John Chafee

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Am I also correct that the suggestion was made by the Senator from California that it would be impossible for a legal alien's child to be in a Head Start program? As I understand it, if the ``deemor's'' assets were not of significant value, the child is not prevented from being in a Head Start program, is he or she?

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, it is my understanding--and I would like to ask the Senator from Wyoming this--in the case of domestic violence inflicted by the ``deemor,'' that has been taken care of, as I understand it, by the Wellstone amendment.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask that the vote scheduled for 8:30 be postponed until the conclusion of this debate.

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes. [[Page S 13597]]

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum, and the time to be equally charged against-- Mr. SIMPSON addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. Now we will go to the second amendment of the Senator from California. Mrs. FEINSTEIN addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. I do.

Mr. CHAFEE. I tell you what. We may be in a position to take this amendment. Why does not the Senator ask for the yeas and nays? And if he would be willing to vitiate those yeas and nays, if we can take it. We have got to check. Why not ask for the yeas and nays?

Mr. CHAFEE. Well, I am not sure it is so simple as all that. It comes up every quarter, four times a year. But I am not on the Banking Committee. This is the kind of thing that I really wish had gone through the Banking Committee and let them have hearings on it, and let them know what the costs are and what the problems are that arise under it. I do not know whether anybody else wants to speak on this. Does the Senator want a vote on this?

Mr. CHAFEE. I can see this being extremely burdensome for the bank if each quarter they have to come up with everybody who has a deposit in the bank that appears on some list the State submits to them. I presume the banks are permitted to charge something for all this.

Mr. CHAFEE. As I read the amendment, it is not optional for the bank to participate if the State decides that they want the bank to participate. In other words, as I read the amendment, it says that the State shall work out agreements with the banks to develop a data match system in which such institutions are required to provide every quarter, et cetera. So it is not just an encouragement. It is a requirement if the State so chooses.

Mr. CHAFEE. Second, the amendment says that the State shall enter into agreements with financial institutions to develop and operate a data match system. I understand under this the State would bring a list of those who are delinquent to the bank instead of the bank having to provide the State with the name of everybody who had a deposit in that bank. Is that correct?

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President I would like to ask the sponsor of the amendment a couple of questions. Under the amendment as I read it, it is an option for the State; it is not mandatory. Is that correct?

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, as we are modifying amendments, I wonder if we might also modify an amendment that Senator Gramm submitted earlier. That is a modification to amendment No. 2280. Mr. President, I withhold that request. The Senator from Ohio may go ahead.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, subject to changes in the future, that vote on the Mikulski amendment would occur after the vote on the Shelby amendment which is scheduled to occur at 8 o'clock. Next on our list, we have Senator Feinstein who I understand has two amendments, each with 20 minutes equally divided. If the Senator would be good enough to identify which amendment she is discussing. Amendment No. 2478

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I support the Domenici amendment. There has been a lot of talk about inconsistency and about flexibility. I think that applies on both sides. None of us have been totally consistent. But with regard to this, the whole thrust of this bill is meant to be for flexibility. And with a mandatory family cap, as is suggested by the opponents of this bill, certainly that is not in keeping with flexibility. Now, the suggestion is that, ``Do not worry. There are no cash payments provided in this bill, but vouchers are provided.'' That is not quite accurate. The underlying bill does not provide for vouchers. It says vouchers may be provided. I would also point out that this is a nightmare of administration when you are dealing with vouchers for children. So it seems to me, as has been pointed out here, under the underlying bill, the people that suffer under this proposal to get at illegitimacy as the target, the people that suffer are the children. I just do not think that is the way to proceed. As has been pointed out by the Senator from New Jersey, there is no definiteness about the family cap having reduced illegitimacy. I want to thank the Senator for the time. Mr. DOMENICI addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, first, I want to start off by commending the Senator from Louisiana because but for his amendment yesterday on the 90 percent, I do not think we would have reached the compromise that we have on the 80-percent maintenance-of-effort level. The Senator is exactly right in pointing out that the House is at zero. All I can say is, obviously I cannot guarantee what will come out of the conference. Nobody can. All I can assure him is that speaking for this Senator, who I presume will be a conferee, plus the other Republican Senators who I presume will be conferees, including the majority leader, all have indicated that they are strongly in support of this effort and this percentage. Now, I do not think we expect that this percentage is what will emerge from the conference. But it is going to be a lot better than zero, I can assure everybody of that.

Mr. CHAFEE. I yield.

Mr. CHAFEE. I ask the Chair now the parliamentary situation. I urge the adoption of the modification. Has that taken place?

Mr. CHAFEE. Our bill--I cannot speak for the Breaux amendment because I am not familiar with that particular portion. Under our bill, the 80 percent is related to 80 percent of what the State paid in 1994.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I see the distinguished majority leader here. I wonder if we can get a little progress report or an expectation report.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, is this the last amendment that time has been reserved for?

Mr. CHAFEE. I notice there was a Faircloth amendment intervening. Is that withdrawn?

Mr. CHAFEE. So following the Boxer amendment, we will then go to other amendments that are called up. Is there any time agreement following the Boxer amendment?

Mr. CHAFEE. So you could get a situation where the attorney general advises the Governor, ``Don't make that kind of a deal because we are going to end up in court, so just forget it.''