LEGISLATION THAT I BELIEVE IN, ESPECIALLY THE IMPORTANT
           INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. AND I THINK ITS BALANCED
           APPROACH. MR. PRESIDENT, HOWEVER, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THIS
           BILL, AND I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THIS BILL FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST
           OF ALL, I WON'T VOTE FOR THIS BILL BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW
           WHAT THE OFFSETS ARE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE PART OF IT COMES FROM
           VETERANS HEALTH CARE. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S AN
           OUTRAGE THAT THE MONEY THAT COULD HAVE GONE INTO VETERANS

           HEALTH CARE -- AND I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS WHAT THE GAPS ARE --
           WILL INSTEAD BE USED AS AN OFFSET IN THIS LEGISLATION. AND I
           ALSO BELIEVE THAT TOO MUCH OF THIS WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF
           DISCRETIONARY AFFECTING THE MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS OF THIS
           COUNTRY. THE SECOND REASON THAT I CANNOT VOTE FOR THIS PIECE OF
           LEGISLATION AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE IN WHICH OF IT IS THE PROCESS.
           I THINK AT THE VERY END OF THIS PROCESS THERE WERE SEVERAL
           DECISIONS MADE, ONE HAVING TO DO WITH THE SENSITIVE
           ENVIRONMENTAL LAND DISPUTE ISSUE IN MINNESOTA BOUNDARY WATERS.
           AND I JUST RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THE WAY THIS IS BEING

           DONE. I WILL NOT DO ANY BARK ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. I
           DON'T WANT -- ANY BASHING ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. I DON'T
           WANT TO DO THAT. BUT I WILL NOT SUPPORT THIS PIECE OF
           LEGISLATION, AND WANT TO GO ON RECORD. MY COLLEAGUE IS HERE,
           AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO FINISH UP AND GIVE HIM A MINUTE, IF I
           HAVE A MINUTE LEFT.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA HAS A MINUTE
           AND 30 SECONDS REMAINING.
           

           MR. WELLSTONE: I'LL TAKE THE LAST 30.
           

           MR. HARKIN: I APPRECIATE THE SENATOR FOR YIELDING. I JUST WANT
           TO MAKE ONE POINT. MR. PRESIDENT, I WAS LISTENING TO THE DEBATE
           ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. THEY ARE DEBATING THE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH
           BILL THAT HAS THE FOOD STAMP PROVISION AND THE CROP INSURANCE
           IN IT. THERE IS AN AMENDMENT PENDING OVER THERE THAT WOULD
           STRIP OUT THE FOOD STAMPS. THE REASON I WANTED TO TAKE THIS
           TIME ON THE FLOOR IS BECAUSE I HEARD SOME COMMENTS MADE ON THE
           HOUSE FLOOR THAT THEY COULD PASS THAT BILL, THE CONFERENCE
           REPORT, STIP OUT THE FOOD STAMPS, SEND IT OVER HERE TO THE

           SENATE, AND WE WOULD PASS IT TODAY AND THEY WOULD SEND IT TO
           THE PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAD A VOTE HERE 92-8 ON THAT
           BILL TO KEEP THE FOOD STAMPS FOR IMMIGRANTS, TO KEEP THE CROP
           INSURANCE AND THE AG RESEARCH ALL TOGETHER. IN FACT, THERE WAS
           A 77-23 VOTE ON A GRAMM OF TEXAS MOTION TO RECOMMIT IT. 77-23.
           LET ME MAKE ONE OTHER STATEMENT, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT IF THAT
           ACTION TAKES PLACE IN THE HOUSE, I CAN SEE NO WAY THAT EASE TEE
           COULD EVER BE PASSED HERE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE WE GO HOME ON
           BREAK. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, MR. PRESIDENT. I THANK YOU FOR

           YIELDING. MR. WELLSTONE: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA HAS THE
           FLOOR.
           

           MR. WELLSTONE: IN THE BRIEF TIME I HAVE LEFT, I WOULD LIKE
           INCLUDED A LETTER FROM THE PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA, WHICH
           THEY ARGUE ABOUT THIS BILL. THEY HAVE -- THEY SAY, "DON'T ROB
           AMERICA'S VETERANS AGAIN." I THINK THEY'RE RIGHT. THERE ARE TOO
           MANY VETERANS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREETS THAT SHOULDN'T BE.
           THERE ARE TOO MANY, TOO MANY VETERANS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH
           PTSD THAT AREN'T TREATED. THERE ARE TOO MANY VETERANS THAT AS
           THEY GET OLDER, THAT ARE NOT CLEAR WHAT CARE THERE WILL BE. WE
           HAVE A FLAT-LINE BUDGET THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK FOR VETERANS.

