I think it is presumptuous of us today to suggest we are going to set the guidelines. The Senator from Alabama stood up repeatedly and said, ``I don't know what these legal agreements are. They could be awful.'' If the Senator doesn't know…

let my say in conclusion, I was really captivated by this closing argument. Now the tobacco companies, after all these years of exploiting children, come in with this ``God bless Tiny Tim'' amendment which says if we can just stop these…

I might say to the Senator I think his amendment needs to be clarified because that was not clear to me. The second point I would like to raise, in section (e) where you provide for funds for children's health research, if in fact…

I thank the Chair. Why are we here today? Because the tobacco company lobbyists, at the last minute, in our tax bill, which we considered several weeks ago, managed to sneak in a provision that was not debated on the floor of the Senate…

I believe the point by the Senator from Alabama is his covers the expenses but does not cover the legal fees. So the expenses of literally physically collecting all these documents would be covered, but to have the first attorney sit down…

The reason why this amendment should not be considered, why the tobacco companies will jump for joy if it is adopted, is that it will discourage any State from bringing its lawsuit against the tobacco companies. The Senator from Alabama…

I stand today in support of his second-degree amendment. Though I may disagree with one or two provisions in it, I believe the central element of his amendment is a suggestion that tobacco growers should be protected in any settlement…

I am pleased to be interrupted with that good news. Isn't it curious that this effort to provide research funds for children's health, funded by excess attorney's fees, would only apply to attorney's fees in excess for the plaintiffs, that…

More than 50,000 Americans are waiting for organ transplants and hundreds of thousands more need tissue transplants. Every year, thousands die needlessly due to lack of donors. In 1996 alone, 3,916 people on the transplant waiting list…

I would like to address on which I will be offering an amendment that I hope Senator Jeffords will consider is that of removing any possible money taint of the external review process. This bill expands the ability of medical device…

we have reached a historic juncture. Our Nation has not had a balanced budget since fiscal year 1969, the last budget year of President Lyndon Johnson's tenure. The budget deficit began to grow under President Nixon, rose to $74 billion…

I commend both Senators Shelby and Lautenberg for their tireless efforts on behalf of our Nation's transportation systems. And I congratulate them on bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. President, as Senator Shelby knows, Metra is the…

I think, if he is going to address an overall reform of crop insurance, he may be surprised to find me as an ally. I had an amendment which I offered 1 year in the appropriations subcommittee. If I recall it correctly, it said that if you…

I want to eliminate crop insurance for tobacco. I will concede to my colleague that the overall subsidy for crop insurance, as I said at the outset, is an issue well worth addressing. The fact that we would spend--perhaps the Senator from…

I don't believe that these figures include any national disaster assistance of that nature. It is strictly related to crop insurance.

I have addressed this issue before on the State Department authorization, and it was adopted by the Senate in similar form. The amendment states the sense of the Senate that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are to be commended for their…

I applaud the authorization of $15 million for the DOD-VA Cooperative Research Program. Authorization of these funds will guarantee the continuation of this laudable research effort. The DOD-VA Cooperative Research Program supports…

this amendment has been reviewed by both sides. Senator Thurmond, as chairman of the committee, and Senator Levin, as the ranking minority member, have accepted this amendment. It relates to the issue of burdensharing. It is an amendment…

If I could pose another question to my cosponsor on this amendment, Senator Cochran. There have been others that have said, well, why is the United States doing this? If we stop selling computers around the world, whatever their…

I think our approach to it gives the Government the power it needs to police the sales, says to the seller, the computer company, you can come to the Government now and entrust that decision to an entity which should know as to which…

I rise today to call upon my colleagues to support a bill to close the School of the Americas. The School of the Americas is an institute that has outlived its usefulness and its purpose. SOA was established over 50 years ago. Its mission…

I will tell you something else. Tobacco is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in America today. You can't say that about corn, soybeans, wheat or any other commodity. You can't say that about it. You know it as well as I do. You can't…

this amendment was offered last night. It is an amendment which I think most Members are conversant with because it is not a new issue. This is an issue which has been literally before Congress for almost 50 years. It is an issue of rank…

Let me say at this point, too, it is easy to come before this body and to propose new tax benefits. We know the difficult part, the offsets--how do you pay for them? I have come up with a means of paying for this which I think you can…

I believe I am speaking for the people that I represent not only in Illinois but across the Nation when I talk about the need to have some fairness when it comes to hospitalization insurance premiums and to stop all of the promises that…