E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2002 No. 64 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Monday, May 20, 2002, at 12:30 p.m. Senate FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2002 The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE SCHEDULE called to order by the Honorable The Honorable DEBBIE STABENOW led Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask Debbie Stabenow, a Senator from the the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: unanimous consent that morning busi- State of Michigan. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the ness be extended until 5 after the hour United States of America, and to the Repub- PRAYER and that Senator COLLINS be recognized lic for which it stands, one nation under God, for 15 minutes and Senator SANTORUM The guest Chaplain, Father Paul indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. be recognized for 10 minutes. Senator Lavin, of St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill, f STABENOW asked to speak for 15 min- offered the following prayer: utes. That will take us until 10 after. In the book of Tobit we read: APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Thank God! Give him the praise and the PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE I hope Senators will complete their glory. Before all living, acknowledge the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The debate on H.R. 3167 in 20 minutes be- many good things he has done for you, by clerk will please read a communication cause the vote is still going to occur at blessing and extolling his name in song. to the Senate from the President pro 10:30. I ask unanimous consent that be the Before all men, honor and proclaim God’s tempore (Mr. BYRD). deeds, and do not be slack in praising The legislative clerk read the fol- case as far as those speaking in morn- him. A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, lowing letter: ing business. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- but the works of God are to be declared U.S. SENATE, pore. Without objection, it is so or- and made known. Praise them with due PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, honor. Do good, and evil will not find its Washington, DC, May 17, 2002. dered. way to you. Prayer and fasting are good, To the Senate: The Senator from Maine is recog- but better than either is almsgiving ac- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, nized. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby companied by righteousness. A little with Ms. COLLINS. I thank the Chair. appoint the Honorable DEBBIE STABENOW, a righteousness is better than abundance (The remarks of Ms. COLLINS per- Senator from the State of Michigan, to per- taining to the introduction of S. 2531 with wickedness. form the duties of the Chair. are located in today’s RECORD under Let us pray: ROBERT C. BYRD, Almighty God, we give You thanks President pro tempore. ‘‘Statements on Introduced Bills and for the many and varied ways You have Ms. STABENOW thereupon assumed Joint Resolutions.’’) blessed the men and women who serve the chair as Acting President pro tem- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. in the Senate. We ask now, Lord, that pore. CANTWELL). The Senator from Pennsyl- they may do Your will in all things and vania. f so remain close to You. Lord, Your Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I presence is found where unity and love RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME thank the Senator from Maine for her prevail; grant that they may strive to The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- excellent comments and for her intro- work together in harmony and peace. pore. Under the previous order, the duction of that legislation. We acknowledge that God is the leadership time is reserved. f strength and protector of His people; f grant Lord to the Members of the Sen- OUR STEELWORKERS ate the strength and courage they need RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I to serve the people of the United MAJORITY LEADER stand in this Chamber as a strong sup- States. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- porter of the steel industry. In fact, I Grant this through Christ our Lord. pore. The Senator from Nevada is rec- would match my record of support for Amen. ognized. the steel industry, for steelworkers, ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4511 . VerDate May 14 2002 01:38 May 18, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A17MY6.000 pfrm15 PsN: S17PT1 S4512 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 17, 2002 and for steel retirees, with any person out again. In most causes, they were have a more stable industry to take in this Chamber or in the other Cham- going to liquidate. That means, when care of retirees for the long term and ber. they liquidate, retirees lose their provide better quality jobs for the long We have had a long history in west- health care benefits, they lose their term. ern Pennsylvania—from my days in the pension benefits. We lose jobs, too, be- We offered a piece of legislation that House and prior to that—in the steel cause they liquidate. They sell off as- did that. Let me be very clear. The industry. We have dealt with crises, sets. Some are reused; some are not. steelworkers unions walked away. one after another, in this industry. The The ones that are reused, they have They walked away. Why? Because it most recent crisis has perhaps been the new contracts. was on a bill they were not in favor of. most crippling, costing lots of compa- The jobs were not as ‘‘lucrative’’ as It was on a bill, ANWR, that they were nies going into bankruptcies, costing they are today. This is why it was the not in favor of and that the majority lots of steel jobs, and, tragically, lots No. 1 priority, because it helped retir- leader was not in favor of, and many of steel retirees losing their health ees; it helped workers, and it helped others from the other side. They care benefits. companies stay alive and pay benefits walked away. Why? Politics. They In the last session of Congress, I and have good-paying jobs. I worked walked away from a comprehensive re- worked with Senator ROCKEFELLER to and worked and worked, and we got 201 structuring of legacy costs. Why? Poli- follow through with the U.S. steel- relief that everyone in the steel indus- tics. workers’ No. 1 priority, which is to try try feels very good about. It helped re- Of the people who are offering this to get a quota bill passed in the Sen- tirees. There are retirees receiving ben- amendment on which cloture will be ate. I worked very hard on my side of efits today who would not be receiving voted on Tuesday, of the seven spon- the aisle, and we got a majority of our them if the President had not enacted sors of that amendment, six voted Members to vote for a quota on steel the remedies he did under section 201. against a comprehensive legacy cost imports. That is a fact. There are companies in restructuring; six of the seven voted no The other side of the aisle was not so business today that would not be in on a much more comprehensive benefit generous. In fact, my recollection is, if business today if that had not hap- that would have incentivized restruc- we had gotten just half the Democrats, pened. There are companies that did turing of the steel industry. we would have been able to pass that, not file bankruptcy. What are we offering today? We are but we did not. So we failed in the No. Every steel company in America, offering a very narrow 1-year benefit 1 request from the United Steelworkers maybe with the exception of a major that will not only do nothing to en- Union. steel company, maybe with the excep- courage restructuring but, from the in- Last year, at the beginning of this tion of Nucor, had said they were going dustry representatives I have talked session, management and labor got to- to file bankruptcy if 201 remedies were to, will in fact do the opposite. It will gether, retirees got together, and they not sufficient. To my knowledge, there discourage restructuring because of the came up with their No. 1 priority for have been no bankruptcies since 201. way it is so limited in its application. this Congress. It was to file a section The fact is, we have done more for the It picks winners and losers. 201 action, to try to find comprehensive steel industry, I have worked to do Yes, we will provide retirement bene- relief for the steel industry. more for the steel industry, than any- fits to retirees of companies that have So like I did the session before, I body else. took on that challenge. I think I am There was a second component about gone bankrupt and stopped paying re- very safe in saying I was the first Mem- which the steelworkers and retirees tiree benefits for health care. We will ber of Congress—certainly the first and companies were concerned. That do that for 1 year. But the consequence Member of the Senate—to personally was legacy costs. What was the issue of it is, we will not get the restruc- ask the President of the United States with legacy? Legacy was important be- turing we need.