John Chafee

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Now, Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that the vote on the Shelby amendment be put off until 8 p.m. Mr. PRYOR addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I think the distinguished ranking member of the Finance Committee made some good points, as has everybody else here today. This is a very commendable amendment. Although it is an amendment we have not had a chance to consider in the Finance Committee, it is a matter that will come before us when we are dealing with the tax provisions that we are surely going to get to later this year. And so, therefore, I am prepared to accept the amendment.

Mr. CHAFEE. Three minutes to the Senator from New Mexico.

Mr. CHAFEE. I yield----

Mr. CHAFEE. I know we are going to have further discussion because I think there is a point of order that lies that is going to be raised. But I would point out that everything that comes in theory out of savings is something that the Finance Committee has to come up and pay for. We have just concluded a long meeting in connection with Medicare, and the difficulty of coming up with savings was made clear to us at that gathering. So, Mr. President, if there is no further discussion, I suggest the absence of a quorum, and this will be charged equally against both sides.

Mr. CHAFEE. It is my understanding that this amendment will cost, over 5 years, $1.4 billion.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I would like to ask the proponent of the amendment a question. As I understand, this is going to cost $1.4 billion over 5 years. Has the Senator a method of paying for this?

Mr. CHAFEE. Fine.

Mr. CHAFEE. How much time does the Senator want?

Mr. CHAFEE. What is the time situation here?

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes. Such time as he needs.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask if the proponents of the measure--we have gotten the cost of it--if they have an offset, any way of paying for it?

Mr. CHAFEE. I thank the Senator from Florida for clarifying the issue. The answer is no, if the Federal share is reduced for whatever reason, the State maintenance of effort would also be reduced. This is the hold-harmless provision that was included in both my amendment and the amendment offered by the Senator from Louisiana, Senator Breaux.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, Senator Graham asked a question yesterday during consideration of my amendment on maintenance of effort which I am not sure I fully understood, and I wonder if he could ask the question again.

Mr. CHAFEE. If I might also ask the majority leader a question. The leadership amendment and the Finance Committee proposal are both silent about the purpose of children's SSI. However, unlike the House proposal, both retain the cash benefit nature of the program. This is a concept that Senator Conrad and I thought was extremely important when we introduced the Childhood SSI Eligibility Reform Act, and I am pleased that the majority leader's proposal retains flexibility within the SSI program by retaining the cash nature of the program. It is important for the SSI program to reflect the impact a disability has on families faced with a variety of circumstances. SSI often provides important assistance to families by replacing a portion of the income that is lost when a parent must care for a disabled child. The flexible nature of SSI is indispensable for many parents who are rendered unable to work because they must stay at home to provide care and supervision to their children with disabilities. Does the majority leader share our assessment?

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from Wyoming.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, we can return to Senator Conrad's amendment.

Mr. CHAFEE. 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. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask if the Senator will withhold on that for a second. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, we were to vote at 8:30. I ask that it be delayed for 10 minutes so the Senator from North Dakota, who has been patiently waiting for his amendment, might present it.

Mr. CHAFEE. Does the Senator from California want a vote on her amendment?

Mr. CHAFEE. If I might complete my questions. In connection with the foster care problems, the Boxer amendment, I believe, addressed them, am I correct?

Mr. CHAFEE

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

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I wish to call the attention of my colleagues in the Senate to a very dramatic episode that just occurred within the past hour and a half in the Dirksen Building. Just outside my office, a gentleman, a guest--not of mine but a guest to the building--had a heart attack, collapsed on the floor, and while falling severely cut his head. And the young women in our office rushed out. One of them, a member of my office, is a Girl Scout leader, and knows CPR. Loosening the gentleman's necktie, she started CPR, and the other member of my staff--my personal secretary, Donna Davis--had the forethought to run down the corridor and get Senator Frist, Dr. Frist. Dr. Frist responded immediately--immediately--and went to work on this gentleman, who oddly enough was from Tennessee. (Laughter in the Galleries) Dr. Frist did not check in advance. I discussed this with members of my office, all of whom were out there watching trying to be helpful. They were unanimous in their praise and admiration for the manner in which Dr. Frist responded, and he really knew what he was doing. He took complete charge, applied CPR, and this gentleman who was out--I mean his heart truly had stopped--to the best of their knowledge was revived because Dr. Frist, Senator Frist, responded so quickly. Then the emergency people came, and he was taken over to the hospital where hopefully he will survive. But this was a very, very dramatic occurrence. And I think all of us should have great admiration, respect, and affection for what Dr. Frist did. I am sorry that he is not here to hear these remarks. But we are very, very fortunate to have him in the U.S. Senate--not as the Senate's physician, which I am sure we would be glad to have--but there is somebody who really knows his business, and responded in a tremendous fashion. So I want to praise our colleague, Dr. Frist. I want to praise everybody in my office who called and responded, and Patty Parmer and the Girl Scouts. She is a Girl Scout leader. I have always been a fan of the Girl Scouts. And this gives me added respect for that organization because she is a leader. They learn CPR, and it undoubtedly contributed to saving this gentleman's life. So there we are, Mr. President. Sometimes we get deeply involved with $1 billion here, $1 billion there, and what we are going to do about child care and about maintenance of effort. But there are other things that are very, very important around here. And certainly Dr. Frist, Senator Frist, proved his mettle this afternoon. I want to thank the Chair. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Could we have a description of the McCain amendment?