BECAUSE WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO IT, THE MONEY IN THE SCHEME OF A
           $1.7 TRILLION NATIONAL BUDGET MAY GET LOST. $66 MILLION A YEAR,
           $5.6 MILLION A MONTH. BUT I WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT WON'T
           GET LOST AND THAT'S THE SIMPLE JUSTICE OF THIS DEBATE. A
           QUESTION OF FAIRNESS. A QUESTION OF COMMON SENSE. AND AS MUCH
           AS THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE WOULD LIKE TO OBFUSCATE THIS ISSUE
           AND TELL YOU IT IS CERTAINLY SO COMPLICATE BEYOND THE KIN AND

           MIND OF ANY MEMBER OF THE U.S. SENATE, THEY ARE JUST PLAIN
           WRONG. BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE
           SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. WE HAVE SEEN EDITORIAL SUPPORT IN
           "USA TODAY", THE LOSS ACK TIMES, ARTICLES IN THE WALL -- THE
           LOSS ACK TIMES, ARTICLES IN THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL," -- "THE
           LOS ANGELES TIMES" AND THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" WHO HAVE SAID
           THIS IS A RIP-OFF. I'M GLAD THE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA IS
           WAGING THIS BATTLE, AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS IT MAY BE TO MY

           COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE, TO TRY ONCE AND FOR ALL TO SAY WE ARE
           GOING TO HOLD -- IF WE ARE GOING TO HOLD INDIVIDUALS AND
           AMERICANS, FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES, RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR TAX
           LIABILITY ON APRIL 15TH, THEN FOR GOODNESS SAKES, THESE
           MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR OIL COMPANIES SHOULD PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE
           UNDER THE LAW FOR DRILLING OIL ON OUR LANDS. THEY HAVE BEEN
           TESTED IN COURT TIME AND AGAIN AND FOUND GUILTY.
           WHISTLE-BLOWERS HAVE COME FORWARD, AND YET THIS AMENDMENT
           AMENDMENT, THE HUTCHISON AMENDMENT, WILL PERPETUATE THIS

           RIP-OFF. NOW, I KNOW THAT SOME WILL ARGUE THAT THERE ARE OTHER
           ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT IN THE BOARDROOMS
           OF THESE OIL COMPANIES, THAT THEY WOULD PLEASE REFLECT ON THIS
           BATTLE. IS THIS REALLY WORTH IT?
           IS THIS REALLY WORTH IT TO THE BIG OIL COMPANIES?
           $66 MILLION AND -- IN A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR COMPANY WOULDN'T
           MAKE A RIPPLE ON THEIR BALANCE SHEET. BUT FOR THEM TO BE IN A
           POSITION HERE, AS THEY ARE TODAY, TRYING TO DEFEND THE

           INDEFENSIBLE, A POSITION IN WHICH THEY HAVE LOST TIME AND AGAIN
           IN COURT, A POSITION TO WHICH THEY CAN USE UP OUR FEDERAL
           RESOURCES WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEM IS JUST INCOMPREHENSIBLE. I
           WOULD YIELD.
           

           MRS. BOXER: I'D LIKE HIM TO SPEAK AGAIN ON THIS POINT. BUT I
           JUST WANTED TO MAKE A POINT. THERE'S A CHART UP THERE ON A LONG
           BEACH JURY VERDICT WHERE HARRY ANDERSON, ONE OF THE MOST
           IMPORTANT WHISTLE-BLOWERS, WAS QUOTED. THAT ISN'T EVEN A CASE
           ABOUT FEDERAL ROYALTIES. THIS DEBATE -- I JUST WANT TO POINT IT
           OUT -- IS ABOUT FEDERAL ROYALTIES. THE ONE CASE THEY EVER WON,
           THE OIL COMPANIES -- THE ONLY CASE -- WAS BASED ON STATE
           ROYALTIES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOUR STATE ROYALTIES BASED ON
           FAIR MARKET VALUE. AND I THANK MY FRIEND.
           

