S 15366 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 19, 1995 MEREDITH MILLER Williams was in the midst of the 17th distresse called the place Providence, I ∑ Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I would century. He was almost alone in believ- desired it might be a shelter for per- like to articulate my deep sorrow as ing that all citizens should be free to sons distressed for conscience.’’—Early this week marks the anniversary of the worship as their conscience dictated. Records of Providence senseless murder of Meredith Miller. Roger Williams was a determined and We owe a tremendous debt to Roger Meredith, a native of Tampa, FL, dedicated man. In 1672, when he was Williams as the first champion of true graduated with honors from Princeton nearly 70, he rowed all day to reach religious freedom and for translating University where she majored in politi- Newport for a 4-day debate with three principles of democracy and tolerance cal science. After her graduation she Quaker orators. Both his settlement from concepts into substance.∑ came to Washington to further her and his ideas have survived and pros- f studies at George Washington Univer- pered. sity and to work on the issues pertain- For most of his life, Roger Williams SPECIAL INTERESTS HIT STUDENT ing to women. On October 17, 1994, after was a deeply religious man. Even with- LOANS returning from a study group, Meredith out a church to call his own, his ideas ∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, Roger became the victim of a carjacking. flourished in Providence and remain Flaherty, now an editor at the Chicago The dream that Meredith held so alive today. Sun-Times, has followed the Federal dearly was to make a difference in the Documents, such as our Bill of student loan program for a number of lives of others. Her fellow students at Rights and Declaration of Independ- years. I would urge my colleagues to George Washington University would ence can be traced directly back to the consider what he has to say about the like Meredith’s parents in Tampa to hardfought freedoms earned by Roger role of special interests in the current know that Meredith did make a dif- Williams and his followers. budget debate. ference in the lives of those fortunate I encourage my colleagues to visit I ask that an article that appeared in enough to have known her and that the statue of Roger Williams in the Ro- the Chicago Sun-Times on September their thoughts and prayers are with tunda of the Capitol. When you do, re- 27, 1995, be printed in the RECORD. them today and always. Her friends member that even the principles of de- The article follows: miss her and learned much from her mocracy and religious liberty did not [From the Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 27, 1995] come easily. Roger Williams gave them special outlook on life. She will always SPECIAL INTERESTS HIT DIRECT LOAN form and substance more than 350 remain a vital part of their lives, in PROGRAM HEAD-ON years ago. spirit. (By Roger Flaherty) Mr. President, today let us not forget These principles also founded the basis of our belief that all people are When I was younger, I walked side by side the contributions Meredith Miller one day with Wilbur Mills, the Arkansas made in her short time here with us, created with equal rights and should Democrat then always described as ‘‘chair- and let us be diligent in our efforts to not be denied opportunities to succeed man of the powerful House Ways and Means find a solution to the ever-growing because of their race, gender, or reli- Committee,’’ asking about tax reform. In a number of senseless violent crimes.∑ gion. moment of candor, he said, ‘‘If you want to f I sponsored the Senate legislation reform the tax system, you’ve got to end all that authorized the creation of the deductions.’’ ROGER WILLIAMS NATIONAL ME- Roger Williams National Memorial and Why not do it? I asked. Mills responded MORIAL CELEBRATES 30TH ANNI- I have watched it take shape on the with a dismissive look—sort of sneer and VERSARY site of his original settlement in Provi- condescension—and turned to another re- porter. So I learned that Washington people ∑ Mr. PELL. Mr. President, I rise to dence, RI. don’t do as they think or say. We should share with my colleagues the happy This anniversary comes at an impor- keep that in mind as the Congress plows into news that the Roger Williams National tant time. One purpose of the memorial a fall agenda that promises more moves to Memorial is celebrating the 30th anni- is to emphasize the linked principles of ‘‘get government off our backs.’’ versary of its authorization. tolerance and freedom. As recent Like tax deductions, government-run pro- I want to take this chance to tell you events have demonstrated, we need to grams are bad until they are good for you or your friends. You usually hear this truism about Roger Williams, a Founding Fa- focus on these principles. I am delighted to share with my col- about defense contracts and farm subsidies. ther that you will not encounter here, But there’s one I’ve observed closely in re- except in the rotunda of the Capitol. leagues today the news that the Na- cent years—the student loan program. Sev- He was the founder of Rhode Island and tional Park Service is planning new eral years ago, along with Sun-Times re- a champion of Democracy and religious initiatives to strengthen the impact of porter Leon Pitt, I uncovered enormous liberty. the Roger Williams National Memorial abuses by for-profit trade schools that were There is no national memorial to and its vital message. using student loans like government vouch- Roger Williams here, unlike the monu- If you have any doubts about the sig- ers they could squander any way they chose. ments to other national heroes like nificance of Roger Williams in our his- They enrolled students into programs they were unable to complete or that were so poor Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. tory, consider