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This was not a highly productive year for Congress, but it was so for Connecticut in Congress. Senators Dodd and Lieberman and the rest of the state delegation sponsored several important pieces of legislation that can and will benefit families throughout Connecticut, and they also secured Federal funding for a number of projects and programs critical to the state's future. This was also a year that Senator Lieberman rose in national prominence and in his standing in the Senate. At the start of the session he became the ranking Democrat on the Governmental Affairs Committee. From there he went on to play a central role in several matters of national importance, including the impeachment crisis, the war in Kosovo, the Chinese espionage investigation, the debate on the Independent Counsel Act, and the debate on the Republican tax cut package. What follows is a summary of that record and Senator Lieberman's accomplishments and activities for 1999. (** denotes legislation that was either enacted into law or at least passed by the Senate)
THE ECONOMY
The Case for Fiscal Discipline Concerned by the prospect of spending a non-existent surplus, and plunging the government back into deficit, Senator Lieberman argued for postponing consideration of any tax cuts until next year. He held a press conference with Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) to lobby against the $792 billion Republican tax package and then spoke in detail on the Senate floor to expose the shaky budgetary assumptions behind it. After that bill passed by a thin party-line vote, Senator Lieberman spearheaded a letter to the President, signed by several top-ranking Democrats, urging the Administration not to compromise and to instead to target whatever surplus does exist toward debt reduction. The President did show real fiscal discipline, and as a result, any surplus funds will go toward debt reduction this year.
Small Business Agenda Senator Lieberman, a longtime member of the Small Business Committee, cosponsored a series of bills aimed at promoting and supporting the growth of entrepreneurship in Connecticut and around the country. Among them are:  ** Women's Business Centers Sustainability Act: This legislation, which passed the Senate in November, reauthorizes the SBA's primary support program for women small business owners and provides additional funding for the centers. Earlier this year Senator Lieberman won funding to establish the first two such Women's Business Centers in the state, and this legislation (S. 791) will qualify the Connecticut programs for additional funding in five years. Community Development and Venture Capital Act: This bill (S. 1594), which was introduced in September, is a major plank of President Clinton's New Markets Initiative. It would steer private, equity financing to small firms with high-growth potential in economically-distressed communities. Approximately $17 million will likely be included for this program in the omnibus appropriations bill. ** Small Business Year 2000 Readiness Act: This bill (S. 314), which was passed by the Senate and signed into law in April, provides small businesses with low-cost loans to help them address the Y2K computer problem. ** Small Business Investment Improvement Act: This bill (S. 364), which passed the Senate by unanimous consent in March, would make improvements to the successful SBIC program at the SBA. **Economic Development Working with Senator Dodd and the rest of the state delegation, Senator Lieberman helped to secure funding in the FY00 VA-HUD Appropriations bill for several projects important to the Connecticut's economic future. Among them are: Bushnell: $500,000 to continue the renovation of Hartford's premier performing arts facility
SINA/Hartford: $250,000 to support the ongoing revitalization project run by the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance in Frog Hollow
UConn Biotech: $250,000 to the ongoing effort to build a state-of-the-art biotechnology research facility in Storrs **Savings for Working Families In an effort to help poor working families to share in America's prosperity, Senator Lieberman sponsored innovative legislation to boost the savings and asset-ownership of low-income earners. This bill (S. 895) would expand the use of Individual Development Accounts, which offer depositors matching contributions for every dollar they save toward purchasing a home, paying for education or training, and starting a small business. Senator Lieberman succeeded in passing this legislation as part of both the Republican and Democratic tax bills in the Senate, but the provision in the Republican bill was eventually dropped in conference. He also sponsored a Senate resolution in support of IDAs that was adopted as part of the FY 2000 budget resolution.
**Federal Research Investment Act Senator Lieberman was a lead sponsor of a bipartisan proposal that calls for doubling the budget for civilian research funding over the next 11 years. He argued that science and technology innovation has become a critical factor in U.S. and Connecticut economic growth, and that to sustain this growth we must reverse the ongoing cuts in federal R&D investment. Joining with Senators Frist and Rockefeller, his partners on the Senate Science and Technology Task Force, Senator Lieberman helped to win passage of the bill (S. 296) by unanimous consent in the Senate in August. A House version of the bill has been introduced by Reps. Dingell and Wilson.
