34350 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE December 8, 1987 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES-Tuesday, December 8, 1987 The House met at 12 noon and was The agreement represents the most HOUR OF MEETING ON called to order by the Speaker pro intrusive verification requirements in TOMORROW tempore [Mr. FOLEY]. the history of arms control, and that Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I ask is a great precedent. UJ:\animous consent that when the Mr. Speaker, those are three great DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO House adjourns today, it adjourn to precedents and therein lies my re­ meet at noon tomorrow. TEMPORE straint because the INF Treaty de­ The SPEAKER pro tempore laid The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is serves support not because of what it there objection to the request of the before the House the following com­ achieves but because of what it might munication from the Speaker: gentleman from Texas? achieve because of what it stands for There was no objection. \VASHINGTON,I>C, as a precedent. Only if it achieves its December 8, 1987. promise, an agreement in reduction in I hereby designate the Honorable THOMAS conventional forces and strategic nu­ BASE CAMP 1: THE INF TREATY S. FOLEY to act as Speaker pro tempore clear weaponry, will the great prece­ today. <Mrs. SCHROEDER asked and was JIM \VRIGHT, dents be worthy of great support and great acclaim. given permission to address the House Speaker of the House of Representatives. for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) PRAYER PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVES Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, this is a very exciting day in Washing­ The Chaplain, Rev. James David HAVE PRODUCED THE INF TREATY ton as we watch the two leaders of the Ford, D.D., offered the following two great superpowers of the world prayer: <Mr. GEKAS asked and was given We pray, gracious God, for all move toward a summit. permission to address the House for 1 I come from a part of the country people, and particularly for our lead­ minute and to revise and extend his ers who are entrusted with the respon­ where we know a lot about mountains, remarks.) coming from Denver, CO, and I really sibility for the welfare of our Nation. Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, today We earnestly pray . that they will be think maybe "summit" is misused. I Ronald Reagan enters history as one think we ought to call it "base camp empowered with the spirit of under­ of the great American Presidents. He standing and of good will, and may 1." That still makes it ·very important, does so because he signed an agree­ but I think we have to put into con­ Your guiding light brighten the path ment which was brought about by his of peace and the road of justice for all text what is really happening. initiatives' very first actions when he Mr. Speaker, 4 percent of the world's the peoples of the world. May the came to be President of the United prayerful words we say with our lips nuclear arsenal will be destroyed if States. this agreement goes through, just 4 be believed in our hearts, and all that How did that happen? He made it a we believe in our hearts, may we prac­ percent. That still leaves 96 percent priority to rebuild American defenses more to go. So it is not quite peace on tice in our daily lives. In Your name, and strength right from the very first we pray. Amen. Earth, good will toward men yet. moment he took office. From that Nevertheless, it is a very, very impor­ vantage point, as America began to re­ tant first step because of the critical THE JOURNAL build, he proposed sweeping disarma­ provisions that are being made about ment proposals. Those were coupled The SPEAKER pro tempore <Mr. verification. FOLEY). The Chair has examined the with his commitment to our NATO I hope we keep moving on to base Journal of the la.st day's proceedings allies to establish intermediate range camp 2, base camp 3, and whatever it and announces to the House his ap­ nuclear forces in Europe. takes to get to the real summit be­ proval thereof. Having done that and having rebuilt cause I think that is the goal of all of Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the that strength with the NATO allies, us. J oumal stands approved. the Soviets even though they left the bargaining table, became awed at the American resolve. ACTION STILL NEEDED ON RESTRAINED SUPPORT FOR INF It is Ronald Reagan's proposal that FARM CREDIT SYSTEM TREATY is being signed into a treaty today. It <Mrs. SMITH of Nebraska asked and <Mr. LAFALCE asked and was given is Ronald Reagan's resolve that was given permission to address the permission to address the House for 1 brought about this historic day. House for 1 minute and to revise and minute and to revise and extend his extend her remarks.) remarks.) Mrs. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Mr. LAFALCE. Mr. Speaker, the INF AUTHORIZING THE SPEAKER TO Speaker, the Farm Credit System re­ Treaty deserves our support but we DECLARE A RECESS TODAY cently announced its third quarter fi­ should be restrained in that support. Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I ask nancial results, and while the numbers On the positive side for the first time unanimous consent that it may be in may be somewhat improved it is clear ever the Soviets and Americans have order for the. Speaker to declare a that action is still needed and soon to agreed not just to limit their growth recess today, subject to the call of the prevent the collapse of the Nation's but to reduce nuclear weapons and Chair. largest agricultural lender. that is a great precedent. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is House and Senate conferees should The treaty calls for uneven reduc­ there objection to the request of the press on to complete action on this tions in nuclear arsenals in our favor gentleman from Texas? vital legislation which is designed to and that, too, is a great precedent. There was no objection. save the Farm Credit System. D This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., D 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. December 8, 1987 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE 34351 The fact that the Farm Credit known as the "community connec- suppose that comment passes for the System turned in a $4 million profit in tion." spirit of Christmas among the Sandi- the last reporting period is dangerous­ In response to a proposal I made sev- nista commandantes. ly misleading. A closer examination eral months ago, Pacific Northwest proves that if its loan volume contin­ Bell, the regional phone company, has ues to decline, the interest income con­ agreed to provide free, community A PLEA TO SECRETARY GORBA- tinues to decline and several other telephones at 14 community centers CHEV IN BEHALF OF THE TU- throughout the State. FELDS problems persist. -- Without taking funds away from ac­ This means that local telephone <Mr. JACOBS asked and was given counts originally set aside for loan service will be available, free of permission to address the House for 1 losses, the Farm Credit System would charge, to the almost 65,000 Oregon minute.) actually have lost $79 million in the households without a phone. This new Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, on the last quarter. program will be a person-to-person off chance that Mr. Gorbachev might The situation is still precarious and lifeline for the elderly and disabled, be bored tonight and is watching C­ for some individual banks the situa­ those who must call doctors, potential Span, there is a replay of this session, tion is desperate. It is more important employers, or keep track of a child at so I would like to address some re­ than ever that Congress demonstrate school. The service will be paid for by marks to him. its resolve to stabilize the financial the company's shareholders-not built Mr. Secretary, I have a sense that system. into the rate base. you have the good sense to realize that Completing farm credit legislation This unprecedented effort can serve to break a silence that is almost incon­ it is better that your people and our before Christmas would be a welcome people live together on this planet first step. After months of investiga­ ceivable to those of us who take the phone for granted. rather than to die together on this tion and intense debate, both the planet. House and the Senate have advanced Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot about good corporate citizenship: here's a I sense that your people have that vital farm credit legislation. same feeling. I urge my colleagues to push for concrete example. Today, I call on the other regional phone companies to I know that our people have that completion of this legislation at the same feeling. earliest possible time. follow the lead of Pacific Northwest Bell, and move to develop their own In order to do so, in order to go on program of free community phones so living together on this planet, it that all Americans of modest financial strikes me that for us to get along we CHALLENGE TO GORBACHEV: ought to understand each other RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE means have access to this critically needed service. better. There is one thing I think that SOVIET UNION the American people, those of good <Mr.