May 9, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6301

We in North Dakota have a lot to

look forward to from the NDSU women’s program in the future. All but the

two seniors will be returning, and this

team knows what it feels like to win.

For now, though, we can just savor the

feeling of having national champions

in our midst.

WAS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE?

THE VOTERS HAVE SAID YES

fMr. HELMS. Madam President, the

skyrocketing Federal debt—which long

ago soared into the stratosphere—is in

a category somewhat like the weather—everybody talks about it but almost nobody had undertaken the responsibility of trying to do anything

about it until immediately following

the elections last November.

When the 104th Congress convened in

January, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a balanced budget

amendment. In the Senate only one of

the Senate’s 54 Republicans opposed

the balanced budget amendment; only

13 Democrats supported it. Thus, the

balanced budget amendment failed by

just one vote. There will be another

vote later this year or next year.

As of the close of business yesterday,

Monday, May 8, the Federal debt

stood—down to the penny—at exactly

$4,856,502,980,514.90 or $18,435.37 for

every man, woman, and child on a per

capita basis.

YOUNG AMERICA

fMr. COHEN. Madam President, I rise

today to pay tribute to the captain and

crew of Young America, which as many

of my colleagues know, is the yacht

that came very close to winning the

Defenders’ series of the America’s Cup

competition on April 26.

Young America, owned by the Mainebased PACT ’95 syndicate and originating out of my hometown of Bangor,

was very strong in the competition but

was beaten in the finals by America’s

Cup veterans and past victor, Dennis

Conner and his boat, Stars & Stripes.

While Young America’s captain, Kevin

Mahaney, did not have Dennis Conner’s

experience, he sailed boldly and impressively and displayed the kind of

leadership and perseverance for which

Mainers are renowned. Kevin had captured the silver medal in sailing at the

1992 Olympics, but it was his first

America’s Cup competition. He and his

crew sailed with excellence throughout

the competition.

Last summer, before Kevin even had

a boat to compete in, he started to assemble a crew with John Marshall,

head of the PACT ’95 syndicate. Marshall was an experienced sailor and

former crew mate of Dennis Conner in

past America’s Cup bids. Even so,

many people on the sailing circuit did

not assign much credibility to their efforts and saw little threat from their

entry. However, Mahaney and Marshall

and the crew they assembled soon

made yachting enthusiasts begin to

take notice of the boat from Bangor.

This is not to say that Young America

encountered smooth waters during its

assent to the top ranks of yachting.

Mahaney had to rely heavily on the tenacious crew that he assembled to

overcome obstacles and make it as far

as they did.

Young America’s bid for the cup was

threatened last January when a tornado ripped through the compound

where it was stored, causing extensive

damage to the boat. In March, bad luck

struck again when Young America suffered significant structural damage

while being towed through heavy

waves. This damage was particularly

ill-timed, and the crew had to rush to

make repairs in the final days before

the Defender semifinals. John Marshall

saw the silver lining in these clouds

and commented that the times of hardship were when the crew really came

together as a team.

Ironically, the crew that worked so

hard to bring Young America to the

forefront of the yachting world had the

bittersweet experience of now seeing

their boat compete against New Zealand in the America’s Cup finals without them aboard. Shortly after his victory, Dennis Conner, full of admiration

for Mahaney’s triumphs, asked John

Marshall if he and his crew could sail

Young America in the final competition.

Diplomatic to the last, Marshall honored his request. He said that both the

crews from Stars & Stripes and Young

America will emerge as victors if the

Americans beat New Zealand.

The quiet but determined efforts of

Kevin Mahaney and his crew justifiably

make Mainers proud. While they are

not manning the boat that is competing against the New Zealand vessel this

week, everyone’s mind will be on the

come-from-behind boat known as

Young America.

RECOGNIZING BILLINGS, MT,

POSTAL SERVICE

fMr. BAUCUS. Madam President,

today I would like to recognize the outstanding achievement of the Postal

Service in Billings, MT. As is the case

most of the time, we know how to do it

right in Montana.

Billings’ delivery of overnight firstclass mail is first in the Nation, No. 1.

The lucky residents of Billings received their mail 94 percent on time,

the country’s highest performance

level this year. The score also ties for

the highest mark achieved by any city

since the measurement began. In an

era when public and private mail volume continues to increase, I am proud

of the ability of the Billings Postal

Service to rise above the rest and top

the Nation.

I would like to congratulate and

thank everyone involved in the mail

process in Billings for serving Montana

and our Nation with such capability.

PROTECTING MEDICARE

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, yesterday before the Senate Finance Committee I spoke about the importance of

the Medicare Program to Montanans. I

would like to take this opportunity to

share those comments with the entire

Senate.

There being no objection, the comments were ordered to be printed in the

RECORD, as follows:

Mr. Chairman, here in Washington, people

often lose the forest for the trees. I’m afraid

we may be doing just that on Medicare. So I

hope we can begin by remembering what life

was like for older Americans before Medicare.

The fact is, before we created Medicare,

our senior citizens lived in fear.

Everyone over sixty knew that private insurance was shaky and expensive at best,

and would cost them more every year.

And a serious illness—or even a common

ailment that required treatment but did not

threaten life—was not only a health problem, but something that could reduce a

whole family to poverty.

Today, Medicare has removed that fear

from our lives. Those of us with short memories have forgotten it ever existed. But let

me tell you about some people who don’t.

Two weeks ago I spent some time at the

Seniors Center in Great Falls, Montana. The

people at the center know exactly what Medicare and Social Security mean to their

lives.

It means a little financial security. Some

faith that illnesses will be treated and that

families won’t be wiped out by the cost. A

hundred and twenty-five thousand Montanans are eligible for Medicare, and each

one of them knows exactly what Medicare

means.

Listen to Margaret and Frank Jackson of

Billings, who wrote me last week:

‘‘Social Security and Medicare are not

only necessary, they are absolutely essential

to our survival in Montana. Higher costs

such as higher property tax, increase in

school levies, fuel in a cold climate, and

medicine take a toll. There is just too much

month at the end of our money. Needless to

say, additional cuts would put a burden on

us.’’

Or Joyce Hert, also from Billings:

‘‘I am 58 years old and for the past 18 years

have had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, emphysema, Renaud’s Disease,

degenerative arthritis and a disease of the

connective tissue. . . . My medication costs

approximately $677 a month* * *. Please

don’t turn your back on those of us who need

Social Security and Medicare.’’

The leadership now proposes something

like $250 billion in Medicare cuts. It is staggering. It is a reduction of nearly a quarter

in Medicare services by the year 2002. And to

add insult to injury, the House would do it in

part to pay for tax cuts for Americans who

are already very wealthy. Some in the Senate want to do the same.

What would it mean if this happens?

Montana Medicare beneficiaries would pay

up to $800 more a year out of their own savings. These are people who live on fixed incomes, and eight hundred bucks is an awfully big bite.

We would see thousands of operations and

hospital stays put off.

Thousands of people would decide to go

without home health care.

And, as the federal government cut reimbursement, more rural hospitals would be

pushed to the edge, forced to choose between

serving their patients and remaining solvent.

Some Montana hospitals get 60% of their