           AND I THINK IT'S A BIG MISTAKE TO HAVE TAKEN THIS MONEY OUT OF
           WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN INVESTMENT IN VETERANS HEALTH CARE. I
           WOULD YIELD THE FLOOR AND I THANK THE FLOOR FOR HIS COURTESY.

           MS. SNOWE: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MAINE.
           

           MS. SNOWE: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MAINE IS RECOGNIZED FOR
           TEN MINUTES.
           

           MS. SNOWE: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE
           SENATE THIS MORNING WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL TOBACCO POLICY
           LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN ON THE FLOOR THIS WEEK. I WOULD HOPE
           THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO SOME
           COMMON AGREEMENT AND COMMON GROUND ON THIS MOST IMPORTANT
           ISSUE, BECAUSE, CLEARLY, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT AND THE PROMISE
           OF IT CANNOT BE OVERSTATED WITH RESPECT TO THE FACT THAT IT
           CERTAINLY COULD IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR NATION'S CHILDREN.

           NOW, AS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE, I HAD THE
           OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION THAT WAS
           REPORTED OUT OF THE COMMITTEE BY A 19-1 VOTE. THE COMMITTEE
           VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY IN THAT REGARD BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS
           IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY TO MOVE THE DEBATE FORWARD ON THIS MOST
           IMPORTANT ISSUE. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE BILL THAT
           ULTIMATELY CAME TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE WAS VERY DIFFERENT
           FROM THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS CONSIDERED IN THE COMMERCE
           COMMITTEE, WHERE WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF DEFINING AND REFINING

           THE ISSUE, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT AMENDMENTS WOULD BE OFFERED
           ON THE FLOOR TO CERTAINLY IMPROVE IT AND TO REFLECT THE
           INTERESTS AND THE DESIRES OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BODY. BUT,
           UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT ULTIMATELY OCCURRED IS THAT WE HAD A TOTAL
           REWRITE OF THE BILL THROUGH THE WHITE HOUSE. NOT UNUSUAL TO
           HAVE THE WHITE HOUSE INVOLVED AND BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF
           DISCUSSIONS INVOLVED IN TERMS OF SHAPING THE LEGISLATION BUT

           ULTIMATELY IT WAS REWRITTEN ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ECES. I
           CAN'T SAY IN SOME AREAS IT WASN'T IMPROVED BUT OTHER AREAS
           RAISED SOME DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. IT IS ONE THING TO HAVE THIS
           DEBATED AND IMPROVED ON THE FLOOR AND ANOTHER TO HAVE IT DONE
           IN COMMITTEE AND ULTIMATELY HAVE LED TO THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE
           CONTRIBUTED TO THE DELAY OF THIS LEGISLATION AND ITS PASSAGE.
           BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY, I HOPE IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THAT WE
           DON'T OVERLOOK THE REASON WHY THIS LEGISLATION IS ON THE FLOOR

           OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE, WHAT BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT. WHY
           THIS LEGISLATION WAS CRAFTED AND WHAT DO WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH
           FROM THE PASSAGE ULTIMATELY OF THIS LEGISLATION. FIRST AND
           FOREMOST, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS LEGISLATION WAS THE
           RESULT OF A SETTLEMENT THAT WAS REACHED BY THE TOBACCO STRIP
           AND 40 ATTORNEYS GENERAL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY MORE THAN 11
           MONTHS AGO. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE SETTLEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE

           BEEN REACHED IF IT WEREN'T FOR ONE SIMPLE TRUTH, AND THAT IS
           TOBACCO PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN KILLING AND CONTINUE TO KILL 420,000
           AMERICANS EACH AND EVERY YEAR. AND INCLUDE AMONG THOSE
           AMERICANS OUR CHILDREN -- 3,000 CHILDREN DIE EVERY YEAR AS A
           RESULT OF TOBACCO-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR
           THAT SIMPLE TRUTH, THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
           SUBJECTED TO YEARS AND YEARS OF LAWSUITS AND LITIGATION. THIS

           COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REACHED. THE FACT
           IS THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SETTLED WITH OTHER STATES, SUCH AS
           MINNESOTA RECENTLY, TO THE TUNE OF $6 BILLION AND THREE OTHER
           STATES ACROSS THIS COUNTRIES. THAT'S WHY THEY WERE INTERESTED
           IN REACHING THIS AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THEY KNEW WHAT THE TRUTH
           WAS. THE MOST INSIDIOUS ASPECT OF THIS WHOLE TOBACCO DEBATE IS
           THE FACT IS THAT THIS ADDICTIVE PRODUCT WAS MARKETED TO
           CHILDREN. AND I THINK IN LISTENING TO THE DEBATE THIS WEEK IN

