John Chafee

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, the amendment offered by the Senator from Kentucky deals with the so-called Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program. I want to emphasize this McConnell amendment is not the same as the earlier McConnell amendment which we voted on a week ago. This new amendment would clarify Department of Transportation policy with regard to grant recipients who are under a Federal court order. It also would require a new GAO study of the DBE program and of discrimination against DBEs in general. Mr. President, the Senator has made a number of modifications to this. It is an amendment we are prepared to accept. I thank him for working out these modifications with us.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that no further amendments be in order to the Finance amendment and the amendment be agreed to with a motion to reconsider being laid upon the table.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE. I thank the Senator from Colorado for being able to work this out. He has been very patient and very helpful as we have tried to reach conclusion on this matter, something he cares deeply about. We will do in the conference exactly as I said and make an honest effort. Now, Mr. President, the Senator from Arizona has an amendment, but that amendment, it is my understanding, was going to be opposed by the Senator from Iowa. I don't see him here. In fairness to him----

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

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I want to confirm the understanding of the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, that, in fact, wood composite research involving so-called wood FRP composites is eligible to compete for funding under those sections of the ISTEA II legislation that she mentioned. Furthermore, I want to confirm for the Senator that the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center at the University of Maine is eligible to apply for designation by the Federal Highway Administration as one of the four new national university transportation centers authorized by the ISTEA legislation as well. I understand there is a great deal of excitement about this new, emerging field of wood composite research. Certainly I believe that the Federal Government should be actively encouraging and providing funding for this innovative activity, which would be beneficial to rebuilding many of our bridges across our country. Mr. President, I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Collins during the committee conference on this matter, and I want to express my appreciation to her for her efforts in bringing this matter to my attention.

Mr. CHAFEE. Is that all in Orono?

Mr. CHAFEE. I move to lay it on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1726 (Purpose: To provide that demonstration projects shall be subject to any limitation on obligations established by law that applies to Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs)

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I would like to repeat the admonition the Senator from Virginia made for all those who wish to speak either for or against this amendment. Please come to the floor. I am not sure what the proponents of the amendment will do with their time. But as has been pointed out, we are anxious to move on with this legislation. Speaking just for our side, I hope that all those who wish to speak in opposition will come to the floor; here is your chance. The store is open for business. We are anxious to move on. If there are no speakers, the idea would be to close debate as soon as possible thereafter. Mr. GRAHAM addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, we have a couple of quick colloquies and then it is my understanding that the Senator from Arizona has an amendment which he wishes to present. So let's proceed with these colloquies. Then when the Senator from Arizona completes his amendment, which I understood was going to be something like 10 minutes equally divided, I understand he was going to ask for a rollcall vote, but I don't see the Senator here. Meanwhile, the Senator from Colorado has a colloquy. Amendment No. 1328

Mr. CHAFEE. Thank you. Now, it is my understanding that this amendment does not, in any way, amend existing abandonment proceedings as regulated under the Interstate Commerce Act. Is that correct?

Mr. CHAFEE. He certainly is. Why don't you go ahead, and we will try to round up the Senator from Iowa. Amendment No. 1968 to Amendment No. 1963 (Purpose: To prohibit extension of inequitable ethanol subsidies)

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I send two amendments to the desk and ask for their immediate consideration.

Mr. CHAFEE. I say to the Senator from Colorado that we are happy to pledge to him that we will strive in our work during the conference with the House to address the issue the Senator has raised. The House bill includes the provision he would have offered, so the issue will be in conference. The PM factor will be considered. The Senator from Colorado has raised a very good point. In some western cities transportation emissions are a principal source of fine particulates in the air. EPA has recently issued new standards for particulate matter that may require these cities to adopt transportation strategies to reach attainment. The CMAQ program in this highway bill is intended to help cities solve their transportation- related air quality problems. So I am happy to pledge to the Senator from Colorado that we will strive in our work during the conference with the House to address the issue he has raised. The House bill includes the provision he would have offered, so the issue will be in the conference and the PM factor could be included in the final formula for CMAQ funding. I want to stress though that we should only move in that direction where the particulate pollution problem is caused by transportation as opposed to stationary sources such as power plants.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. The requirement that they file an amendment. We have dealt with some 200 amendments. That, it seems to me, pretty well covers the field. So I would not have hurt feelings if there were no amendments filed by 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. CHAFEE. I will be happy to be surprised. So that completes our business. I do want to say to those who will be listening, I really believe we can finish this bill rather quickly tomorrow, if people restrain themselves on further amendments. We have some here, and we worked out some. It seems to me we have had a pretty good--we have been on this bill now I think for something close to 2\1/ 2\ weeks, and everything is pretty well taken care of. I hope Members will show great restraint.

Mr. CHAFEE. Tomorrow, the Senate, Madam President, will be in a period of morning business from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., by a previous order, the Senate will proceed to a rollcall vote on the McCain amendment to S. 1173, the so-called ISTEA II legislation. Following that vote, the Senate will attempt to complete action on the bill. In addition, the Senate may begin the consideration of S. 414, the international shipping bill, and H.R. 2646, the A-plus education bill. Therefore, Members should anticipate a busy voting day with votes occurring into the early evening.

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes.

Mr. CHAFEE. I hope everybody does not feel----

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on the Executive Calendar: Nos. 528, 531, 532 and 533. I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I further ask unanimous consent that Members have until the hour of 10 a.m. to file first-degree amendments to S. 1173.