how his philosophy has resonated through our other Founding in quality as to be useless. When students Our national memorial is in Rhode Is- dropped out, within hours sometimes, the land, where he lived and left us a philo- Fathers and found its way into our schools kept the loan money in violation of sophical legacy of incomparable worth. most sacred documents. the law. The United States was being de- Roger Williams was banished for his Just a few examples, culled from his frauded of billions of dollars. beliefs from the Massachusetts Bay writings, should help to sound his call But when reformers tried to tighten loan Colony in 1635, but survived both ban- for freedom: rules, school industry lobbyists fought them, ishment and subsequent efforts to take ‘‘The sovereign, original, and founda- arguing the reforms were an assault on free over the settlement he named Provi- tion of civil power lies in the Peo- enterprise. It was a strange argument, con- ple.’’—The Bloody Tenent of Persecu- sidering that these schools generally re- dence. ceived more than 90 percent of their income ‘‘The air of the country is sharp,’’ tion for Conscience Discussed (1644). from government loans and grants. Roger Williams said of Providence, ‘‘The civil state is humbly to be im- Well, that odd assertion is again being ‘‘the rocks many, the trees innumer- plored to provide in their high wisdom made in Congress, where conservative Re- able, the grass little, the winter cold, for security of all the respective con- publicans under the guise of getting govern- the summer hot, the gnats in summer sciences.’’—The Hireling Ministry None ment off our backs are attacking the direct biting, the wolves at night howling.’’ of Christs student loan program. The program, which is Thirteen householders in the popu- ‘‘No person in this colony shall be scheduled to be phased in over several years, lation of 32 in the first year formed the molested or questioned for the matters operates successfully at several Illinois in- of his conscience to God, so he be loyal stitutions, including the University of Illi- first genuine democracy—also the first nois. The program allows loans to be made church-divorced and conscience-free and keep the civil peace.’’—Letter to directly from the federal treasury through community—in modern history. Major John Mason (1670) college financial aid offices. I cannot emphasize enough how ‘‘And having in a sence of God’s mer- This is bad, congressional opponents say, unique and utopian the vision of Roger ciful providence unto me in my because it furthers big government and hurts October 19, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S 15367 business. How ingenuous can you get? Under [NLRA] which authorizes the imposi- Journal of October 11 be printed in the the old loan system still being used by most tion of forced union dues contracts on RECORD. schools, a student applies to a bank for a employees. The editorial follows: loan. Checking his or her qualifications is a loan guarantee agency, commonly run by Nearly every poll taken on this issue [From the Providence (RI) Journal, Oct. 11, state governments, but also by private enter- over the last few decades has shown 1995] prise. The agencies then issue a guarantee of that about 8 out of 10 Americans are THE CHALLENGE OF AMERICORPS repayment to the banks. The federal govern- opposed to forcing workers to pay (By Lawrence K. Fish) ment pays banks subsidies to forgive part of union dues. It is tough to get 8 out of Not surprisingly, the debate in Washington the interest payments and pays fees to the 10 Americans to agree on anything. I over continued funding of the Corporation guarantee agencies for their services. think this is a call for action. for National Service has become laser-fo- If a student defaults on a loan, the bank is And if you look at job creation in cused on the politics of embarrassing Presi- reimbursed—making student loans the safest dent Clinton, and not on the people for whom loans a bank can make. Loan guarantee States that have implemented right to work laws, it is hard to ignore the re- AmeriCorps has been a ringing success. agencies are paid fees to hound defaulters. Is And the reason is not surprising. It is that this not big government? Can this be free en- sults. Hundreds of thousands of manu- Washington, to the frustration of just about terprise? facturing jobs have been created in everyone outside the District of Columbia, There’s more. The old system created a right-to-work States. And in forced-un- just can’t resist playing an inside-the-Belt- secondary loan business, including the huge ionism States, hundreds of thousands way version of Gotcha! From the politicians public-private Sallie Mae association based of jobs have been lost. to the pundits to the press, the emphasis re- in Washington, and smaller ones, like one I have supported this bill in the past mains on the politics of issues, not on the operated by the Illinois Student Assistance substance of issues or their impact on real Commission. These groups make money by and I truly believe that this is the year to finally make this change. Working people. buying loans from banks and packaging For whom has AmeriCorps been successful? them in large blocks for resale. They were men and women in Montana want the It’s been a success here in Rhode Island to created by Congress and the states to free freedom to work and they are not the 250 AmeriCorps members who have money for more student loans, but as was alone. I urge my colleagues to listen to signed up for this domestic Peace Corps and said of some missionaries to Hawaii, Sallie what their constituents are saying as whose efforts, mostly in education, have Mae and its emulators came to do good and well. If you do, you will feel compelled made better, dramatically better, the lives ended up doing well. They are big businesses to join me and the other cosponsors in of thousands of