**African Growth and Opportunity Act Senator Lieberman cosponsored the Senate version of this important trade bill, which would enhance U.S. economic relations with countries of the Caribbean Basin and encourage trade and economic cooperation with sub-Saharan African countries. The Senate passed the legislation (S. 666) in November, while the House did so in July. Once it becomes law, this bill will directly benefit a number of export-dependent companies in Connecticut. Before the Africa trade bill passed, Senator Lieberman fought hard to remove a provision that would jeopardize the future of a Connecticut company in Stafford Springs. This provision would have eliminated an existing wool tariff and in the process threatened 300 jobs.
HITEC Act Senator Lieberman was an original co-sponsor of legislation designed to address a serious shortfall in skilled engineers and scientists. This bill (S. 1645) would create a new type of temporary visa for foreign graduates from U.S. universities with masters and doctoral degrees in high-technology fields. Funds generated from the visa application fees would be used to help create public-private partnerships between businesses and schools to improve K-12 math, science and technology education.
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY/AGRICULTURE **Connecticut Conservation Projects With appropriation levels stretched to the limit, Senator Lieberman worked with Senator Dodd and the House delegation to secure funding to protect and preserve the state's natural and cultural heritage, and to support the state's environment and public health priorities. They were successful in winning appropriations for a number of important initiatives. Among them are:
Weir Farm: $2 million in the Interior Appropriations bill to purchase property for a new visitor center/art gallery approved by Congress last year McKinney Refuge: $2 million in the Interior bill to purchase Calves Island off the coast of Greenwich and add it to the refuge;
$500,000 to complete the planned land acquisition at the Great Meadows Salt Marsh in Stratford
Quinebaug-Shetucket: $250,000 in Interior for the continued development of the heritage corridor's management plan
Long Island Sound: $1 million in the VA-HUD bill to continue and expand ongoing habitat restoration and non-point source pollution projects
New Britain Safe Water: $1.4 million in VA-HUD to construct a new water filtration system to protect the town's drinking water supply
Sewer overflow: $1.5 million in VA-HUD to control combined overflows in cities in the Connecticut River watershed
Air quality: $300,000 in VA-HUD for Northeast States Coordinated Air Unit Management to provide critical technical and policy information on air quality in our region
Jason Project: $2 million in the Commerce-State-Justice bill for programs based in Connecticut to teach young people about oceanography exploration. Undersea Research: More than $1 million in Commerce-State-Justice for the National Undersea Research Center at UConn-Avery Point to fund ongoing science research
Ecosystem Restoration: $150,000 in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cost-shared study looking at alternative methods for restoring tidal wetlands, estuarine embayments and riverine migratory corridors in Connecticut. Long Island Sound Reauthorization Building on his longstanding efforts to revitalize Long Island Sound, one of Connecticut's great natural resources, Senator Lieberman introduced legislation to reauthorize the EPA's Long Island Sound Office and increase its funding. This bill (S. 1632) would extend the life of the Sound Office, which coordinates the long-term plan to clean up the Sound, through 2005, and increase its annual budget up to $10 million. It was marked up in the Environment and Public Works Committee in September; Rep. Nancy Johnson introduced a companion bill in the House.
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor Expansion Senator Lieberman joined Senator Dodd and Rep. Gejdenson in sponsoring this plan to expand the boundaries of the Quinebaug-Shetucket Corridor in Northeastern Connecticut and increase funding for the project up to $1 million annually. Senator Lieberman testified on behalf of the bill (S. 919) before the Senate Energy Committee's Parks Subcommittee. A companion version of the bill passed the House in September and it is expected to pass the Senate before the end of the session this year.
East Coast Greenway Senators Lieberman and Dodd convinced the President to designate a major greenway that runs throughout Connecticut one of 12 national “Millenium Trails” in July. The East Coast Greenway will connect 2,300 miles of trails from Maine to Florida, creating a suburban alternative to the Appalachian Trail, and linking important Connecticut treasures like the Charter Oak Greenway, and the Hop River Trail and Air Line Trail.
