E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 147 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2001 No. 136 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING Because of some very important mat- called to order by the Honorable JACK PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ters that some Members have, some of REED, a Senator from the State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The which are spiritual in nature, I ask Rhode Island. clerk will please read a communication unanimous consent that the previously to the Senate from the President pro scheduled cloture vote on the Daschle- Carnahan amendment occur at 1:35 PRAYER tempore [Mr. BYRD]. The assistant legislative clerk read p.m. today and that the other provi- The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John the following letter: sions remain in effect, with the time Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: U.S. SENATE, from 12:35 until 1:35 to be divided in the usual form. Faithful Father, on this day of re- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- membrance of the infamous terrorist Washington, DC, October 11, 2001. To the Senate: pore. Without objection, it is so or- attack on our Nation one month ago, Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, dered. we hear the words of the Psalmist of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Mr. REID. Mr. President, as Senator sounding in our souls, ‘‘Wait on the appoint the Honorable JACK REED, a Senator HOLLINGS has indicated, he also be- Lord; be of good courage, and He shall from the State of Rhode Island, to perform lieves we can finish this legislation. I strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the duties of the Chair. just completed a conversation with the Lord!’’—Psalm 27:14. You alone are ROBERT C. BYRD, him. He has worked on this legislation, the source of our strength and courage. President pro tempore. along with Senator MCCAIN, for so Continue to heal the aching hearts of Mr. REED thereupon assumed the long. We are anxious and happy we are those who lost loved ones and friends chair as Acting President pro tempore. on this legislation. It is important for at the World Trade Center and the Pen- f the country. We ask everyone’s co- tagon. RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING operation. If they have an amendment, Dear Lord of comfort, we intercede MAJORITY LEADER come and work on the amendment. In for the families of the police and fire- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- regard to this legislation, everyone fighters who died seeking to save oth- pore. The acting majority leader is rec- should know we are not going to wait ers. We feel the incredible grief of ognized. around for people to come in with those who endure loneliness now for f amendments. If we arrive at a point those gallant people who were aboard where we have no amendments, we will the airplanes that were turned into SCHEDULE move on to complete consideration of missiles of destruction. All across our Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senate the bill in its entirety. Nation people are gripped by fear of fu- resumes consideration of S. 1477, the f ture attacks. Replace that panic with aviation security bill. It is my under- Your peace. Bolster our broken hearts standing that the managers are expect- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME with relentless resolve to confront and ing to clear some more amendments The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- conquer terrorism. Bless the women this morning and are working with pore. Under the previous order, the and men of our armed services. Keep other Members who have indicated leadership time is reserved. them safe as they press on to victory. they have amendments to this impor- f Without Your help we cannot succeed; tant legislation. with Your power we shall not fail. You The first vote—on the Daschle- AVIATION SECURITY ACT are our Lord and Saviour. Amen. Carnahan amendment—will be later The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- today. After we vote on that, Senators pore. Under the previous order, the f may expect other votes to occur this Senate will now resume consideration afternoon and into this evening as we of S. 1477, which the clerk will report. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE make every effort to complete action The assistant legislative clerk read on this important legislation today and as follows: The Honorable JACK REED led the then turn our attention today, we A bill (S. 1447) to improve aviation secu- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: hope—and we really need to do this—to rity, and for other purposes. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the another important matter, the Pending: United States of America and to the Repub- counterterrorism bill, on which a unan- Daschle (for Carnahan) amendment No. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, imous consent agreement has been 1855, to provide assistance for employees who indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. reached. are separated from employment as a result ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10487 . VerDate 11-MAY-2000 03:37 Oct 12, 2001 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A11OC6.000 pfrm01 PsN: S11PT1 S10488 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 11, 2001 of reductions in service by air carriers, and leased a statement that expressed sorrow for We were going to have higher stand- closures of airports, caused by terrorist ac- the ‘‘tragic events’’ and said officials are ards. We were going to have more tions or security measures. ‘‘working closely with and providing full training. We were going to have super- Gramm amendment No. 1859 (to amend- support to its airline customers as they deal vision and more pay. ment No. 1855), to provide for the explo- with the aftermath of yesterday’s major ter- ration, development, and production of oil rorist attack.’’ Argenbright also provides And then in 1996, TWA 800. Guess and gas resources of the Arctic Coastal checkpoint security at Miami International what. We had all kinds of studies, com- Plains. Airport. Gary Dellapa, the airport’s former missions, hearings. All this debate The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- director, said the company got average about contracts has been ongoing now pore. The Senator from South Caro- marks for its work. for 15 years. What did we come up lina. In the Philadelphia case, Argenbright hired with? More higher standards, more Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, we all more than 1,300 untrained checkpoint screen- training hours, more supervision, and realize this morning that a month has ers form 1995 through 1998 without checking more pay. But you have to contract their backgrounds. Among these employees passed since the disaster of September were ‘‘dozens of criminals,’’ according to the out. 11, and we still are confronted with the government’s sentencing memorandum. No one would ever think contracting need for airline security, as the head- Argenbright falsely certified that the com- would help the Border Patrol. No one lines in Roll Call state, ‘‘Airport Firms pany had done the background checks and would think of contracting out the Form Alliance’’; as well as, ‘‘Baggage fraudulently charged airlines for this work, FBI. No one would ever think about Screening Companies Take Case to the the government said. U.S. Attorney Michael contracting out the security and pro- Hill.’’ R. Stiles in Philadelphia said the violations tection of the President, the Secret So one month after this fanatical of Federal Aviation Administration Regula- Service. No one would think about con- killing of 5,000 to 6,000 Americans, tions did not harm any passengers or the air- tracting out our security, the Capitol thousands more casualties, and as lines. But his office said that ‘‘if corpora- tions such as Argenbright Security Inc. fail Police. many as 10,000 children left without a to meet their obligations and responsibil- Walking into the Capitol today, I was parent, some without 2 parents, we are ities, then the millions of people who fly on asked, should we get the National being delayed by the contractors and commercial aircraft every day are put at Guard around the Capitol? We have the the lobbyists. One of them particu- risk.’’ Edwin R. Mellett, vice chairman and Capitol Police. They are not only ade- larly, cited in this case, has banded to- co-chief executive officer of AHL Services, quate, they are more than adequate. gether in a lobbying drive that so far said at the time that the company fired the They have been doing an outstanding has succeeded—Argenbright. employees directly involved in the fraud and job. We don’t need any more National cooperated with the investigation. There is also an article in the Miami Guard troops running around and ev- Herald published Thursday, September Mr. HOLLINGS. Argenbright is a erything else of that kind. Terrorists 13 about their efforts. I ask unanimous contractor at Logan Airport, at New- would do better than getting a Senator consent that the article in full be ark Airport, and at Dulles, all three or two or a bunch of them. They would printed in the RECORD. airports from which the planes on that be replaced by the Governor by sun- There being no objection, the article disastrous day were taken over. down, so you couldn’t get rid of them. was ordered to be printed in the The article relayed how the firm was In any event, here we come.