S6128 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 3, 1995

acquired within the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area pursuant to

this title shall be managed by the Secretary

of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate, so as to maintain the

presently existing wilderness character and

potential for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

(c) VALUATION.—The values of the lands

and interests in lands to be exchanged under

this title and described in section 202(b) are

deemed to be of approximately equal value.

(d) LIABILITY FOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES.—

(1) The Secretary shall not acquire any

lands under this title if the Secretary determines that such lands, or any portion thereof, have become contaminated with hazardous substances (as defined in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601)).

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of

law, the United States shall have no responsibility or liability with respect to any hazardous wastes or other substances placed on

any of the lands covered by this title after

their transfer to the ownership of another

party, but nothing in this title shall be construed as either diminishing or increasing

any responsibility or liability of the United

States based on the condition of such lands

on the date of their transfer to the ownership

of another party.

ORDERS FOR TOMORROW,

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1995

fMr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it

stand in recess until the hour of 9:30

a.m., Thursday, May 4, 1995; that following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date,

the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day,

and that there then be a period for the

transaction of morning business not to

extend beyond the hour of 11:30 a.m.,

with Senators permitted to speak for

up to 5 minutes each except for the following: Senator THOMAS, 30 minutes;

Senator BRADLEY, 15 minutes; Senator

DASCHLE or his designee, 30 minutes;

Senator LAUTENBERG, 10 minutes; Senator FAIRCLOTH, 5 minutes; and Senator KERREY, 15 minutes.

I further ask unanimous consent that

at the hour of 11:30, the Senate resume

consideration of H.R. 956, the product

liability bill.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, so that you

know that there is another side here,

we have no objections.

fPROGRAM

Mr. GORTON. For the information of

all Senators, there will be a series of

stacked votes beginning at 12:15 tomorrow on or in relation to several amendments that were offered during today’s

session. Also, there will be at least one

cloture vote on the Gorton substitute

occurring at the end of the stacked sequence. In addition, under rule XXII,

second-degree amendments must be

filed at the desk 1 hour prior to the cloture vote.

ORDER FOR RECESS UNTIL

TOMORROW

Mr. GORTON. If there is no further

business to come before the Senate,

following the remarks of the distinguished Democratic leader, Senator

DASCHLE, I ask unanimous consent the

Senate stand in recess under the previous order.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I suggest

the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the

quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

APPOINTMENT BY THE VICE

fPRESIDENT

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

Chair has an announcement.

The Chair, on behalf of the Vice

President, pursuant to 22 U.S. Code

276d–276g, as amended, appoints the

Senator from Washington [Mrs. MURRAY] as Vice Chairman of the Senate

delegation to the Canada-United States

Interparliamentary Group during the

104th Congress.

Mr. FORD. I thank the Chair.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The legislative clerk proceeded to

call the roll.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will

ORDER OF PROCEDURE

fuse my leader time as in morning business. There are a couple of issues I

would like to address. As I understand

it, once my remarks have been made,

the Senate will then go into recess. So

I will summarize my remarks at this

point.

THE FEDERAL BUDGET FOR

fFISCAL 1996

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today

is May 3, more than a month after the

law requires a budget resolution to be

reported to the Senate for debate. It is

18 days past April 15, when the law requires a budget resolution to have been

completed and passed.

Yet, the Senate Budget Committee

has not even begun to mark up a resolution. Instead, a scheduled markup

has been delayed until May 8, so nothing will be done until then.

Yet, the current majority has inherited a budget from the last Congress in

which the deficit is declining. Its task

should be easier than the task of the

last Congress, which made the tough

decisions that led to deficit decline.

Meanwhile, although our task in the

last Congress was a harder one, and we

achieved it with no Republican help,

we did so within the deadlines set by

law.

Republicans campaigned on the

claim that they could cut taxes, protect defense spending, and balance the

budget, all without touching Social Security benefits. That was the message

heard around the country all year last

year. That was the message to which

Americans responded: Cut taxes, protect defense spending, and balance the

budget, without affecting Social Security.

Now the time is already past for the

first downpayment on that promise—

the budget resolution required by law.

All we are hearing is the stirring

sound of people changing the subject.

Republicans have discovered that the

Medicare Program faces challenges in

the years ahead. Democrats told them

and the Nation that 2 years ago, when

we shored up the Medicare Program

and cut the deficit, all without Republican votes.

Throughout the last 2 years, Republicans have rejected each and every

proposal offered to help shore up the

Medicare Program, with rhetoric about

reduced choices and higher taxes.

Now it is time to deliver. If Democratic solutions to the long-term problems of an aging population are no

good, let us hear Republican solutions.

I fear we will not, because there are

not any. The Republican discovery of a

well-known fact is nothing but an effort to distract Americans from their

real intentions. House Republicans are

considering reductions in Medicare

growth on the order of $300 billion.

Senate Republicans have said they will

need to reduce normal Medicare growth

by $200 to $250 billion.

They all say they are not cutting,

they are just reducing growth. But if a

program grows because more people

age and become eligible for it, it is

pretty obvious that the same number

of dollars will stretch a lot thinner.

Medicare program costs are increasing because all health insurance costs

are increasing. In fact, on a per capita

basis, Medicare and Medicaid costs are

increasing at the same rate as privately insured costs. If Medicare

growth rates are simply slashed—without reform—to a rate of growth half as

high, we know who is going to pay.

The seniors and working people and

employers of this country will pay,

that is who. Hospitals and doctors will

just shift costs to private insurers. The

result will be a massive hidden tax on

jobs, a massive hidden tax hike on seniors and workers through hikes in

copayments and deductibles.

Cost sharing of the kind Republicans

are now contemplating are not just

likely to shift costs to the private sector. They are certain to shift costs to

the private sector.