Drought Disaster Assistance With Connecticut experiencing record-breaking drought conditions this summer, Senator Lieberman joined with the rest of the state delegation in successfully persuading the Agriculture Secretary declare the state a disaster area and qualify Connecticut farmers for loan-interest relief loans. In addition, they fought hard to increase the amount of direct disaster aid for the state in the Agriculture Appropriations bill. When the House-Senate conference failed to include that funding, Senators Lieberman and Dodd vigorously opposed the final version of the bill and wrote the President urging him to veto the spending plan. The President ultimately signed the bill.
Global Warming Legislation This year Senator Lieberman strengthened his standing as the leading expert and advocate in the Senate on global climate change. In March he joined with the late Senator Chafee in reintroducing their Credit for Voluntary Reductions Act (S. 547), which would encourage American companies to move proactively to cut down on their greenhouse gas emissions. Later in the spring he made the case for U.S. leadership on this issue at forums sponsored by the Progressive Policy Institute and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. And late this fall, with the early credit bill stalled by partisan opposition, Senator Lieberman has been working actively on an alternative proposal with experts at PPI, which will likely be released before the end of the year.
Open Space Conservation Working with a distinguished delegation from the Northeast, Senator Lieberman spearheaded a major new effort to protect open space in Connecticut and throughout America. He unveiled the Natural Resources Reinvestment Act in Connecticut in August with the strong support of Save the Sound, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Appalachian Mountain Club and other prominent conservation groups. He then teamed with Senators Chafee, Jeffords, and Leahy in introducing this legislation (S. 1573) in the Senate. Their plan calls for dedicating $2.5 billion every year for the conservation of open space, and dramatically increasing funding for the existing Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Program. Consistent with this effort, Senator Lieberman worked with allies in both houses to secure $20 million in stateside funding in the FY 00 Interior bill, which will directly benefit ongoing Connecticut conservation efforts.
Clean Air Advocacy With concerns growing about air quality in Connecticut, Senator Lieberman was highly active this year on clean air issues, defending the Clean Air Act from efforts to weaken its public health protections, and pursuing new ways to enhance those baseline safeguards. He strongly championed the EPA's initiative to establish a coordinated regional approach to fighting air pollution in the Northeast. He did the same for the EPA's revised air quality standards, which are under attack in the courts. He supported several amendments and wrote in support of increasing funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. He fought and succeeded in restoring $12 million in the VA-HUD Appropriations bill to fund the Montreal Protocol addressing ozone depletion. And he cosponsored two bills - the Clean Gasoline Act and the Acid Deposition Control Act - aimed at strengthening controls on air pollution, with a particular focus on acid rain, which impacts ecosystems throughout the Northeast.
Anti-Environmental Riders As he has in previous years, Senator Lieberman led several movements to block anti-environmental riders in appropriations bills. He spearheaded an effort to eliminate a provision from the EPA budget that would have imposed an unjustifiable gag order on agencies, businesses and nonprofits, prohibiting them from providing critical input on pending legislation. He was instrumental in turning back a quiet campaign to gut global warming funding in the same bill, and did the same in restoring funding for northeast regional air quality protection, and the Northeast Environmental Enforcement Project. He also strongly opposed several riders on the Interior bill which would have undercut the protection of significant public lands. And at the end of the session he took the lead in blocking a last-minute measure that would have undermined the Justice Department's efforts to hold Midwest power plants polluting the Northeast accountable for grossly violating laws on pollution emissions.
Clean Energy Act Senator Lieberman joined Senator Jeffords in sponsoring this legislation, which is aimed at protecting environmental standards as the electricity industry is restructured. It requires all power plants to achieve ambitious environmental performance goals, providing a comprehensive but flexible guide for controlling the full range of pollutants associated with electricity generation, including nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, mercury, and carbon. The bill (S. 1369) was introduced in July, and is awaiting Senate action.
