Kit Bond

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I know the order was for the Senate to adjourn at 12:30. I now ask unanimous consent that there be a period for morning business, in which Senator Ashcroft be permitted to speak for 5 minutes.

Mr. BOND. What is the pending business?

Mr. BOND. I thank the Chair. Mr. President, I see that our colleague from Arkansas is present. He has a very important amendment. I invite the attention of all Members. We are planning on moving on this bill. There are a number of amendments, and we look forward to dealing with them expeditiously today. So we are open and ready to do business. We appreciate having the matters brought to our attention. As I said yesterday, we hope, if there are amendments or proposed colloquies, they will be brought to the ranking member and me so that we can give them our personal attention and continue the progress that this body has been making on the appropriations measures. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. BOND. If my colleagues will yield, first, let me enter into the Record a unanimous consent to go to the MilCon measure, so we will get that, and we can have that taken care of, and then I will speak with the proponent of the amendment, my ranking member, and I hope we can work out an accommodation acceptable to him. Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.R. 2016

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 today the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar 117, H.R. 2016, the military construction appropriations bill. I further ask unanimous consent that the committee amendments and the manager's amendment be agreed to, no other amendments be in order to the bill, there be 20 minutes for debate equally divided in the usual form, with an additional 10 minutes under the control of Senator McCain. I finally ask unanimous consent that at the expiration or yielding back of time, the bill be read the third time, and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of H.R. 2016. I further ask unanimous consent that immediately following passage, the Senate then insist on its amendment and request a conference with the House, and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate.

Mr. BOND. I further ask unanimous consent that Floyd DesChamps, a detailee from the Department of Energy, with the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, be given access to the floor during the Senate discussions on the VA-HUD-independent agencies appropriations bill.

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, if the ranking member will accommodate me, I will make just a few remarks in opposition to the amendment and then we will attempt to establish a timeframe for further proceedings on this bill. Mr. President, we have had a very eloquent statement by the Senator from Arkansas about questions that have been raised about the international space station. Needless to say, this question has been addressed time and time again on this floor. There are those scientists who have questions and objections. Nevertheless, the vast body, I think, of scientific knowledge and scientific expertise indicates that the space station is a tremendous opportunity for us to expand our knowledge not only about space but to develop new processes, new pharmaceuticals, medical advancements, and items that can be of tremendous benefit for us here on Earth. Yesterday, for example, I note that the distinguished Senator from Ohio, our only space astronaut-Senator, talked at some length about the tremendous number of advances in scientific knowledge that have come from exploration in space. The bioreactor produces artificial human tissue potentially useful in treating colon and prostate cancer, production of kidney tissue and the cartilage tissue for implants. Fluid physics, which can be observed in space, help us understand the processes on Earth, such as how the soil behaves during earthquakes. There is research in microgravity to develop new pharmaceuticals and neurological research, important to patients with multiple sclerosis. The list goes on and on, and I will not go into that here because there are a number of other Senators who have expertise in this area who wish to be heard on the measure. Let me say that the international space station will be a world-class scientific laboratory, with the unique feature of a near-zero gravity environment. While it is impossible for us to know in advance, all of the results of this scientific research, I think the vast body of scientific expertise believes that microgravity research will lead to new and pure pharmaceuticals, medical advancements, and the production of new materials for use here on Earth. With the imminent demise of Russia's Mir space station, the international space station will be the only facility where these types of research can be permitted. The international space station will also provide operational experience necessary for operating lunar outposts on Mars bases if and when the Nation should decide to proceed with such bold plans. Moreover, Mr. President, the international space station is a hallmark of international cooperation between the United States and other countries. Europe, Japan, and Canada have been involved with the program since its inception, and the addition of Russia in 1993 enhanced the international participation. There is no greater symbol of the end of the cold war than the United States and Russia--arch rivals in space for decades--working together to build a space station for the 21st century. Despite the challenges the program has had to overcome in the past year--particularly the schedule delays resulting from Russia's failure to complete the service module on time--the space station partnership remains intact. Russia has faced great financial troubles and uncertainties, and it is impossible to say that all these troubles are in the past. But this spring the Russian Government, though strapped financially, fulfilled its promise to provide 800 billion rubles, and NASA reports that work is progressing on the service module. American taxpayers have invested significantly--$19 billion--in the space station. We are now within a year of the first launch, which will provide the benefits and the scientific advancements into that research. Certainly, this is no time to give up on an experiment that offers such potential. The shuttle-Mir program, the first phase of the international space station, is successfully underway. The experiments have led to improvements in the design of the international space station, and we have trained the crews. We are ready for tremendous scientific leaps, and I trust that a significant majority of our colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, will agree that the money we have invested has been a wise investment, not only for science, technology, and the exploration of the universe now, but for the developments in the scientific advances that will come tomorrow for our children and our grandchildren, who are fascinated by the opportunities of space. The exploration of this frontier can deliver tremendous benefits. This is not the time to abort the mission and say that we have gone nineteen- twentieths, or 95 percent, of the way toward the discovery of a new world and we are going to turn back now. Mr. President, I hope that my colleagues will once again overwhelmingly support the continuation of the space station. I yield the floor.

