, Social Security payroll tax into pri- vored reforming the health care sys- after Bush deemed a $45 million oil in- vate accounts would result in a reduc- tem. But then comes Halloween and dustry tax break an emergency and tion of benefits by as much as 54 per- cent and higher payroll taxes to keep the masquerade by the health insur- made it the first signed bill of the ses- the Social Security trust fund solvent. ance industry. They spent over $100 sion, Democratic legislators questioned In addition, Larry Summers, the Sec- his priorities in putting the legislation million trying to abuse and frighten retary of the Treasury, who is also a before expanding the CHIP program, or the American people. They succeeded trustee of the Social Security system, children health insurance programs. beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. They and therefore has a fiduciary relation- ‘‘It’s about priorities,’’ Democratic rep- were probably even surprised on how ship to make sure the system remains they succeeded in frightening the peo- resentative Dale Tillery said. ‘‘I know solvent, said if just 2 percent of the ple of America with their Harry and a whole lot of uninsured children, but I payroll tax is diverted from the Social Louise ads and with their clever ma- don’t know a whole lot of poor Security revenue stream, the Social nipulations. oilmen.’’ Security trust fund will lack the re- I could go into more detail about As a result of that, we got no health sources to pay benefits by the time care reform because after they did Governor Bush’s record on health care someone who is now 40 retires. their television and radio advertising, but this gives us a general idea. By today’s report, the most damning 80 percent of the people in America The American public is beginning to indictment of the Bush plan to date is didn’t want health care reform. They find out more about George W. Bush. this report from the actuary group, the were frightened. They were confused. Yesterday, the Rand Corporation, a first independent report finding that That doesn’t take away from the fact nonprofit organization that helps im- the Federal budget surplus, a result of that we now have 45 million people prove policy and decisionmaking hard choices we have made in this with no health insurance. It doesn’t through research and analysis, an inde- country, would be eliminated by Gov- take away from the fact that we have pendent, fair, nonpartisan corporation, ernor Bush’s shaky retirement scheme. many people who have insurance that said that claims Governor Bush has To add insult to injury, not only would gives them minimum and inadequate been making about education in Texas we return to the bad old days of defi- rights. That is why we tried to pass the and how well they are doing is without cits as far as the eye could see, we Patients’ Bill of Rights—to give pa- foundation, not factual. In fact, the would devastate the most popular so- tients certain rights. only way that Governor Bush is able to cial program in the Nation’s history, a f take any credit for it is that tests are program which has virtually elimi- skewed in Texas. The Rand Corpora- THE NOVEMBER ELECTION nated the poverty rate among the el- tion said if you use Texas math in any derly, provides critical benefits to dis- Mr. REID. Mr. President, my friend State, the education scores all over abled Americans, and supports widows, from Missouri not so subtly indicated America would be magnified. many of whom have little or no retire- that he thinks there is going to be a The fact is, the State of Texas is ment security. new world out there after the Novem- doing worse that most States. What Let’s review what is at stake in this ber 7 election. I think he is going to be Governor Bush is claiming about edu- privatization scheme. We have turned a very disappointed. He is going to be cation is simply without foundation. record deficit of $400 billion, counting disappointed because the American In addition to the independent Rand the Social Security surplus we used to people understand the record of George Corporation, another independent non- use to hide the deficit, in 1992, to a W. Bush better each day. partisan body, the American Academy record surplus this year of $260 billion. For example, the prescription of of Actuaries, reported today that Gov- We have paid down more than $450 bil- George W. Bush for health care, I ernor Bush’s proposed tax cut will basi- lion in debt. We sparked the longest ex- think, is bad medicine for America. cally bankrupt the country. The Amer- pansion in economic history, 22 million Why? Because the State of Texas and ican Academy of Actuaries report finds new jobs, the fastest and longest real George Bush have the worst record in that George W. Bush’s $3 trillion tax wage growth in three decades, the low- the nation on health insurance cov- cut, combined with his plan to divert est unemployment in three decades, erage. That says a lot. But he has won money from the Social Security trust the highest home ownership in two dec- that award; just like Houston is the fund into individual stock market ac- ades, and the largest 5-year drop in most polluted city in America. He won counts, would make it all but impos- childhood poverty since the 1960s. that award. He also wins the award for sible to eliminate the publicly held na- I was on a debate a week ago last the worse health coverage in America. tional debt. In fact, one of the people Sunday and two Republican colleagues Texas has fallen to last among all from the American Academy of Actu- who I had the pleasure of discussing States in overall health insurance cov- aries who worked on this report said: I the issues with started saying it is be- erage. Texas ranks second to last in don’t see any way they pay off the pub- cause the Gingrich Congress that we