Coastal Barrier Resources Act Senator Lieberman was an original cosponsor of legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the national coastal barrier protection program. Coastal barrier islands -- such as Calves Island and Great Captain's Island off the coast of Greenwich -- protect the mainland from major storms and hurricanes, and this extremely vulnerable land is under increasing development pressure. This bill (S. 1752) prohibits the Federal government from subsidizing flood insurance, and providing other financial assistance such as beach replenishment within the Coastal Barrier Resources System. Senator Lieberman was also an original cosponsor of a related bill, S. 1866, which renames the Coastal Barrier System in honor of the late chairman of the Environment Committee, Senator Chafee. Similar bills have passed the House and conference is expected next year.
** Chemical Safety Act In response to concerns about the vulnerability of chemical plants to terrorism, Senator Lieberman joined with a bipartisan coalition in cosponsoring legislation to strengthen the security of hazardous facilities. It is aimed at preventing terrorists from getting access to information about the operations of these facilities. It also directs the Attorney General to conduct a study assessing the potential threats to chemical plants in the U.S. The bill (S. 880) was passed by the Senate in June and signed into law in August. DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY **Connecticut Defense Programs With competition for funding as intense as ever, Senators Lieberman, a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Dodd succeeded in preserving support for a number of weapons programs that are critical to Connecticut's industrial base and to America's national security. Among them are: Pratt & Whitney: The Defense Authorization (S. 1059) and Appropriations bills continued funding for aircraft programs powered by Pratt and Whitney engines. Despite House opposition, Congress appropriated a total of $2.8 billion for the F-22 program, which will continue the aircraft's testing program in FY00 and provide funds for advanced procurement for the first several production aircraft. The C-17 airlift aircraft received a total of $3.2 billion for procurement and research and development, and the Joint Strike Fighter received $491.9 million to continue the development program.
Electric Boat: Congress approved funding to continue the New Attack Submarine, which is critical to EB's future. The Defense Appropriations bill included $ 748.6 million for advanced procurement for a submarine to be built in FY 2001, and $397.7 million for ongoing research and development. Congress also appropriated $10 million for Electric Boat to continue engineering design work for the possible conversion of TRIDENT nuclear submarines to enable them to launch conventional missiles and support U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Sikorsky: Congress continued its strong support for Sikorsky helicopters. A total of $259.2 million was appropriated to procure 36 Blackhawk and Seahawk helicopters, 17 more than was requested by the President. Congress also appropriated $110.4 million to make modifications to existing Blackhawks. And the Comanche, the Army's top aviation priority, again won strong backing - $467.1 million was appropriated to accelerate this program, $40 million more than the President requested. Norden: Congress stepped in this year to preserve the Joint Surveillance and Targeting Radar System aircraft (JSTARS), for which Norden (based in Norwalk) produces a state-of-the-art radar system. The Pentagon proposed stopping production of this critical warfighting resource at 13 aircraft, but the Defense Appropriations bill requires procurement to continue. Congress approved $231.4 million in funding to produce a 14th aircraft in FY 2000, and added $36 million for advanced procurement to buy another aircraft in FY01. Congress also appropriated $35 million to continue development of the next generation radar for this system. Kosovo Conflict Building on his long record of leadership in pursuit of peace and stability in the Balkans, Senator Lieberman was an early and vocal advocate of U.S. military intervention in Kosovo to stop the slaughter of ethnic Albanians. He worked across party lines with Senator McCain and others to build political and public support for a strong American response to Serbia's brutality, and was a lead sponsor of the resolution authorizing the President to conduct military operations against Milosevic's forces. He also joined Senator McConnell in sponsoring legislation providing funding to arm and train the Kosovar people to help them defend themselves. And looking to the future, Senator Lieberman cosponsored the Yugoslavia Democracy Act, which would promote the development of democratic rule in Serbia. This bill (S. 720) passed the Senate in October, and is awaiting House action.
