THEREFORE, HE HAS POTENTIALLY UNDERMINED NOT ONLY PUBLIC
           CONFIDENCE IN THE INVESTIGATION BUT ALMOST ASSUREDLY THE
           CONFIDENCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HERSELF. MR. PRESIDENT, I
           DON'T KNOW WHAT JANET RENO IS THINKING, BUT KENNETH STARR MADE
           A FOOL OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES. AND HAVING
           HER PROCEED WITH MR. STARR INVESTIGATING HIS OWN

           TRANSGRESSIONS. THIS MANEUVERING, HOWEVER, TO MANY IN THIS
           INSTITUTION WILL NOT COME AS A PRINCIPAL SURPRISE. PROBLEMS
           WITH INDEPENDENT COUNSEL HAVE BEEN COMING FOR SOME TIME AND,
           INDEED, ALMOST INCREDIBLY, JUSTICE SCALIA PREDICTED IN HIS
           DISSENT IN MORRIS V. OLSON EXACTLY WHAT HAS NOW OCCURRED. A
           PROSECUTOR SO FOCUSED ON ONE SUSPECT UNDER THE LAWS OF THE

           INDEPENDENT COUNSEL WOULD, AND HE WROTE -- AND I QUOTE -- "WHAT
           WOULD NORMALLY BE REGARDED AS A TECHNICAL VIOLATION MAY IN HIS
           OR HER WORLD ASSUME THE PROPORTIONS OF AN INDICTABLE OFFENSE
           OIFMT " -- OFFENSE." MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS
           OCCURRED. MR. STARR HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM ONE WHO IS NO
           LONGER AN OBJECTIVE PROSECUTOR INTO A PARTISAN POLITICAL ACTOR
           WITHOUT OVERSIGHT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, CONTROL OF THE

           FEDERAL COURTS AND NO LONGER EVEN OPERATING WITHIN FEDERAL LAW.
           MR. PRESIDENT, I CALL UPON MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME IN URGE
           URGEING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO ONCE AGAIN ASSUME HER LAWFUL
           RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE --
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR'S 15 MINUTES ARE CONCLUDED.
           

           MR. TORRICELLI: -- RECOGNIZING THAT THE OFFICE OF INDEPENDENT
           COUNSEL DOES NOT REQUIRE OPERATING OUTSIDE OF FEDERAL LAW. MR.
           PRESIDENT, IT IS HIGH TIME AT LAST TO RESTORE THE CREDIBILITY
           OF THIS INVESTIGATION AND ITS OFFICE. MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD

           THE FLO FLOOR. A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM OREGON.
           

           MR. WYDEN: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE
           IT IS NOW VERY CLEAR THE THAT THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY AND THEIR
           ALLIES WILL PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS -- I WOULD BE HAPPY TO YIELD

           TO THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR COMMERCE COMMITTEE. MR. MCCAIN: MR.
           PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA.
           

           MR. MCCAIN: I THANK THE SENATOR FROM OREGON FOR YIELDING. I ASK
           UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE SENATE STAND IN RECESS SUBJECT TO
           THE CALL OF THE CHAIR FOLLOWING TEN MINUTES OF DEBATE BY
           SENATOR WYDEN.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. WYDEN: I THANK MY COLLEAGUE. MR. PRESIDENT, I DO BELIEVE IT
           IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY AND THEIR ALLIES WILL
           PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS TO KILL LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS OUR
           CHILDREN. AND IT IS VERY CLEAR HOW THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY HOPES
           TO BRING ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION'S DEMISE. THE TOBACCO LOBBYISTS
           WANT TO PRODUCE A DEATH BY DISTRACTION DISTRACTION. AND IT IS

           VERY EASY TO SEE WHY THE TOBACCO LOBBYISTS ARE PURSUING THIS
           STRATEGY. THEY CANNOT DERAIL OUR CAUSE -- PROTECTING CHILDREN
           FROM STARTING TO SMOKE -- ON THE MERITS. THE CASE FOR PASSING
           LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR KIDS IS TOO POWERFUL, IT'S TOO
           STRONG, IT'S TOO MORAL. SO THE TOBACCO LOBBY HOPES TO THROW
           EVERYTHING BUT THE PROVERBIAL KITCHEN SINK INTO IT THIS DEBATE,
           HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T STINK THE PLACE UP TOO MUCH AND THEN HOPE

           THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT THIS IS REALLY
           ABOUT -- ALL ABOUT. THE FACT IS THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GET
           IT. THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN, AND
           THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FALL FOR THIS STRATEGY OF TRYING TO
           PRODUCE ENOUGH DISTRACTIONS THAT SOMEHOW THE SENATE WILL HAVE
           TO MOVE ON TO OTHER ISSUES OR SOMEHOW SOME OTHER QUESTION WILL
           HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED ON THIS FLOOR. I BELIEVE THAT ALLOWING

           THIS BILL TO DIE BY ALL OF THESE DISTRACTIONS WOULD BE ONE OF
           THE MOST SHOCKING ABDICATIONS OF OUR PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITIES
           THAT HAS BEEN SEEN IN YEARS. IF THIS BODY STAYS FOCUSED ON THE
           GOAL OF PROTECTING CHILDREN CHILDREN, WORKS THROUGH THE
           RELEVANT AMENDMENTS AND PASSES THIS IMPORTANT LEGISLATION, THIS
           CONGRESS WOULD HAVE A LASTING LEGACY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE

           CAUSE OF KEEPING OUR CHILDREN HEALTHY IN THE 21ST CENTURY. NOW,
           THERE ARE A VARIETY OF LEGITIMATE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP IN
           THIS DEBATE. THE QUESTION OF EDUCATION POLICY, OF INCOME TAXES,
           A WHOLE HOST OF QUESTIONS. I HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH A NUMBER OF
           OUR COLLEAGUES THE ON THE OTHER SIDE WHO WANT TO MAKE IT
           TOUGHER, FOR EXAMPLE, TO RAISE TAXES. I'M ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS
           WHO VOTED TO DO THAT. BUT THIS IS NOT THE PROPER BILL ON WHICH
           TO HAVE A DEBATE ON TAX POLICY. THIS IS NOT THE PROPER VEHICLE

           TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT TAX REFORM. THIS IS
           ABOUT TOBACCO. I SEE OUR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, SENATOR FORD. HE
           AND I SERVE ON THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE. WE PRODUCED A BILL THAT
           CAME OUT 6 COMMITTEE BY 19-1 BECAUSE WE STAYED FOCUSED ON THE
           RELEVANT ISSUES. WE DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE. I HAVE ENORMOUS
           RESPECT FOR SENATOR FORD. HE'S DONE YEOMEN WORK ON THE QUESTION
           OF MAKING SURE OUR FARMERS GET A FAIR SHAKE. HE KNOWS I FEEL
           STRONGLY ON KEY ISSUES; FOR EXAMPLE, MAKING SURE THAT THESE

           TOBACCO COMPANIES DON'T PAY FOR A SETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY BY
           TARGETING YOUNGSTERS AROUND THE GLOBE. BUT TOGETHER AND WITH
           OUR COLLEAGUE, SENATOR HOLLINGS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WE PRODUCED
           WHAT WE THINK IS A FAIR PACKAGE PACKAGE. AND THERE CAN BE
           FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THOSE ISSUES, BUT WE STAYED FOCUS ON THE
           THE QUESTION OF TOBACCO. WE DIDN'T RAISE A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER
           ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO BOTH OF US. WE STAYED FOCUS ON THE
           CAUSE OF TRYING TO PROTECT CHILDREN, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'D HAVE
           FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THAT SUBJECT HERE ON THE FLOOR. BUT WE

           STAYED FOCUSED ON THE TOPIC AT HAND. THE FIGHT TO STOP THE
           CIGARETTE INDUSTRY FROM MARKETING TO CHILDREN DID NOT BEGIN
           THIS YEAR, MR. PRESIDENT PRESIDENT. BUT THIS IS THE YEAR WE
           HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE REAL PROGRESS. I WAS A MEMBER OF
           THE OTHER BODY AND PARTICIPATED IN THE HEARINGS HELD BY
           THEN-CHAIRMAN HENRY WAXMAN. THE TOBACCO EXECUTIVES TOLD ME
           UNDER OATH THAT NICOTINE ISN'T ADDICTIVE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
           DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM. THE SURGEON GENERALS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS
           DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT HEARING AND THE

           DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE COME OUT OVER THESE MANY YEARS, WE HAVE
           BEEN IN A POSITION TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS PROGRESS, PROGRESS,
           FOR EXAMPLE, THAT LED TO THAT 19-1 VOTE IN THE SENATE COMMERCE
           COMMITTEE. THIS DEBATE IS THE CULMINATION OF YEARS OF WORK BY
           THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PROMOTE THE CAUSE OF BETTER
           HEALTH FOR CHILDREN IN OUR NATION. AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT IN
           A WAY THAT'S GOING TO HELP KIDS AROUND THE WORLD BE HEALTHIER.

           FOR THE FIRST TIME -- THE FIRST TIME -- WE'RE GOING TO SAY THAT
           YOU'VE GOT TO PROTECT KIDS IN BANDEN, OREGON, AND BO BOMONT,
           TEXT TURKS AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET
           GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF TRYING TO HELP THESE TOBACCO
           COMPANIES SELL CIGARETTES OVERSEAS AND HOOK KIDS IN BANGKOK AND
           BANGLADESH. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT WE'RE UP AGAINST
           TREMENDOUS LOBBYING. THE TOBACCO COMPANIES HAVE SPENT MILLIONS.
           MAYBE WHAT WE NEED IS A MILLION CHILD MARCH ON WASHINGTON,
           D.C., WITH FAMILIES, WITH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO SHOW THAT

           WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DERAILED BY THESE LOBBYISTS. THESE
           LOBBYISTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO DERAIL THE CAUSE OF
           PUBLIC HEALTH IN THIS BODY. WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK AGAIN AND
           AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THE DAYS AHEAD SO THIS ISSUE IS FOCUSED ON
           WHAT REALLY COUNTS AND THAT'S PROTECTING CHILDREN. THERE'S NOT
           GOING TO BE A DEATH BY DISTRACTION. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A
           PRECIPITOUS AND UNFORTUNATE DEMISE FOR THIS BILL BY VIRTUE OF

           SO MANY OTHER ISSUES COMING UP AND BEING DEBATED ON THIS FLOOR.
           WE'RE GOING TO STAY FOCUSED. MR. PRESIDENT, I KNOW OF THE GOOD
           WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE ON THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE FOUGHT TOGETHER
           ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS TO TRY TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN OUR STATE.
           I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE KIND OF SPIRIT THAT YOU AND I
           HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS ISSUE COME TO THIS BODY AS A WHOLE, MAKE
           SURE THAT WE STAY FOCUSED ON THEISH YOU'VE PROTECTING -- THE
           ISSUE OF PROTECTING CHILDREN. AND I YIELD MY TIME, MR.
           PRESIDENT.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE SENATE
           STANDS IN RECESS SUBJECT TO THE CALL OF THE CHAIR.
           
{END: 1998/06/17 TIME: 10-45 , Wed.  105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}