           MR. DURBIN: MR. PRESIDENT, I RESERVE THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.

           MS. LANDRIEU: MR. PRESIDENT?

           A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           MR. REID: I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING ABLE TO SPEAK
           THIS MORNING. THIS MONEY GOING TO THE LAND AND WATER
           CONSERVATION FUND HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO THE STATE OF NEVADA.
           LAKE TAHOE THAT WE SHARE WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS
           RECEIVED JUST FROM THE WORK THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SINCE
           I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN THE SENATE TENS OF MILLIONS
           OF DOLLARS FROM THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND TO
           PURCHASE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND LAND, LAND THAT WOULD

           HAVE BEEN SUBDIVIDED, LAND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERRUN WITH
           PROBLEMS. AND NOW THIS LAND IS IN BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL,
           PRISTINE WILDERNESS. MR. PRESIDENT, THE LAND AND WATER
           CONSERVATION HAS BEEN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE STATE OF
           NEVADA, AND I SAY, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT THIS GIVES ME AN
           OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT THE LAND AND WATER
           CONSERVATION FUND HAS BEEN TO THE STATE OF NEVADA, TO TALK
           ABOUT THE STATE OF NEVADA. PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE STATE
           OF NEVADA. COINCIDENTALLY, MR. PRESIDENT, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE

           IN TODAY'S "RENO GAZETTE JOURNAL," A NEWSPAPER THAT IS A GANETT
           NEWSPAPER IN RENO, NEVADA. AND THIS IS A MAJOR STORY
           COINCIDENTALLY IN TODAY'S NEWSPAPER. AND THERE'S A PICTURE OF A
           BEAUTIFUL AREA. BELOW IT ARE THE WORDS IN
           
           LARGE PRINT: "MANY DON'T ASSOCIATE NEVADA WITH BUTTE, BUT IF
           THEY DO SOME EXPLORING, ONE OF THE MANY SITES THAT WILL TAKE
           THEIR BREATH AWAY IS THE ARC DOME WILDERNESS." WELL, MR.
           PRESIDENT, AS SAID IN THIS ARTICLE GS ONE OF THE MANY SITES

           THAT WILL TAKE THEIR BREATH AWAY IS THE ARC DOME WILDERNESS.
           THE STATE OF NEVADA IS SEEN BY MANY AS A PLACE TO DUMP NUCLEAR
           WASTE, A PLACE TO SET OFF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, NUCLEAR DEVICES. MR.
           PRESIDENT, THE STATE OF NEVADA IS THE MOST MOUNTAINOUS STATE IN
           THE UNION EXCEPT FOR ALASKA. WE HAVE IN THE STATE OF NEVADA 314
           SEPARATE DISTINCT MOUNTAIN RANGES. MR. PRESIDENT, THE STATE OF

           NEVADA, WE HAVE 32 MOUNTAINS OVER 11,000 FEET HIGH. JUST
           OUTSIDE LAS VEGAS, IF YOU COULD WALK IT, IT WOULD BE ABOUT TEN
           MILES, YOU WOULD COME TO A MOUNTAIN THAT IS ALMOST 11,000 FEET
           HIGH. NEVADA IS A UNIQUE STATE. IT'S A VERY LARGE STATE. IT'S A
           STATE THAT HAS MAGNIFICENT BUTTE. MR. PRESIDENT, -- IT'S A
           STATE THAT HAS MAGNIFICENT BEAUTY. MR. PRESIDENT, BUT ALSO WHAT
           PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WE ARE FORTUNATE. ONE OF THE THINGS
           I WORKED ON WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK HERE, NEVADA WAS THE ONLY