           THE COURSE OF MANY, MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT
           FORWARD COMING FROM DIVERGENT POINTS OF VIEW, WE MUST NOT
           OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT THIS PRODUCT WAS DELIBERATELY IN A
           CALCULATING FASHION TARGETED TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TO TEENS, EVEN TO
           11-YEAR-OLDS. THIS PRODUCT WAS MARKETED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
           NOT OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE, NOT OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK, NOT OLD ENOUGH

           TO ENLIST IN THE MILITARY, NOT OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY OF THE
           LIFE-ALTERING DECISIONS THAT SHOULD BE MADE BY ADULTS. AND NOT
           OLD ENOUGH, IRONICALLY, TO EVEN PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT LEGALLY.
           AND THIS ISN'T SOMETHING, OH, BY THE WAY, THIS IS ISN'T THE
           BASIS OF HYPOTHETICAL VIEWS OR ASSUMPTIONS OR CONJECTURE. THIS
           IS BASED ON MORE THAN 40,000 DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNVEILED
           DURING THE COURSE OF THIS SETTLEMENT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE

           DOCUMENTS, IT PROVIDES A DISTURBING GLIMPSE INTO THE MIND-SET
           AND TO THE TACTICS OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY. FROM THIS PAPER
           TRAIL WE HAVE LEARNED OF REPEATED EFFORTS BY THE INDUSTRY TO
           MANIPULATE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, RACIALLYSTER YORE TYPE
           MINORITIES IN MARKETING PLANS, CONTRIVE THE NICOTINE LEVELS IN
           CIGARETTES. THEY EVEN DEMONSTRATED THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY
           STUDIED THE SMOKING HABITS OF TEENAGERS TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH

           THEY WOULD EXPLOIT THE TEEN MARKET SO THEY'D HAVE A LIFE LONG
           SUPPORT OF A GROUP OF AMERICANS. THEY EVEN CONSIDERED THE
           METHODS FOR MAKING THE CIGARETTES TASTE BETTER FOR TEENS. SO
           THIS WAS A VERY DELIBERATE, CALCULATED EFFORT TO HOOK KIDS ON
           TOBACCO. AND THE DOCUMENTS STATE THAT, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
           OF THEM. AND THAT'S THE CRUX OF THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT TO SAY
           THAT AMERICANS DIDN'T KNOW THAT SMOKING CIGARETTES WAS HARMFUL.
           OF COURSE THEY DID.
           
           THE QUESTION IS: DID THE INDUSTRY DELIBERATELY CONTRIVE THE

           NICOTINE LEVELS TO MAKE IT ADDICTIVE AND THEN TO ATTRACT YOUNG
           PEOPLE SO THAT THEY WOULD SMOKE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME?
           LISTEN TO SOME OF THE INDUSTRY DOCUMENTS. THE BASIS OF OUR
           BUSINESS IS THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SAID ONE MEMO. ANOTHER
           ONE SAID, "IT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT THAT TEENAGERS LIKE SWEET
           PRODUCTS. HONEY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED." ANOTHER SAID, "IF OUR
           COMPANY IS TO SURVIVE AND PROSPER OVER THE LONG RUN, WE MUST
           GET OUR SHARE OF THE YOUTH MARKET." ANOTHER MEMO SAID, "TO

           ENSURE INCREASED AND LONGER-TERM GROWTH, WE MUST ENSURE
           INCREASED PENETRATION AMONG THE 14 TO 24-YEAR-OLD AGE GROUP
           WHICH REPRESENTS TOMORROW'S CIGARETTES BUSINESS." ANOTHER SAID,
           "TODAY'S TEENAGER IS TOMORROW'S POTENTIAL REGULAR CUSTOMERS."
           SO THESE ARE GRAIRG DEMONSTRATIONS OF UNSCRUPULOUS AND
           UNETHICAL THINGS ON THE PART OF COMPANY. THAT IS WHAT BRINGS US
           TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. THE INDUSTRY DISCOVERED THE TRUTH,

           AND THAT IS THEY COULD NOT ESCAPE THEIR PAST PRACTICES. AND
           THAT'S WHY THEY ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT WITH 40 ATTORNEYS
           GENERAL. DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT WE WOULDN'T CHANGE THAT
           AGREEMENT. WE HAVE A RIGHT. IT HAD TO COME TO THE CONGRESS. AND
           WE SHOULD. BUT WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULTS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS AND
           THEIR INTENT TO MARKET AN ADDICTIVE PRODUCT TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN
           AMERICA?
           THIS HAS BEEN THE RESULT. MORE THAN FIVE MILLION CHILDREN UNDER
           THE AGE OF 18 ALIVE TODAY WILL EVENTUALLY DIE FROM

