Sam Brownback

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 230, S. 1076.

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the committee substitute, as amended, be agreed to, the bill be read a third time and passed, the title amendment be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, I now ask for its second reading, and I object on behalf of the Democrats in the Senate.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and begin a series of three stacked votes. The first vote is on cloture on the motion to proceed to the Transportation appropriations bill. That will be followed by a vote on or in relation to the Bond amendment, No. 1621, and, third, the Robb amendment, No. 1583. Following the votes, the Senate will resume consideration of the pending Hutchison amendment regarding oil royalties. Further amendments and votes are expected throughout tomorrow's session of the Senate, with the anticipation of completing action on the bill.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until the hour of 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 9. I further ask consent that on Thursday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate immediately begin three consecutive votes as previously ordered.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read the third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 264, H.R. 457.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 261, S. 620.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be agreed to, the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the adjournment of the Senate, committees have from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Friday, August 27, in order to file legislative matters.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I stated my support for my distinguished colleague from Virginia who chairs the Armed Services Committee. He did a wonderful job with that. This is such an important topic, even though we tend to think of the world as a stable place where we don't have to worry about it. I am glad he is worried about it and is so focused on it. That is what I would like to draw the body's attention to right now, a situation that was reported this week in the reporting organizations of Reuters, the Associated Press, and the New York Times. This is a very troubling situation. It is in a part of the world that has experienced a great deal of trouble, but nonetheless, I want to point it out to this body. On July 23, 22 bombs were reported dropped on two villages in Sudan-- Lainya and Kaaya--resulting in internal hemorrhaging, miscarriages, animals dying among the villages. Several days later, after the bombs had fallen on this one village, United Nations relief workers with World Food Programme visited the town of Lainya and immediately fell ill with strange symptoms. They were consequently evacuated to Kampala, Uganda, for testing even as they continued to physically suffer. This, in turn, precipitated the beginning of a United Nations investigation into the use of chemical weapons, as reported this week by those three news organizations, chemical weapons that the chairman of the Armed Services Committee was just noting, that the biggest threat we are facing in the future is weapons of mass destruction. We are seeing here this week, reported in the newspaper, what has taken place in the Sudan, the symptoms of chemical weapons being reported. We can't at this time jump to conclusions that they were actually used, but the evidence points clearly to the use of chemical weapons by the organization, by the government in Khartoum against its own civilian population in the southern part of that country. This is also a government in Khartoum that is sponsoring terrorists around the world, where Osama bin Laden stayed and was hosted by them up until 1997 in Khartoum. They are trying to expand in three adjacent countries, saying we want to take our view of how the world should be organized into these countries and we are willing to do it by any means. We are even willing to use any means against our own people, against our own people. They have killed in their own country 2 million people. They have pushed out and dislocated an additional 4 million people. Last year alone, they forced into starvation 100,000 people by denying our food aid to go where these people were located. They said: You cannot fly your relief planes to feed these poor people. Now they continue to bomb their civilian population, even with, if the evidence this week is proved true, chemical weapons. I think this is so horrifying. I wanted to draw the attention of the Senate to what has been reported by these three news organizations this week and to call on the nation of Sudan to stop bombing its own civilian population, to refuse to do that, to call upon the U.N. to, with as much speed and haste as possible, conduct a full investigation of what has been reported this week as having happened to the civilian population, and call on U.S. authorities to investigate this as fully as we can to see what actually took place. If true, this is truly horrifying, that weapons of mass destruction such as these chemical weapons would be used against their own civilian population. I think it is just absolutely unconscionable, virtually unbelievable. This is also a government that continues to allow slavery to be conducted on in its country. There have actually been thousands of people purchased back from their slave masters. As we approach the new millennium, one would think that at least the institution of slavery would be gone from the world. It is not. One would think the use of chemical weapons would be gone from the world today, but it is not. These things must be investigated to the fullest extent, and if chemical weapons were, indeed, used, the Government of Sudan must be brought in front of the international bodies, the international court of shame, and put in that pariah nation category. They currently, of course, are one of the seven terrorist nations in the entire world that the U.S. Government lists as a terrorist nation. But the possible use of chemical weapons, as reported this week, takes this to an unbelievable level against its own population. That is why, even though this is a late hour, I draw this to the attention of this body. Mr. President, with that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, Senators Hatch and Leahy have an amendment at the desk, and I ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the committee amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill be read a third time and passed, as amended, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of calendar No. 254, H.R. 1568.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the committee substitute be agreed to, the bill be read the third time, and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill ber printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of calendar No. 202, S. 1072.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.