VerDate 27-OCT-2000 03:10 Oct 28, 2000 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G26OC6.178 pfrm04 PsN: S26PT2 S11112 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 26, 2000 were able to get this House in order. I Yesterday, I came to this floor, ap- In a South Carolina debate, February said: You must have been talking to proximately 24 hours ago. I talked 15: Frank Luntz who is the pollster who about this campaign being a campaign, We ought to make the pie higher. always tells you guys what to say. I we would hope, of ideas, of policy ‘‘Meet The Press,’’ February 13: didn’t know, but as I was speaking, he views, of a vision for what the country I do not agree with this notion that some- was in the room. He had been there dis- should be. Not the ability to operate a how if I go to try to attract votes and to lead cussing with these two Members of 7–Eleven store but to operate the people toward a better tomorrow somehow I Congress what they should say. greatest country in the history of the get subscribed to some—some doctrine gets We should state the facts. The 1993 world, the only superpower left in the subscribed to me. Clinton Budget Deficit Reduction Act world. ‘‘Meet The Press,’’ February 13, 2000: passed this body without a single Re- Having said that, I am going to again publican vote, passed the House of Rep- give some direct quotes and these are I’ve changed my style somewhat, as you know. I’m less—I pontificate less, although resentatives without a single Repub- all brand new. I did not talk about it may be hard to tell it from this show. And lican vote; the tie was broken by Vice them last night. I am, tonight, going to I’m more interacting with people. President GORE, setting this Nation on again read verbatim quotes that have Nashua, NH, February 1, New York a road to economic recovery. That is been made by a person, Governor Bush, Times: what happened. There were all kinds of who wants to be President of the prophecies of doom. I read them in the United States. Here is what he said. I think we need not only to eliminate the Interview with the New York Times, tollbooth to the middle class, I think we RECORD earlier today. That didn’t come should knock down the tollbooth. to be. This legislation has put this March 15, 2000: San Antonio Express-News, January country where it should be. People make suggestions on what to say There is a real chance we could throw all the time. I’ll give you an example; I don’t 30: all this away with Governor Bush’s $3 read what’s handed to me. People say, ‘‘Here, The most important job is not to be gov- trillion tax cut and his dangerous So- here’s your speech, or here’s an idea for a ernor, or first lady in my case. cial Security privatization plan. For a speech.’’ They’re changed. Trust me. January 29, 2000: month, the Vice President has been Interview with the Associated Press, Will the highways on the Internet become saying that Bush’s plan would hurt So- March 8, 2000: more few? cial Security and bring us record defi- It’s evolutionary, going from governor to Concord, NH: cits. Governor Bush called that fuzzy president, and this is a significant step, to be Los Angeles Times, January 28: math. Now the Nation’s best mathe- able to vote for yourself on the ballot, and I’ll be able to do so next fall, I hope. This is Preservation Month. I appreciate maticians have found that the public’s Next direct quote: preservation. It’s what you do when you run economic plans and Social Security for president. You gotta preserve. plans could do just that—bankrupt this It is not Reaganesque to support a tax plan that is Clinton in nature. Chamber of Commerce in Nashua, Nation and Social Security. NH, January 27: This report validates everything that February 23, 2000, USA Today: I don’t have to accept their tenants. I was I know how hard it is for you to put food the minority has been saying over on your family. here. It tells us that George W. Bush’s trying to convince those college students to plan would make Social Security fi- accept my tenants. And I reject any labeling Quoted by Molly Ivins, this is from me because I happened to go to the univer- the San Francisco Chronical, January nancially unstable during the lifetime sity. of today’s seniors. It shows Governor 21: New York Daily News, February 19, Bush outspending AL GORE, and AL What I am against is quotas. I am against this year: hard quotas, quotas they basically delineate GORE as the candidate of fiscal respon- I understand small business growth. I was based upon whatever. However they delin- sibility. By comparison, Vice President one. eate, quotas, I think vulcanize society. So I Gore and congressional Democrats Florence, SC, February 17, 2000: don’t know how that fits into what every- want to preserve Social Security’s fun- body else is saying their relatives positions, damental guarantee to America’s sen- The Senator has got to understand if he’s going to have—he can’t have it both ways. but that’s my position. iors. We can do that by dedicating all He can’t take the high horse and then claim Iowa Western Community College, of the Social Security surplus to that the low road. January 21: program. To Cokie Roberts, February 20, 2000: Of course we have to take care of This is a quote: ‘‘When I was coming up it Really proud of it. A great campaign. And was a dangerous world, and you knew ex- debt reduction. Our plan reduces pub- I’m really pleased with the organization and actly who they were. . . . It was us vs. them, licly held debt and would strengthen the thousands of South Carolinians that and it was clear who them was. Today, we Social Security by using long-term in- worked on my behalf. I’m very gracious and are not so sure who the they are, but we terest savings to keep the system sol- humbled. know they’re there.’’ vent. He said: This is from the Des Moines Register, We talked about tax cuts. But the I am very gracious and humbled. January 15: most important tax cut the American Newsweek, February 28, 2000: The administration I’ll bring is a group of people would ever receive is to reduce I don’t want to win? If that were the case men and women who are focused on what’s the long-held debt this country has. If why the heck am I on the bus 16 hours a day, best for America, honest men and women, we reduce that debt, it will save this shaking thousands of hands, giving hundreds decent men and women, women who will see country $250 to $300 billion a year ac- of speeches, getting pillared in the press and service to our country as a great privilege cording to where the interest rate is cartoons and still staying on message to and who will not stain the house. paid. That is where every American, no win? Financial Times, January 14: matter if they are rich or poor, will get Same interview: This is a dangerous world. It’s a world of a tax savings because everything they I thought how proud I am to be standing up madmen and uncertainty and potential men- buy will be cheaper. beside my dad. Never did it occur to me that tal losses. The Vice President also proposes to he would become the gist for cartoonists. Same interview: end the motherhood penalty by giving Hilton Head, SC: We must all hear the universal call to like parents a credit toward Social Security If you are sick and tired of the politics of your neighbor just like you like to be liked for up to 5 years spent raising their cynicism and polls and principles, come and yourself. children. The widow benefit would be join this campaign. Florence, SC, January 11: increased. He is proposing retirement That was on February 16, 2000. Again, savings plus, which is not a privatiza- that same day, those in Beaufort, SC: Rarely is the question asked: Is your chil- dren learning? tion scheme but would allow Ameri- How do you know if you don’t measure if cans to create individual retirement you have a system that simply suckles kids Same interview: accounts that would supplement their through? Gov. Bush will not stand for the Social Security and help them reap Here, in Beaufort he was explaining subsidation of failure. historic long-term gains in the stock the need for educational account- ‘‘Larry King Live,’’ December 16 of market. ability. last year:

VerDate 27-OCT-2000 03:10 Oct 28, 2000 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G26OC6.181 pfrm04 PsN: S26PT2 October 26, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S11113 There needs to be debates, like we’re going highly partisan Republican majority. I asked the administration in the through. There needs to be town-hall meet- Overcoming that kind of determined hearing I held yesterday and I asked by ings. There needs to be travel. This is a huge partisan opposition means working letter today signed by a number of my country. with people such as Dr. Charlie Nor- colleagues: Let us see the agreement New Hampshire, Republican debate: wood on the Patients’ Bill of Rights. the Vice President entered into with I read the newspaper. Although George W. Bush claimed Viktor Chernomyrdin. To date, the ad- In answer to a question about his reading credit for the Texas Patients’ Bill of ministration has refused to convey habits. Rights, the truth is he initially vetoed that document to us. We held a closed ‘‘Meet The Press,’’ November 21, of it and later let it become law without session yesterday. We said: Convey it last year: signature. Or working with JOHN to us in closed session. They refused. I think it’s important for those of us in a MCCAIN on the bipartisan campaign fi- This afternoon, a group of Senators position of responsibility to be firm in shar- nance reform bill or GORDON SMITH and and myself sent a letter to the Sec- ing our experiences, to understand that the 12 other Republicans on the bipartisan retary of State, Madeleine Albright, re- babies out of wedlock is a very difficult hate crimes bill or JOHN WARNER and stating our position that the adminis- chore for mom and baby alike. . . . I believe RICHARD LUGAR on the bipartisan legis- tration should share with the Congress we ought to say there is a different alter- lation to close the gun show loophole. the documents relating to the Gore- native than the culture that is proposed by people such as Miss Wolf in society. . . . And, Not only does Governor Bush fail to ap- Chernomyrdin agreement which al- you know, hopefully condoms will work, but preciate what kinds efforts these in- lowed Russia to sell conventional it hasn’t worked. volve, he actually opposes every one of weaponry to Iran and not be sanctioned From ‘‘A Charge to Keep,’’ by George these bipartisan measures. under U.S. law. W. Bush, published last year in Novem- Instead of showing bipartisan leader- If we have not received the docu- ber: ship, Governor Bush stands squarely ments by noon on Monday, the Foreign with the entrenched Republican major- Relations Committee will be forced to The students at Yale came from all dif- ferent backgrounds and all parts of the coun- ity on every one of these issues, and issue—and pursue issuing—a