           STATE THAT HAD NOT DONE ITS FOREST SERVICE WILDERNESS
           DESIGNATION. IT'S THE ONLY STATE. AND I INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
           -- IT TOOK A NUMBER OF YEARS -- BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, IN THE
           STATE OF NEVADA, HAVE CREATED BEAUTIFUL FOREST SERVICE
           WILDERNESS. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
           WELL, IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE PRESERVED AREAS IN THE STATE OF
           NEVADA IN THEIR PRISTINE STATE. THESE ARE AREAS THAT MY
           CHILDREN, MY CHILDREN'S CHILDREN CAN GO TO, AND THESE AREAS ARE
           THE SAME AS THEY WERE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. MR. PRESIDENT, IN

           THE PROCESS OF DOING THE LEGISLATION FOR THE WILDERNESS IN THE
           STATE OF NEVADA, I, OF COURSE, TOURED THE STATE OF NEVADA AND
           LOOKED AT EVERY WILDERNESS SITE. BUT AFTER THE LEGISLATION WAS
           INTRODUCED, I SENT STAFF TO TALK TO LOCAL PEOPLE BECAUSE, OF
           COURSE, WITH RARE EXCEPTION -- ALTHOUGH THERE ARE TWO
           WILDERNESS AREAS, ONE RIGHT OUTSIDE LAS VEGAS AND ONE RIGHT
           OUTSIDE RENO -- WITH RARE EXCEPTION, THESE WILDERNESS AREAS ARE
           LOCATED IN REMOTE AREAS IN THE STATE OF NEVADA. RURAL AREAS IN
           THE STATE OF NEVADA. AND I SENT STAFF OUT TO VISIT WITH THESE

           PEOPLE IN RURAL NEVADA, TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WILDERNESS. AND I
           GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS, AND SHE SAID, YOU
           KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING. SHE SAID, I'M IN EELIE, AND THEY
           BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD BACK OFF YOUR WILDERNESS -- AND I'VE
           HEARD THAT STORY LOTS OF TIMES -- BUT SHE SHOULD THEY THINK YOU
           SHOULD CREATE A NATIONAL PARK. I SAID, A NATIONAL PARK?
           AND SHE SAID YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD BE DONE. MR.
           PRESIDENT, I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME THAT THERE HAD BEEN FOR
           ALMOST 6 ON YEARS AN EFFORT TO CREATE A NATIONAL PARK IN THE --

           FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS AN EFFORT TO CREATE A NATIONAL PARK IN THE
           STATE OF NEVADA. A LONGTIME SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA
           NAMED GENE PIT PITHAHN, WHO BECAME THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN
           AFFAIRS COMMITTEE DURING THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I, AND WAS
           THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HERE IN THE
           SENATE, HE SENT A MAN TO TAKE A LOOK ADDITION A FOREST RANGER
           TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE IN NEVADA TO HAVE
           A NATIONAL PARK. THIS MAN TRAVELED TO NEVADA. HIS NAME WAS

           MOTT. HE FOUND A PLACE. HE REPORTED TO KEY PITMAN. KEY PITMAN
           WENT TO THE PRESIDENT. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SOMEWHAT SHORT, MR.
           PRESIDENT, IS THERE WERE EFFORTS MADE OVER THE DECADES TO
           CREATE A NATIONAL PARK IN NEVADA. IT FAILED EVERY TIME. MINING
           INTERESTS, RANCHING INTERESTS -- JUST THEY COULDN'T WORK IT
           OUT. WELL, I TOOK THE ADVICE OF MY STAFF PERSON AND THE PEOPLE
           IN WHITE PLAIN COUNTY AND CREATED A NATIONAL PARK
           LEGISLATIVELY. I OFFERED LEGISLATION TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE

           WILDERNESS DESIGNATION AND CREATE A NATIONAL PARK. WE CREATED A
           NATIONAL PARK. IT IS NOW A LAW THAT'S PASSED THE UNITED STATES
           CONGRESS, SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT, AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL,
           BEAUTIFUL PARK. GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK. MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S
           IN A VERY REMOTE AREA. IT'S OFF THE -- OVER THE BOARD OF THE
           STATE OF UTAH. IT'S ABOUT 70 MILES FROM EELIE, NEVADA. MR.
           PRESIDENT, IT'S A PLACE EVERYBODY SHOULD GO. WHAT'S THERE?

