Arlen Specter

Ocular Albinism is one of the many diseases being researched by the NIH. This is why I have been pressing for a doubling of funding for NIH and have included a $2.7 billion increase in funding in this bill.

Please rest assured that during conference, I will try to keep MIP funding at the Senate recommended level of $680 million. I understand the importance of the MIP program to the integrity of the Medicare Trust Funds and will work with my…

I consider the interests of older Americans, particularly the issue of ensuring quality health care, to be among the most important matters that come before the subcommittee. The gentleman from Ohio has my commitment to support the project…

I understand the issues both Senators are raising and the importance of adequately funding the Medicare contractor program. I will work with my two colleagues to try to keep the Senate funding level is kept intact and that no funding cut…

This year's bill contains a program level of $104.5 billion for fiscal year 2001. This is a $7.9 billion increase over fiscal year 2000, which had a program level of $96.6 billion. When assertions have been made that the bill has grown by…

I am very much inclined to support the Daschle legislation, but I recognize the job ahead of trying to work it through for the reasons I have said. I think the objectives are admirable. I am not committed yet. I want to hear the balance of…

If I may respond, my preference would be to move for the poor schools first. In constructing this bill, there were many objections as to how the money was going to be allocated. The only way we could work through the complications was to…

We have been consulting on the complexities of the bill. If I understand the amendment by the Senator from Ohio, it is that the title XI block grant of $2.7 billion, which is divided for class size and construction, may be used for other…

That would be acceptable. It is our purpose that the local boards, having decided they do not want it for the other purposes--construction or reduction in class size--may use it as they decide. We are prepared to accept the Voinovich…

I don't know how this percentage worked. I am advised that with this provision there would be an across-the-board 6.75 percent cut to bring the bill under the allocation. I am not sure of that math, although that is the representation made…

With respect to the argument on education, it is a matter of priorities. We have a very extensive allocation of $104.5 billion. Much as I would like to see additional funding for teacher training and teacher recruitment, it is simply a…

If I may respond to my distinguished comanager, my view is, we will take a look at each one of them on an individual basis. We will assess the validity of the items, and we will accept them if they are valid. I do not know exactly what the…

I certainly encourage AID to release the full funding as designated in the committee's report.

I have sought that time to speak on what I believe to be one of the most important issues which will be presented to the Congress this year; that is, the issue of permanent normal trade relations for the People's Republic of China. My own…

I believe and have believed that young 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez should have been reunited with his father at the earliest possible time. I believe that as a legal matter there is no real justification for any asylum proceeding to keep…

I renew my suggestion to the Department of Justice to expedite those proceedings. Ultimately, Elian will be returned with his father to wherever they choose to go. I hope they will stay in the United States, but that is a matter for the…

It is true that the budget for three major departments is a large budget. But it is not possible to find $2.7 billion in the budget as proposed, when we have other education programs, where we have other health programs, where we have…

I decided to join my friend from Massachusetts in introducing the Hunger Relief Act after carefully reviewing the evidence of persisting hunger in Pennsylvania and the U.S., and after extensive consultations with local leaders who are…

I have substantial reservations about a U.S. expenditure in excess of $1 billion to reduce the supply of narcotics into the United States. I filed a resolution years ago calling for the use of the military in drug curtailment and narcotic…

I am constrained to oppose the amendment because in constructing this overall bill for $91.7 billion, in collaboration with the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, we have juggled some 300 programs. If we are going to add a very…

I commented earlier that I would defer to the statistics. I am about to put a detailed chart into the Record. It is true that the backlog went down from about 6,200 to about 5,500 because we added $10 million to the budget. We are now…

Although, none of the identified exchanges or rentals of donor names from public broadcasting stations involved Republican organizations, we could not conclude that such names were not available to them. In this regard, we found no…

I can testify to that from direct personal knowledge; I voted against it and others did. There were some Republicans against the tax cut.

When Senator Harkin and I have taken the principal lead in crafting this bill, 300 programs, making allocations as we have, after a lot of hard staff work and a lot of hard thinking, the Senator from California says if we had added $400…

Following the practice I have heard earlier today, I will preface my question with a statement. I do not think anybody will call for regular order. When the distinguished Senator from California says perhaps if her speech is short enough…