subpoena try. Within months, I knew many of them. that is not bipartisanship. to receive those documents from the I read quotes tonight and last night. administration. New York Times: The American public must decide for This letter was signed by Senator The important question is, How many themselves if this man is the person GORDON SMITH; myself, who chaired the hands have I shaked? who should be President of the United hearing yesterday; along with Chair- The Washington Post, July 27: States. man MCCAIN of the Commerce Com- I don’t remember debates. I don’t think we Mr. President, until my friend, Sen- mittee; Senator LUGAR; Chairman spent a lot of time debating it. Maybe we ator BROWNBACK, arrives, I suggest the SHELBY of the Intelligence Committee; did, but I don’t remember. absence of a quorum. Chairman WARNER of the Armed Serv- This is on a discussion of the Viet- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ices Committee; Chairman THOMPSON nam war when he was at Yale. clerk will call the roll. of the Governmental Affairs Com- Knight Ridder News Service: The legislative clerk proceeded to mittee; and Senators NICKLES and LOTT The only thing I know about Slovakia is call the roll. of leadership. what I learned first-hand from your foreign Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I In it we express our disappointment minister, who came to Texas. ask unanimous consent that the order with the administration’s continued The fact is, the meeting was not with for the quorum call be rescinded. stonewalling and refusal to provide the Minister of Slovakia but with the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without documents related to the Gore- Prime Minister of Slovenia, two dif- objection, it is so ordered. Chernomyrdin agreement. They refused ferent countries. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I to even allow us to see documents June 16, New York Times: ask unanimous consent to speak as in which have been published in the press, If the East Timorians decide to revolt, I’m morning business. which is how we learned about them. sure I’ll have a statement. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without These were published in the New York objection, it is so ordered. Economist, June 12: Times. That is how we learned about f Keep good relations with the Grecians. this taking place. GORE-CHERNOMYRDIN DEAL Essentially, now, the administration CNN Inside Politics, April 9: is asking us to trust them. But the fact Kosovians can move back in. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I that almost everything we have I was just inebriating what Midland was all wish to take some time this evening to learned about this secret deal has come about then. discuss an issue on which I held a hear- from the New York Times and the This is from an interview, as quoted ing, along with Senator GORDON SMITH, Washington Times—and not the admin- in ‘‘First Son’’ by a man named Bill yesterday. It concerns something that istration—makes such trust difficult. Minutaglio. is very troubling: The arming of Iran, Congress has the right and the re- Arlington Heights, IL, October 24, a which occurred recently, and concerns sponsibility to review all the relevant day or so ago, to make sure we are cur- an agreement that was made by Vice documents and to judge for itself rent: President AL GORE with then-Prime whether the transfers the Vice Presi- It’s important for us to explain to our Na- Minister of Russia Viktor dent signed off on were covered by U.S. tion that life is important. It is not only life Chernomyrdin on allowing Russia to nonproliferation laws. of babies, but it is life of children living, you convey armaments to Iran and avoid Unfortunately, until the New York know, the dark dungeons of the Internet. U.S. sanctions law. Times broke the story 14 days ago, The debate to become President of I do not want to discuss so much that Congress had not seen this written, the United States is a very serious de- part of the issue, although it is an im- signed agreement between the Vice bate. It involves things we talked portant part of it, but I want to get to President and the Russian Prime Min- about tonight. Tax policy, established the issue of an agreement made be- ister. In open session hearing yester- by an independent group—the tax pol- tween the Vice President and then- day, I asked them to deny this, that icy of want-to-be-President George W. Prime Minister of Russia Viktor this had been conveyed to the Con- Bush would bankrupt the country. His Chernomyrdin to allow the conveyance gress. What we heard was that the ad- Social Security policy would bankrupt of this equipment, military hardware— ministration had ‘‘telegraphed’’ the Social Security. His education program we are talking submarines, tanks, at- contents of the agreement, that they in Texas has been a failure. His efforts tack helicopters, a lot of equipment. had ‘‘briefed’’ but they were unable to to talk about bipartisanship is without It was stated by the Vice President say that they had transmitted this doc- any foundation. in this agreement—and we found this ument to the Congress, as they were He, in the debates, talked about bi- out when it was leaked to the press 14 required to do. partisanship. The fact is, on major days ago, in the New York Times—that In essence, they said to us: Look, we issues in play in this election, bipar- we will not sanction Russia for allow- were telling you that the Vice Presi- tisan projects have been blocked by the ing this to take place. dent was meeting with Mr.

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