**National Defense Policy This year Senator Lieberman made significant progress in his ongoing efforts to reform and refocus the U.S. military on meeting the challenges of the next century. The Defense Authorization bill (S. 1059) included legislation he authored to strengthen the Pentagon's innovation system, stimulate new R&D efforts, and lay the groundwork for revolutionary changes in the way we wage wars in the future. It also included language he sponsored to continue the Quadrennial Defense Review process, which calls for a thorough periodic review of our long-term strategic plans and investments, and to push the Army to review and restructure its modernization program. And it included a provision Senator Lieberman sponsored to encourage more joint experimentation across the armed forces, and provide the Joint Forces Commander with more authority to pursue common solutions to strategic and operational problems.
**National Missile Defense Act Breaking with many in his party, Senator Lieberman was an original cosponsor of legislation to spur the deployment of a missile defense system capable of protecting the U.S. against a limited attack. He argued that the rapidly-growing capability to launch ballistic missiles by rogues states such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq, made it imperative for the U.S. to develop and when possible launch defenses against these dangerous threats. The bill (S. 257) passed the Senate in March and was signed into law in July.
Arms Control Senator Lieberman was one of the most vocal advocates of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and worked across party lines to avoid an embarrassing defeat of the pact in the Senate, which he argued would damage U.S. credibility abroad. Once that effort proved unsuccessful, Senator Lieberman joined with Senator Hagel to begin a bipartisan push to salvage some form of the test ban, and announced that they would try to assemble a coalition next year to support the cause of nonproliferation.
Human Rights Consistent with his efforts in Kosovo, Senator Lieberman consponsored a number of bills and resolutions to stop the abuse of human rights and promote democratic values in developing nations. Among them are: Sudan Relief Act (S. 1453): Would strengthen ongoing aid efforts and encourage the development of a comprehensive solution to the war in Sudan.
Iran Bahai Resolution (S. Con. Res. 57): Calls for the emancipation of the Bahai community, which has been persistently persecuted by the Iranian government.
East Timor Resolution (S. Res. 91): Expresses support for the multinational force sent to East Timor to stop the aggression of the Indonesian military.
Occupied Cyprus Resolution (S. Con. Res. 9): Calls for the U.S. to support efforts to end restrictions on the liberties and human rights of people living in the occupied area of Cyprus.
CRIME/LEGAL ISSUES
Impeachment Throughout the impeachment drama Senator Lieberman worked publicly and behind the scenes to prevent a partisan meltdown and uphold the public's confidence in the integrity of the trial process. Well before any votes were cast, he joined with Senator Gorton in offering a bipartisan plan to establish a fair set of rules for considering the charges against President Clinton. Their plan ultimately served as the basis for a compromise that broke a potentially damaging stalemate and cleared the path for the trial to move forward. As the trial proceeded, Lieberman continued in that role as an independent advocate for the public interest, calling for an expedited conclusion of the trial when it was clear there were not enough votes for a conviction. In the end, Lieberman contributed a thoughtful and influential analysis of the case against the President, concluding that although the President's wrongdoing was reprehensible and harmful, it did not represent a threat to our government and the national interest and therefore did not justify upsetting the results of a democratic election and removing the President from office.
** Juvenile Justice Bill Senator Lieberman strongly supported the Senate's anti-youth violence legislation (S. 259, currently pending in conference), which aims to keep guns away from kids, to change the culture of violence surrounding them, and to strengthen local prevention programs to help those most at risk. The legislation would require all new handguns to be sold with safety locks, would require background checks for people who buy firearms at gun shows and pawn shops, and would bar the transfer of semi-automatic assault weapons, large capacity clips and feeding devices to minors.
**Youth Violence Commission Senators Lieberman and McCain succeeded in including a provision in the juvenile justice bill that would establish a national commission to answer the complicated question of why so many children are becoming killers. The commission would be a composed of a wide array of experts in the fields of law enforcement, school administration, teaching and counseling, parenting and family studies, and child and adolescent psychology, as well as top Cabinet officials and religious leaders. It would be charged with thoroughly studying the different dimensions of the recent outbreak of school shootings and the larger epidemic of youth violence, and recommending a series of tangible steps to combat this problem.
**Help for Hartford Also included in the juvenile justice bill was a measure sponsored by Senator Lieberman that would create a national pilot program to reach out to vulnerable children before they turn to violence It would provide $5 million in seed money to community groups in eight cities, including Hartford, to help them teach job and life skills to at-risk kids, promote mediation tactics and long term intervention plans, and to foster links between young people, their community and law enforcement agencies.
