April 25, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5681

its own habits can excuse itself into complete disaster’’.

With the end of the totalitarian threat,

with the remarkably changed international

circumstances, the danger to the United

States has visibly receded, and there is little

likelihood of a ‘‘complete disaster’’. Nonetheless, despite the lessened danger, the possibility remains of cumulative small setbacks and the erosion of our position. We

may ignore such possibilities—and it is unlikely to be fatal. Still the rules are quite

simple. To be a leader, a nation must sustain

its credibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you have been more

than patient. I must draw to a close—and

must also offer a few conclusions.

During the Cold War the stakes were immense: the preservation of the Western democracies and, if I may say so, the substantial preservation of Western Civilization itself of which the United States was the security mainstay. (I say this despite the probable assault of the multiculturalists.) But

with the end of the cohesion and menace of

the Soviet empire, the stakes have now

shrunken. The United States, the world’s

most powerful nation, is in a sense free to be

capricious, to be irresponsible. Yet, it will

not soon fall into direct and serious danger.

Nonetheless, there are restraints—and there

are prospective consequences of our actions.

The price of capriciousness will inevitably be

a loss of credibility—and of our position of

leadership.

While the United States is a powerful

country, it is not all-powerful. At the close

of the Nineteenth Century, Secretary of

State Richard Olney could declaim during

the Venezuelan dispute with Great Britain

that the United States’ ‘‘word was fiat on

this continent’’. Whatever we may wish, it is

not fiat around the world. To pretend otherwise will make us look foolish. The focus of

our foreign policy concern, as Paul Nitze has

said, should be ‘‘what kind of relations

among the leading powers’’. We must be cautious about involving ourselves in matters of

lesser consequences. We should be restrained

in word as well as deed. The United States is

not obliged to comment on everything. Meddling in issues in which our interests are

only tangentially involved, nagging others

about their defects, real or imaginary, may

make us feel good for the moment. It is not

the road to successful or long-term leadership.

To provide long-term leadership, other nations must understand that we do not speak

casually or loosely. When we do choose to

make a commitment, other nations need to

know that we can and probably will live up

to it. Always remember: leadership is not an

inheritance; it must be earned anew, each

decade, each year.

f∑

TRIBUTE TO MARTHA COMER

∑ Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I

rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding Kentuckian who has been selected for induction into the Kentucky

Journalism Hall of Fame. Mrs. Martha

Comer of Maysville, KY, is devoted to

her profession, to the Ledger-Independent, formerly the Daily Independent,

and to her community.

Martha Comer was born in 1906, the

same year that her father founded the

Daily Independent. It is not surprising

that Martha displayed her journalistic

qualities at a young age. She served as

the editor of the school annual at

Maysville High School. Upon her graduation from high school she began

working on the editorial staff of the

Daily Independent. She assumed the

duties as editor in 1935, although her

name did not appear as editor until

1941.

In 1968 the Daily Independent was

sold to the Maysville Publishing Corp.

and became the Ledger-Independent.

At this time Martha became the editor

and was responsible for publishing both

the morning and afternoon editions.

Although Mrs. Comer retired on January 7, 1977, she continued to remain on

as an editorial consultant. For many

years she continued to write a daily

column and editorials. And to this day,

Martha Comer still writes editorial

commentary two or three times a week

for the Labor-Independent.

Mrs. Comer’s editorial involvement

allowed her to become actively involved with her community. She has

campaigned tirelessly for many organizations and causes, such as advocating

public policy and teaching in the literacy program.

Mr. President, I would like my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to

Martha Comer, a new inductee into the

Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. I

am positive that Mrs. Comer will continue to display the great qualities in

which she has in the past. I know that

her community appreciates her involvement and dedication.

f∑

TRIBUTE TO DENNIS GRIFFIN

∑ Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I

rise today to pay tribute to Dennis

Griffin, a resident of Bowling Green,

KY, who is being recognized as one of

the top local developers in the Nation.

Mr. Griffin is 1 of 10 economic developers who received a leadership award

from the American Economic Development Council.

Mr. Griffin has been president of the

Bowling Green-Warren County Chamber of Commerce since 1986, the same

year he moved to Kentucky. Since taking over as president of the chamber of

commerce the local economy has

soared. Mr. Griffin is best described by

Bowling Green Mayor Johnny Webb in

a recent article in the Daily News.

Mayor Webb said,

Things were not going too well in Bowling

Green. It had been some time since we had

recruited a new industry. It was almost like

a lightbulb coming on when (Griffin) came in

and got his feet on the ground. He is the catalyst to development.

Mr. President, during the last 9

years, Mr. Griffin has worked hard to

develop the region. He is responsible

for starting 56 new companies, and establishing 6,000 new jobs; an investment of more than $400 million in the

community. But that’s not all, Mr.

Griffin also worked hard to help 72 existing industries expand, which created

an additional 2,500 jobs, investing another $100 million in the community.

Mr. Griffin, just like the Energizer

Bunny, is still going strong even after

9 years of service. In the last year

alone, 10 new plants have decided to

call Bowling Green their home and 9

companies have expanded.

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to

join me in paying tribute to this outstanding Kentuckian. I think that all

will agree that through his hard work

and dedication for his community, Mr.

Griffin proves that he truly deserves

the honor of being one of the country’s

top local developers.

f∑

MORNING BUSINESS

ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS

SETTLEMENT AMENDMENT ACT

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 43, H.R. 421, the

Cook Inlet Region bill, that the bill be

deemed read a third time, passed, that

the motion to reconsider be laid upon

the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the RECORD.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, the

Senate is about to take up H.R. 421, the

Alaska Native Claims Act Amendment

Act of 1995. I wish to take a few moments to describe H.R. 421 and importance of passing the bill this evening.

On March 15, 1995, the Committee on

Energy and Natural Resources unanimously reported nearly identical legislation for consideration by the full

Senate.

The bill allows the Cook Inlet Region

Incorporated Native corporation,

called CIRI, to consider creating a system to buy back the stock of willing

sellers, provided that stockholders vote

to set up such a system. It will serve as

a test for an alternate system of stock

distribution that could later be expanded for use by any of the State’s

Native regional corporations.

The goal of H.R. 421 is simple: to provide a responsible middle ground so

that shareholders will have access to

the capital value of their stock, while

preserving the Native control and ownership of the ANCSA corporations.

Originally under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Native

shareholders were prevented from selling their stock for 20 years. This was to

give the corporations time to mature.

As part of a series of 1991 amendments

to the corporations, Congress changed

the law, at the request of the Natives,

so that stock restrictions on

alienability—the right of Natives to

sell their shares—automatically continued unless and until the shareholders of a corporation voted to remove

them.

H.R. 421 will provide another alternative. Shareholders will be able to sell

their stock back to the corporation,

helping preserve Native control if:

First the corporation’s board votes to

participate; second, the majority of the

entire membership of the corporation

votes to permit buybacks; and third, if