           SMOKING-RELATED DISEASES UNLESS CURRENT RATES ARE REVERSED. 4.1
           MILLION KIDS AGE 12 TO 17 ARE CURRENT SMOKERS. ALMOST 90% OF
           ADULT SMOKERS BEGAN AT OR BEFORE AGE 18. AMONG HIGH SCHOOL
           SENIORS WHO HAVE EVER USED SMOKELESS TOBACCO, ALMOST
           THREE-FOURTHS BEGAN BY THE NINTH GRADE. SO, 3,000 OF OUR
           CHILDREN DIE EACH AND EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF THIS ADDICTION.
           THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. THAT'S THE DEBATE. THAT'S THE
           HEART OF THIS ISSUE, MR. PRESIDENT. IN MY STATE OF MAINE, WE

           HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF TEEN SMOKING IN AMERICA. WE
           HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF SMOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN THE
           AGES OF 18 AND 30. A FULL 38% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MY
           STATE OF MAINE CURRENTLY SMOKE CIGARETTES, AND 16% OF HIGH
           SCHOOLBOYS USE SPITTOBACCO. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED. AND SMOKING
           IS HABIT-FORMING, AS 35% OF MAINERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 TO
           34 REPORTED SMOKING CIGARETTES IN 1996. THAT IS THE RESULT OF

           WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IN THE UNITED
           STATES DEBATING THIS COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK. IF THIS HABIT
           WASN'T HARMLESS -- IF IT WAS HARMLESS, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE
           TODAY. BUT IT ISN'T, AND WE KNOW IT. BUT FURTHERMORE, IT HAS
           BEEN DONE BY AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS MARKETED TO YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
           HAS RESULTED IN A SENSELESS LOSS OF LIFE. AND NOW WE HAVE A
           RESPONSIBILITY. AND FOR THOSE WHO OPPOSE DOING ANYTHING,
           REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CONTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION IS, I SAY TO
           THEM, WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE?

           WHAT ELSE WILL WE DO HERE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE?
           WILL WE SPEND THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THATRESULT FROM THIS
           SETTLEMENT TO TRY TO REDUCE SMOKING IN AMERICA?
           I SAY NOT. WE WON'T. THIS IS OUR ONLY CHANCE. WE ONLY HAVE ONE
           OPPORTUNITY, AND IT'S BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SENATE. AND IT
           IS AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TO AN END THESE PAST
           PRACTICES. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE IN
           AMERICA SO THAT THEY DON'T BECOME ADDICTED TO THIS TOBACCO

           PRODUCT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. THAT'S WHAT THIS DEBATE IS
           ALL ABOUT. AND I HOPE THE ESSENCE OF IS IT DOESN'T GET LOST AS
           WE LOOK AT IT FROM A VARIETY OF DIMENSIONS BECAUSE THERE IS NO
           POSSIBILITY OF EVER DEALING WITH THIS KIND OF FRAMEWORK EVER
           AGAIN. THIS IS OUR CHANCE ONCE AND FOREVER. SO I HOPE THAT ONCE
           WE GET TO THE POINT OF HAVING GONE THROUGH ALL OF THE
           AMENDMENTS, ALL OF THE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION, THAT IT DOESN'T

           DEFEAT THE ULTIMATE PACKAGE. THOSE OBJECTIONS CANNOT OVERRIDE
           THE ONE IMPORTANT NATIONAL INTEREST, AND THAT IS TO CHANGE THE
           TOBACCO CULTURE IN AMERICA AND TO HOPEFULLY HELP YOUNG PEOPLE
           TO STOP SMOKING OR TO HELP THEM NEVER START SMOKING. MR.

           PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR. A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA.
           

           MR. KYL: MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT DURING THE
           PENDENCY OF H.R. 2709 AND ACTUALLY BEGINNING RILETE NOW THAT
           DAVID STEVENS AND JOHN RUDE OF MY STAFF BE PERMITTED TO BE ON
           THE FLOOR.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED. THE
           SENATOR FROM HAWAII IS RECOGNIZED FOR TEN MINUTES.
           

           MR. AKAKA: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. TODAY I AM INTRODUCING A
           RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE 100 YEARS OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS
           BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE PEOPLE OF THE
           PHILIPPINES. IT IS ESPECIALLY FITTING AT
{END: 1998/05/22 TIME: 11-00 , Fri.  105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}