**Y2K Liability Working closely with Senator Dodd, Senator Lieberman worked hard to help forge a Y2K liability reform bill to ensure that companies facing problems related to the millennium bug would be able to focus on fixing the problems rather than litigating about them. The Y2K bill encourages alternative dispute resolution, provides for the enforcement of contractual terms and rewards those companies that make good faith efforts at fixing their Y2K problems. It was signed into law in July (P.L. 106-37).
Civil Rights As in previous years, Senator Lieberman joined a bipartisan coalition in cosponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. The bill (S. 1276) was introduced in June and is pending in the HELP Committee. Congressman Shays sponsored a companion measure in the House.
Inventor Protection Senator Lieberman is the author and original sponsor of the inventor protection provisions contained in the omnibus patent reform bill (S. 1798), which is likely to become law before Congress adjourns. As passed by the House and reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the legislation would crack down on invention promotion scams by creating a private right of action for inventors harmed by deceptive and fraudulent practices, and by requiring invention promoters to disclose certain information in writing prior to entering into a contract for invention promotion services.
Auto Choice Senator Lieberman was a principal cosponsors of the Auto Choice Reform Act, an innovative bill that would drive down insurance costs for many car owners. It would require auto insurance companies to offer their customers the choice of much lower rates and better compensation in exchange for the customers giving up the right to sue for certain types of damages in the event of an accident. This bill (S. 837) is pending in the Commerce Committee, before which Senator Lieberman testified in support of the bill in June.
Small Business Liability Reform Working with Senator Abraham, Senator Lieberman cosponsored a narrow, targeted bill aimed at providing much needed liability relief to America's small businesses, which operate in fear that unwarranted or inflated legal claims will jeopardize their ability to stay in business. The bill (S. 1185) would limit punitive damages against small businesses, modify joint liability rules to ensure that small businesses found responsible for only a small part of a plaintiff's harm would not be required to pay the entirety of a plaintiff's damages, and prevent product sellers from being held liable for problems for which they weren't responsible.
EDUCATION/VALUES
Redefining the Federal Role in Education At the end of the session, Senator Lieberman joined with several New Democrats in the Senate to unveil a sweeping proposal to refocus Federal education policy on helping states and local school districts raise academic achievement and deliver on the promise of equal opportunity for all students. The proposed Public Education Reinvestment, Reinvention, and Responsibility Act would dramatically downsize the number of federal education programs, provide public schools with much more funding and flexibility in how to spend those dollars, and hold educators accountable for producing results. Overall it would increase federal investment in public education by $25 billion over the next five years, targeting most of those new dollars to the poorest school districts in the nation. Local educators would have the freedom to allocate this money to meet their specific needs. And in return, they would have the responsibility to meet specific performance standards set by the states, and suffer real consequences for failing to do so. Lieberman and his cosponsors - Senators Bayh, Landrieu, Lincoln, and Kohl - plan to formally introduce the bill soon after Congress reconvenes in January.
**Troops to Teachers Working with Senators McCain and Robb, Senator Lieberman sponsored legislation (S. 389) to extend and expand the Defense Department's successful Troops to Teachers program, which was set to expire this year. Troops to Teachers has helped to place more than 3,000 former military personnel in teaching jobs in Connecticut and 47 other states, providing troops with assistance in getting certified in their states and matching them up with school districts interested in hiring. The Lieberman-McCain-Robb bill would reauthorize the program for the next five years, significantly increase funding for it up to $125 million, and provide new incentives to draw more top-notch teaching candidates into the classroom. The sponsors, all of whom sit on the on the Armed Services Committee, succeeded in including the Troops-to-Teachers measure in the Defense Authorization bill, which passed the Senate in May and was signed into law in August. Responsible Fatherhood Act Joining with Senators Bayh and Domenici, Senator Lieberman cosponsored a bipartisan plan (S. 1364) to make the Federal Government an active partner in the ongoing effort to combat father absence. This legislation would provide $25 million for a national public awareness campaign; create a $50 million block grant program to support grass roots initiatives aimed at reconnecting fathers to their children; establish a national clearinghouse to provide information and guidance to local fatherhood promotion groups; alter the eligibility requirements in welfare-to-work programs to enable states to assist more low-income, non-custodial fathers find work; and ensure that more child support collections are actually passed through to families instead of going to state governments. A companion bill was introduced by Rep. Nancy Johnson and passed by the House in November.