           THE OLDEST LIVING THING IN THE WORLD IS LOCATED THERE. THE
           BRISTLE CONE PINE TREE IS OVER 5,000 YEARS OLD. THESE PINE
           TREES IN THIS NATIONAL PARK. MR. PRESIDENT, THESE PINE TREES
           WERE GROWING WHEN CAESAR WAS AROUND. THESE PINE TREES WERE OLD
           WHEN CHRIST WAS ON THE EARTH. YOU CAN GO TO THE GREAT BASIN
           NATIONAL PARK AND SEE THEM AND FEEL THEM. THEY'RE THERE.
           THEY'RE STILL GROWING. ON THIS NATIONAL PARK IS NEVADA'S ONLY

           GLACIER. WE HAVE A GLACIER IN NEVADA. AT OUR GREAT BASIN
           NATIONAL PARK. EVERY DIFFERENT THING THAT'S FOUND IN THE GREAT
           BASIN IS FOUND IN THIS NATIONAL PARK. IT'S A WONDER OF NATURE,
           FROM THE TOWERING MOUNT WHEELER PEAK TO THE BASE OF IT, WHICH
           IS HIGH DESERT. IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE. IT IS -- IT'S A PLACE
           THAT PEOPLE CAN WALK. WE CERTAINLY NEED TO DO MORE, AS WE DO IN
           ALL OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS, WITH DOING THINGS TO MAKE IT A

           BETTER PLACE FOR VISITORS, ALTHOUGH IT'S VERY NICE. I WOULD
           LOVE TO HAVE A GREAT NEW VISITOR'S CENTER THERE, AN
           INTERPRETIVE SITE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT WE NEED. WE'RE GOING
           TO GET THAT. AND IF THE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA -- THE SENATOR
           FROM CALIFORNIA IS GONE, BUT I DO SAY THAT WITH LAND AND WATER
           CONSERVATION MONEYS, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD IN VARIOUS AREAS IN
           THIS COUNTRY AT OUR NATIONAL PARKS BEAUTIFUL VISITOR'S CENTERS.
           THAT'S IMPORTANT. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. A BIT OF THE
           ICE AGE EXISTS IN THE FORM OF THIS GLACIER. AS I INDICATED, THE

           ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND NOT ONLY IN NEVADA BUT IN THE GREAT BASIN.
           IT'S A MERE TOKEN, MR. PRESIDENT, OF WHAT THE ICE AGE WAS, BUT
           IN NEVADA, IT STILL EXISTS IN GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK. IT
           CALLS TO MIND THE POWERFUL GLACIERS THAT CAPPED THE SNAKE RANGE
           ONLY A FEW THOUSAND YEARS AGO. AND GLACIAL ACTIVITY IS EASY TO
           FIND, MR. PRESIDENT. PILES OF GLACIAL DEBRIS FORM MOUNDS AND
           RIDGES. AND THE LAKES. I FAILED TO MENTION IN THIS PARK OR

           THESE WONDERFUL THE LAKES. THEY'RE TURQUOISE BLUE. I'VE BEEN
           THERE. I'VE SEEN THEM. THEY'RE ICE COLD. WE CALL THEM THERESA
           AND STELLA LAKES. THEY OCCUPY HOLLOWS THAT WERE GOUGED OUT
           DURING THE ICE AGE. MR. PRESIDENT, THIS NATIONAL PARK IS JUST
           UNBELIEVABLY NICE. I TALKED ABOUT NEVADA HAVING 32 MOUNTAIN
           PEAKS OVER 11,000 FEET HIGH. WHEELER PEAK IS 13,000 FEET HIGH.