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. Madam President, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished Senator from Texas.

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. BOND. Madam President, we are about to yield back time. I turn to the distinguished sponsor of the amendment.

Mr. BOND. I will be happy to accommodate the Senator from Arkansas.

Mr. BOND. I would be glad to yield.

Mr. BOND. Madam President, I am sorry to hear the time has expired, because I was really getting into listening to my colleague from Arkansas. He makes me feel like I used to feel when the summer carnival came to town and I went in and I listened to people who were smooth talkers from Arkansas and elsewhere. I wound up giving them the 20, 30 cents I had saved all summer long. They are very, very compelling. In this instance, it is not my position, it is the position of the distinguished scientists, such as the ones whose comments and quotes I have read into the Record that outline specifically what the benefits of the space station and space exploration have been and will be. While we respect the very powerful arguments made by the Senator from Arkansas, I now move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BOND. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. BOND. Has FEMA settled any of this?

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I don't know whether Mikulski-Dammann would be a good name for her, maybe, but it is one we can always offer, to show a little diversity.

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I am very disappointed that we cannot stay on the bill. We have a number of Senators wishing to present amendments, so I am going to propose a unanimous-consent request. I would note that the discussions we just heard are most appropriately made in the Governmental Affairs Committee which is doing business at this time, and I am not going to answer some of what I think were partisan charges because those would best be handled by members of the Governmental Affairs Committee. It is appropriate that we do the committee work and then move to the floor where we can have these full debates. Right now the measure before us is the VA-HUD appropriations bill, and there are serious amendments. I now ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Minnesota be recognized to present two amendments; on the disposition of those amendments, the Senator from Colorado be recognized to offer an amendment.

Mr. BOND. Let me withdraw that unanimous-consent request. I ask the Senator from Colorado how long he needs on his amendment.

Mr. BOND. And the Senator from Minnesota would need?

Mr. BOND. All right. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Minnesota be recognized for 35 minutes to present two amendments. Following those amendments, which at this point I do not believe will necessitate a rollcall vote, then I would ask that the Senator from Colorado be recognized for 10 minutes. I do not believe there will be a rollcall vote.

Mr. BOND. And following that I would ask that the Senator from Florida be recognized, for what length of time?

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, might I amend that unanimous-consent request to ask that, if the Senators would not mind, we do the 2 minutes equally divided for the Senator from Florida.

Mr. BOND. I will withdraw the unanimous consent.

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. For the information of all Senators, tomorrow the Senate will be in a period of morning business until the hour of 11 a.m. By consent, at 11 a.m. the Senate will begin consideration of S. 1033, the Agriculture appropriations bill. It is our hope the Senate will be able to complete action on the Agriculture appropriations bill during tomorrow's session of the Senate. Therefore, Members can anticipate rollcall votes throughout Wednesday's session of the Senate. However, no votes will occur prior to the hour of 4 p.m. Therefore, the next vote should occur after 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.