Media Violence In the wake of the Littleton massacre, Senator Lieberman was a vocal participant in the national debate about the culture of violence surrounding children today and worked on several fronts to help parents better protect their kids from potentially harmful media messages. Among his efforts: ** Marketing violence to children: At a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Lieberman and other witnesses presented troubling evidence showing that some entertainment companies are targeting adult-rated products with high doses of violence to children. To determine the extent of this problem, Senators Lieberman, Hatch and Brownback cosponsored an amendment to the juvenile justice bill directing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the marketing practices of the movie, television, video game, and music. That provision was unanimously approved by the Senate and is pending in conference. Soon after the Senate acted, President Clinton voiced his support and directed the FTC to begin the investigation. Appeal to Hollywood: Senator Lieberman joined with a distinguished group of public figures - including Presidents Ford and Carter, Mario Cuomo, Elie Wiesel, and Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf - in issuing a formal plea to the entertainment industry to set higher standards of responsibility. The statement urges entertainment industry executives to adopt a common voluntary code of conduct, to commit to an overall reduction of violence, ban marketing of adult-oriented materials to children, and establish minimum standards for each medium -- television, film, music, video, and electronic games -- below which producers won't go.
21st Century Media Responsibility Act: Senators Lieberman and McCain introduced legislation to create a uniform system of labeling for violent entertainment products, modeled on the standard warning label used for cigarette packaging. It would also require retailers to restrict the access of children to adult-rated products with high doses of violence, similar to the R-rated policy adhered to by movie theaters. The bill (S. 1001) is pending before the Commerce Committee, which McCain chairs, and hearings on it are expected next year.
HEALTH CARE/WELFARE
Patients Bill of Rights Building on his part work as part of the Centrist Coalition, Senator Lieberman joined with Senators Chafee and Graham in trying to break the partisan logjam on managed care reform. They put forward an alternative bill of rights proposal that would have locked in strong patient protections, improved the quality of care for millions of Americans, and held HMOs accountable for wrongdoing in a balanced and reasonable way. The Chafee-Graham-Lieberman bill (S. 374) was widely regarded as the best hope of achieving a bipartisan consensus on the issue, but the sponsors were prevented from offering their plan as a amendment during the Senate floor debate in July.
**Restraints Legislation In response to a deeply disturbing series of reports about the abusive use of physical restraints in mental institutions in Connecticut and around the country, Senator Lieberman joined with Senator Dodd in highlighting the problem in Congress and finding ways to solve it. They won Senate passage of legislation (S. 976) that would significantly limit the use of restraints and strengthen federal reporting and training requirements; this provision was included as part of the reauthorization of SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), which the Senate approved in November. They also secured $8.5 million in funding as part of the FY00 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill to support these efforts. And they cosponsored another piece of legislation, the Freedom from Restraint Act, that calls for broader restrictions on the use of restraints. The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on this bill, at which Senators Lieberman and Dodd testified, and it is likely to go to the Senate floor next year. Part of the bill's mandate has already been carried out through regulations issued earlier this year, at Lieberman's and Dodd's request, by the Health Care Financing Administration.
**Health Care Information Continuing his efforts to improve the flow of information about health plan performance, Senator Lieberman introduced legislation (S. 1059) to help the private sector benefit from some of the advances the U.S. military has made in automating medical data systems. This measure was included in the Defense Authorization bill passed by Congress in August.
Partial Birth Abortion In an effort to begin to find some common ground in this very difficult area, Senator Lieberman cosponsored an alternative to the Republican partial birth abortion bill that would significantly limit abortions after viability. The Late Term Abortion Limitation Act would have prohibited a far greater number of post-viability abortions than the other bill, yet at the same time would provide exceptions to protect the life of the mother. This bill was offered as a substitute amendment (S.P. 2319 to S. 1692) during the floor debate on the partial birth bill in October, and received 38 votes.