           AND I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE WHEELER
           PEAK THAT'S OVER 13,000 FEET HIGH. IT'S THE SECOND HIGHEST PEAK
           IN THE STATE. IT IS JUST REALLY QUITE UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE HAVE
           WHEELER PEAK WHERE IT IS. THE BRISTLE CONE PINE, MR. PRESIDENT,
           I TALKED ABOUT THERE BEING AT THE TIME OF CAESAR, AT THE TIME

           OF CHRIST, WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING THE PYRAMIDS THESE TREES
           WERE GROWING. WE ALSO HAVE -- AND IT'S INTERESTING HOW THIS
           HAPPENED -- WE HAD A COWBOY OUT RIDING ONE DAY, AND HE SUDDENLY
           FINDS HIMSELF -- HE WAS ON A HORSE, OF COURSE -- AND SUDDENLY
           HE'S LOOKING UP. HE DROPPED THROUGH GROUND INTO THIS HUGE
           CAVERN. AND NOW THESE CAVERNS ARE PART OF THE GREAT BASIN
           NATIONAL PARK. THEY'RE CALLED LIMAN CAVES. AND THEY HAVE A
           SEPARATE ENTRANCE. WONDERFUL PLACE. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GO IN

           THEM EVERY YEAR AND LOOK AT THESE STELLAGTITES AND
           STELLAGMITES. AND THEY'RE AS DARK AS ANYTHING COULD BE. WE HAVE
           THAT THERE. LIMAN CAVES --
           

           A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT, I WONDER IF THE SENATOR FROM NEVADA
           WOULD YIELD FOR A QUESTION?
           
           

           MR. REID: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO YIELD TO MY FRIEND FROM NORTH
           DAKOTA.
           

           MR. DORGAN: MR. PRESIDENT, I'VE LISTENED WITH SOME INTEREST NOT
           ONLY TO THE SENATOR FROM NEVADA BUT FROM OTHERS OF MY
           COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SPEAKING ABOUT THE ISSUE BEFORE THE SENATE,
           AND I KNOW THE SENATOR FROM NEVADA IS TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET
           PROBLEMS WE HAVE. I MEAN, THE FACT IS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
           MONEY FOR EDUCATION EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND A RANGE OF
           THINGS. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE NOT HAD THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
           BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR FOR THOSE AREAS. AND THE SENATOR FROM
           NEVADA IS TALKING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES. THE ISSUE THAT'S BEEN
           RAISED BY THE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA IS THE ISSUE OF ROYALTIES

           PAID WITH RESPECT TO THE EXTRACTION OF OIL, AND MY
           UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ISSUE -- AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A
           DISCUSSION OF IT AT SOME LENGTH HERE -- IS THAT IN INTEGRATED
           OIL COMPANIES, WHERE YOU HAVE OIL COMPANIES RAISING OIL AND
           THEN SELLING IT TO THEMSELVES, THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE
           VALUE OF THE OIL THEY'RE PULLING FROM THE GROUND IS A QUESTION
           THAT THEY LARGELY DECIDE AND REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT IS IT
           SAY, "OH, BY THE WAY, THAT OIL DIDN'T HAVE MUCH VALUE AND,
           THEREFORE, I'M NOT GOING TO PAY YOU MUCH IN ROYALTIES." AND SO
           WHEN THE FOLKS GET OUT THERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THESE

           SWEETHEART TRANSACTIONS FROM COMPANIES THAT OWN EACH OTHER ONE
           TO ANOTHER, THEY DISCOVER THAT THIS OIL HAS BEEN RADICALLY
           UNDERVALUED AND THE INTEREST THAT HAS BEEN DENIED THE RIGHTFUL
           OPPORTUNITIES HERE ARE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
           HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR ROYALTY. THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN A FAIR AMOUNT
           OF ROYALTIES. AND SO WHEN THE AUDITORS GO LOOK AT THIS, THEY
           SAY, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT." "YOU CAN'T -- YOU CAN'T UNDER
{END: 1999/09/23 TIME: 14-15 , Thu.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}