June 5, 1984 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE 14931 SENATE-Tuesday, June _5, 1984 The Senate met at 11 a.m. and was SENATE SCHEDULE The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem called to order by the Honorable Mr. BAKER. Mr. President, today pore. Without objection, it is so or DANIEL J. EVANS, a Senator from the the Senate convenes pursuant to the dered. State of Washington. adjournment of yesterday. Under the Mr. BAKER. Of course, this is to ac order previously entered, the reading commodate the requirement for Sena PRAYER of the Journal is dispensed with, no tors to attend caucuses by both par The Chaplain, the Reverend Rich resolutions may come over under the ties, which are held away from the ard C. Halverson, D.D., offered the fol rule, the call of the calendar has been Senate Chamber. lowing prayer: dispensed with, and morning hour has Mr. President, I do not anticipate been deemed to have expired. that today will be a late day, but, once Let us pray. Mr. President, this is no surprise, of more, I do expect us to be in for a full Gracious Father in Heaven, we ac course, to the minority leader as to week, including Friday. knowledge the abundance which Thou why that was done yesterday. It cre Mr. President, there is a messenger hast lavished upon us. We live in ated a new legislative day in the at the door from the House of Repre luxury compared to most people in the Senate with respect to the availability sentatives. world including many in our land of measures which have now reached some just a few blocks from this build the calendar. I am thinking particular ing. We always have more than ly of the defense authorization bill. enough of everything while most The 3-day rule on the defense authori MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE never have enough of anything. We zation bill, I believe, will expire at 2:58 At 11:08 a.m., a message from the live in comfort, freedom, and securi p.m. today. The 1-day rule will have House of Representatives, delivered by ty-many are oppressed, persecuted, expired by reason of the adjournment. Mr. Berry, one of its reading clerks, perennially unsafe and in bondage. There is also a budget waiver resolu announced that the House has passed Help us, Lord, never to be isolated tion which was reported on yesterday the following bill, in which it requests from-insulated against-or indiffer by the Budget Committee. the concurrence of the Senate: ent to those who suffer indignity, pov All of this was in preparation for erty, hunger, and disease without H.R. 5713. An act making appropriations asking the Senate to turn to the con for the Department of Housing and Urban relief. sideration of the DOD authorization Development, and for sundry independent The New Testament identifies in bill, perhaps this afternoon. agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, gratitude with godlessness-save us Before we do that, however, Mr. and offices for the fiscal year ending Sep from the idolatry of things and help tember 30, 1985, and for other purposes. us never to take for granted common President, it would be the hope of the benefits and presume upon Thy good leadership on this side that we can ness. May we be compassionate and complete debate and action on the Wilkinson nomination. unselfish in our private lives and in APPROPRIATIONS BILLS our public responsibility. In the name Mr. President, I have conferred with of Him who was love incarnate. Amen. the minority leader on that. He has Mr. BAKER. Mr. President, I would not yet been able to give me a reply, note that that is, I believe, the second but I am mentioning it now so Sena of the regular appropriations bills APPOINTMENT OF ACTING tors on both sides of the aisle may be from the House of Representatives. I PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE aware of the desire of the leadership should have said earlier that I hoped on this side in that respect. in addition to the Wilkinson nomina The PRESIDING OFFICER. The I can see in my mind's eye the possi clerk will please read a communication tion and the DOD authorization, that bility of taking up and completing we can do at least these appropriations to the Senate from the President pro action on the Wilkinson nomination tempore e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. 14932 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE June 5, 1984 THE PERSIAN GULF WAR AND tively, above the current world crude tory equipment and mmmg equip THE NATION'S ENERGY PRE oil price of circa $29 per barrel. These ment. The Nation's farmers, who are PAREDNESS higher prices would lead to immediate already facing economic hard times, Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, yester increases in the price of gasoline and would have to face grim prospects of day's Washington Post carried several other petroleum products. drastically higher fuel bills to run stories on the war in the Persian Gulf, In the face of substantial price in their tractors and combines, to dry and the administration's approach to creases, the Post reports, the adminis grain, and to get their crops to market. addressing the domestic consequences tration says it will not use its author Mr. President, as the Persian Gulf of a major oil supply disruption. These ity to allocate oil supplies, or to con war intensifies, I am more and more stories make it clear that the situation trol prices. Energy Secretary Hodel is concerned that this administration's in the Persian Gulf continues to dete quoted as saying that, "We have got