GOOD GOVERNMENT
Independent Counsel Reauthorization After a series of hearings that featured Kenneth Starr as a witness, Senator Lieberman led the fight for an improved Independent Counsel law based on the lessons learned from Starr's investigation of President Clinton. The Independent Counsel Reform Act of 1999 (S. 1297) - developed with three other members of the Governmental Affairs Committee -- balances the need for a neutral investigation of high-ranking officials with the need for accountability from the investigator. It eliminated the probability of excesses and conflicts of interest while preserving a framework that has served the nation well for 20 years. Against a political groundswell to eliminate the law, generated by public distaste for Starr's investigation, Senator Lieberman argued the next time allegations of misbehavior are leveled against a high-level administration official, cries for an independent investigator will be heard. The law expired in June 1999 without a replacement. Nuclear Espionage Investigation Senator Lieberman's participation in an extensive review of the government's investigation into alleged nuclear espionage at the Los Alamos National Laboratory lent credibility and weight to the critical findings. The influential statement produced by Lieberman and Senator Fred Thompson found that the investigation into the loss of the W-88 nuclear warhead design was conducted with a shocking lack of thoroughness, competency and urgency, undermining public trust in its investigative and law enforcement agencies.
Campaign Finance Reform Senator Lieberman once again played a leading role in the fight to reduce the corrosive influence of big money in politics. He cosponsored the comprehensive McCain-Feingold bill, which would ban soft money and restrict third-party spending on campaign ads. He also supported the scaled-down version of McCain-Feingold that came to the floor in October, and which unfortunately was blocked by a filibuster, despite the fact that a clear majority of the Senate supported it. Senator Lieberman authored two reform-related measures himself, which would have strengthened the Justice Department's ability to prosecute violations of existing law, and tightened a loophole in the tax code that allows political organizations to claim tax-exempt status without disclosing the source of their financial contributions.
Presidential Primary Reform Senator Lieberman joined Senator Gorton in introducing legislation to restore some common sense to the presidential nominating process for the two major parties. The Regional Presidential Selection Act would establish a series of rotating regional primaries, spread out over four months, to modernize the nominating process and prevent any one state or group of states from wielding a disproportionate influence. The bill (S. 1789) is pending in the Rules Committee.
**Sweepstakes Scams Senator Lieberman co-sponsored legislation (S. 335) to protect the elderly and other vulnerable consumers from misleading sweepstakes mailings. The legislation requires a clear disclosure that no purchase is necessary to win and clear and intelligible statements about the terms and conditions of the promotion. It also establishes an easy way for consumers to stop unwanted sweepstakes solicitations. The bill passed the Senate in August and the House in October, and is awaiting final Senate approval. . Emergency Food and Shelter Program Senator Lieberman spearheaded the re-authorization of FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program. This bill (S. 1516) provides grants to local boards in all 50 states that pass the money on to shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. Connecticut receives almost $1 million annually. With less than 3% of its budget going toward administrative overhead, the program is a model for increasing reliance on local service providers. The Senate is expected to pass the bill by unanimous consent in the final days of the session.
Improving Government Computer Security Responding to widespread reports of dangerously inadequate security in government computer systems, Senators Lieberman and Thompson are sponsoring comprehensive legislation aimed at forcing the government to change the way it protects it electronic information session. The bill is expected to be introduced by the end of this year's session; the Governmental Affairs Committee will likely hold hearings on it early next year. Government Performance Senator Lieberman sponsored a number of bills to improve the performance of government, including a measure that re-authorizes the Office of Government Ethics (S. 1503) and another that establishes a forensic laboratory and training academy for inspector generals (S. 1707); both are expected to pass the Senate by the end of the session. He led the fight against “regulatory reform” proposals that would weaken protections of public health and safety, consumers, and the environment. He also cosponsored legislation (S. 1232) to help thousands of federal employees whose retirement coverage was affected by paperwork errors and allowing Federal Reserve employees to keep their retirement coverage when they go to work for other agencies.
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