our neighbors. Giver and re- with highly paid executives. ceiver have been enriched by the effort, and The direct loan program, a plan advanced supporting the National Right to Work for that, Rhode Island is a better place. by Sen. Paul Simon (D–Makanda), elimi- Act. ∑ Let me try to explain why AmeriCorps’ nated this entire pyramid. No government f success here in Rhode Island ought to serve subsidy or risk-free lending for banks, no as a model for programs in the 49 other government payments to loan-guarantee THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED states, and why that success and our promise agencies, no Sallie Maes with executives FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR for the future stand as far more compelling paid from profits extracted from government points in the debate than political one- loan subsidies. AMERICORP upmanship. But odds are increasing that Congress this ∑ Mr. PELL. Mr. President, this month AmeriCorps members have served in cities fall will stop the direct loan program in its marks the start of a new class of and towns from Woonsocket to Newport, tracks, led by the same people who claim AmeriCorps members who are dedi- bringing with them a wealth of desire, expe- they are trying to get government off our rience and cultural diversity. They have got- backs. And so far, it seems to be going down cated to serving this Nation. As ten results—good results that are measur- like a cold, sweet Coke on a hot summer’s AmeriCorps celebrates its first success- able. You can see the results on paper and day.∑ ful year and the new class begins its you can see them on the faces of children f service, I would like to take this oppor- tunity to reiterate my support for con- getting their first ‘‘A’s’’ and in adults read- ing for the first time. NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK ACT tinued Federal funding of this impor- Rhode Island’s AmeriCorps program has ∑ Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I am tant national service initiative. been very successful—and has been recog- pleased to add my name as a cosponsor Over the past year, 20,000 AmeriCorps nized as such. For the second straight year, to S. 581, the National Right to Work members worked in schools, hospitals, after a very competitive process that pitted Act. As a strong supporter of the right national parks, and law enforcement us against 49 other states, we received more AmeriCorps funding on a per capita basis to work, I feel this legislation is vital. organizations to meet the most crucial needs of individual communities. than any other state. In this our second year We have spent the first part of this Rhode Island will field 250 AmeriCorps mem- Congress fighting for freedom—the AmeriCorps clearly helps to provide a bers in eight programs that will touch the freedom from Government interven- more promising future for Americans lives of thousands of our neighbors. Once tion, the freedom of speech, the free- by expanding educational opportunities again, they will work predominantly in edu- dom to choose your health care and for the young whole simultaneously cation, because that’s where many believe even the freedom to succeed. This bill, improving the public services in hun- the greatest need is. though it does not add a single letter dreds of communities. Linking public service and education, we to Federal law, guarantees the freedom In my own State of Rhode Island, approached the leaders of the state’s col- AmeriCorps has been particularly suc- leges, universities and technical schools to to work free of union imposition. see if they would accept our AmeriCorps Why is this important? Americans cessful due to the efforts of Lawrence challenge to inaugurate a public-private have always been independent. No mat- K. Fish, chairman of the Rhode Island partnership from which they will get the les- ter where they came from, they came Commission for National and Commu- sons of service and commitment from to America to see their hard work pay nity Service. Mr. Fish challenged high- AmeriCorps veterans and to which they will off. And they are not afraid of hard er education institutions in Rhode Is- provide a quality education. work. This is especially true of Mon- land to grant scholarships to The Rev. Philip Smith of Providence Col- tanans. AmeriCorps members. Many of our col- lege was the first to meet the challenge, and leges and universities answered Mr. Vartan Gregorian of Brown was close behind. But when a worker is forced to pay They were followed almost immediately by union dues in order to get a job or keep Fish’s challenge and have begun lend- our other higher-education leaders—Bob a job, they have lost part of their free- ing their support in the form of college Carothers of URI, Sister Therese Antone of dom. They may get some benefits from scholarships. His endeavor to expand Salve Regina, Bill Trueheart of Bryant, joining a union—I am not saying there AmeriCorps has offered more students Roger Mandle of RISD, Jack Yena of John- is no role for unions here—but they access to an otherwise unaffordable son and Wales and Ed Liston of CCRI. I men- lose the freedom to choose. education. Mr. Fish’s exemplary work tion them to dramatize that AmeriCorps Mr. President, Congress created the in Rhode Island serves as the quin- runs cost-effective, successful, nonpartisan law which allows union officials to tessential example of building the nat- programs. I accompanied the presidents of seven of force dues in any State back in 1935. ural bridge between public service and the state’s public and private colleges and Now we need to correct that. All we educational opportunities. In this re- universities to Washington for meetings on need to do is to repeal that portion of gard, I ask that an opinion editorial by Capitol Hill and in the White House. There the National Labor Relations Act Lawrence Fish from the Providence we outlined the Rhode Island Challenge to