to approach to energy emergency pre riorate, and that we are not prepared remain firm, and be willing to take the paredness is far too limited to deal to deal with the economic effects of a bumps that occur from relying on the adequately and fairly with the prob major oil supply disruption. market." Mr. President, what this lems this Nation will face in the event The first article reported that, on means is that the administration's ap of a major oil disruption. Sunday, Iraqi missiles hit and dam proach is to let oil go to those who can We could make it for a time. We are aged another tanker in the gulf. The pay the price. far less dependent than are our allies second article, entitled "U.S. Expects There is no basic plan on the part of on oil from the Middle East. We could Gulf Crisis to Worsen," reports that the administration at this time with not turn our faces aside, however, the State Department is " 'certain' reference to the allocation of oil in the from the very serious and perhaps that Iran will launch a full-scale event of a severe national emergency. critical impact on the economies of ground attack into Iraq, probably on ·This was the sum and substance of the those countries in the event of a major the Basra front, with the 300,000 to testimony of administration officials oil shutoff. We would not escape un 500,000 Iranian troops that have been before the subcommittee to which I scathed even though, as I say, we pres massed along the border for several referred a moment ago. That subcom ently are not, to my knowledge; as de months." I think it is important to mittee of the Appropriations Commit pendent as some of our allies are. We point out that Basra is a key center in tee raised this question at the subcom would have to eventually, if not imme Iraq's oil industry, so a successful Ira mittee meeting during the week prior diately, help to supply our West Euro nian attack would be a major blow to to the Memorial Day break. From the pean allies, help to supply Israel and Iraq's economy. responses it was obvious the adminis Japan, and this would have an unfor If the Iranians were successful in tration had no plan and does not tunate impact upon the price and their attack, they would be at the intend to develop one. It is going to supply here in this country. gates of the oilfields in southern Iraq, rely, instead, upon market forces en tirely. When I asked the Assistant Secre and only about 30 miles from Kuwait, tary for International Affairs and one of Iraq's major financial support I see that the President is urging our allies to plan for such an emergency Energy Emergencies, Helmut Merk ers in the war. One might hope that lein, what the administration's plans Iran may not be in a position to fur and to draw down from their reserves are for allocating oil in this country ther expand the war by attacking of oil earlier than they might other wise anticipate doing so as to lessen during an emergency, he just went Kuwait. However, even without round and round. I col}ld never get launching an attack, Iran could be in a the risks of suddenly increasing the any straight answer. There was all of position to exert more and more influ price of oil. The ironic thing to me is this beating around the bush and ence over Arab OPEC oil policies. that while the President and others in dancing around the head of a pin. Of That is a prospect which I do not find the administration are advocating that course, I was listening carefully, and particularly comforting. our allies make plans, the administra by listening carefully one can detect I was especially concerned by the tion itself has no plan for allocating when the witness is not answering the third Post article entitled "In Persian oil in our country so that, indeed, question. So after having asked several Gulf Crisis, DOE Plans To Let Market what it means is that the administra times, I knew that there was obviously Allocate Oil and Set Price." According tion's approach is to let oil go to those no plan. to the article: who can pay the price. In other words, Even more disquieting is the testi After studying what the government who has the bucks gets the oil. mony Mr. Merklein gave in 1981 should do here if the conflict in the Persian The administration has no plans for before a House subcommittee. And Gulf seriously disrupts the world's oil sup allocation which would provide fair granted, this was prior to his nomina plies and an energy crisis develops, the De distribution of the oil to the elderly or partment of Energy has decided to do as to hospitals or to coal miners and tion as Assistant Secretary, but Mr. little as possible. Merklein said last month that he steelworkers and factory workers who stands by the testimony he gave in This is particularly distressing, since have to drive considerable distances to 1981. administration officials are expecting and from work. This is not laissez-faire significant oil price increases in the but less-than-fair. In 1981, Mr. Merklein testified: event of such a crisis. The economic burdens of another oil It is not a question of having oil or not having oil. It is a question of having a little This news did not come as a surprise price shock would be borne dispropor less oil at a higher price ... The question to me because, in a recent appropria tionately by disadvantaged groups, rather is in terms of the sacrifice we will tions subcommittee hearing, this is such as the poor and the elderly. Oil have to bear in an emergency. Whether what the testimony of administration price increases of the magnitude esti people would agree, for example, to live in officials amounted to. Last year, the mated by DOE officials would have a the wintertime for 90 days in a home where Department of Energy estimated that devastating impact on the lives of the only one room is heated. the price of oil could go as high as $98 people in my State of West Virginia, So there you have it. We advise a barrel in a severe oil supply disrup who have rugged terrain and must other nations to plan, but we ourselves tion. travel long distances to work. West have nothing by way of plans except The Post has reported that a more Virginia is an energy storehouse, with to depend upon market forces. recent DOE simulation, which in coal for the Nation. West Virginia also Mr. President, I ask unanimous con volved a drawdown of oil from the produces other forms of energy. Oil sent that the articles from the Wash strategic petroleum reserve, resulted price increases and supply interrup ington Post to which I have referred in oil prices rising to between $40 and tion would have an impact on people be printed in the RECORD at this point, $80 per barrel. This would be a price all over this country who depend upon together with a June 4, New York increase of 40 and 180 percent, respec- gasoline and diesel fuel to operate fac- Times story carrying the headline June 5, 198.4 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE 14933 "Reagan To Offer Plan for Coping commodity that can easily be moved from vided the Iraqi government with an official With Oil Crisis." one place to another. permission to continue its attacks on the oil There being no objection, the arti The key to the strategy, devised over tankers." recent months by an interagency task force The last previously confirmed attack on a cles were ordered to be printed in the representing seven or more agencies, is to ship was on May 24, when a U.S.-made RECORD, as follows: move quickly to head off the panic-buying Phantom jet of the Iranian Air Force dam REAGAN To OFFER PLAN FOR CoPING WITH and hoarding that helped double prices in aged an empty Liberian-registered naptha OIL CRISIS 1979 after the revolution in Iran. tanker off Saudi Arabia. The Government also believes that early 31-059 Q-87-18 (Pt. 11) 14948 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE June 5, 1981, By Mr. DECONCINI: so. One of those certified, but nonpar data is reliable, and I assume it is, S. 2725. A bill to amend part A of ticipating, hospices is located in my then let us give the hospice program a title XVIII of the Social Security Act home State of Arizona. chance to realize medicare savings with respect to payment rates for hos The cost of medicare is escalating at while, at the same time, providing a pice care; to the Committee on Fi a dramatic rate. If we hope to preserve more humane approach to the care of nance. this vital health care program for the terminally ill. We can do so by es PAYMENT RATES FOR HOSPICE CARE future generations of our elderly citi tablishing more reasonable medicare Mr. DECONCINI. Mr. President, zens, then we must find more cost effi reimbursement rates and I urge your today I am introducing legislation re cient alternatives to traditional care. support for this legislation. garding a component of health care Hospice care is one of those alterna I ask unanimous consent that the which should be of concern to us all. I tives and we must give this program a text of this legislation be printed in am referring to hospice care for the chance to succeed. the RECORD. terminally ill and, more specifically, to The legislation I am proposing today There being no objection, the bill the medicare reimbursement rates es would raise the medicare daily reim was ordered to be printed in the bursement rates for hospice care to RECORD, as follows: tablished by the Health Care Financ the levels originally proposed by ing Administration <2> to direct the management of the Insti sions of section 3109 of title 5, United States NONPROFIT AND NONPOLITICAL NATURE OF THE tute; and Code, and to accept and utilize the services <3> to make such bylaws and rules as it INSTITUTE of voluntary and noncompensated personnel SEc. 9. The Institute shall have no deems necessary for the administration of and reimburse them for travel expenses, in its functions under this Act, including the power to issue any shares of stock, or to de cluding per diem, as authorized by section clare or pay any dividends. organization and procedures of the Board. 5703 of title 5, United States Code; (g) Members of the Board appointed pur (b) No part of the income or assets of the (9) to solicit, accept, and dispose of gifts, Institute shall inure to the benefit of any di suant to subsection O> shall, for each day bequests, devises of money, securities, and they are engaged in the performance of the rector, officer, employee, or any other indi other properties of whatever character, for vidual except as salary or reasonable com duties under this Act, receive compensation the benefit of the Institute; at the rate of $125 per day, including travel pensation for services. 00) to receive grants from, and enter into (c) The Institute may not contribute to, or time. All members of the Board, while so contracts and other arrangements with, serving away from their homes or regular otherwise support, any political party or Federal, State, or local governments, public candidate for elective public office. places of business, shall be allowed travel and private agencies, organizations, and in expenses
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