John Chafee

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I want to commend former President Bush for the courageous stand he has taken in canceling his National Rifle Association membership based upon the improper language that was used in a solicitation letter by the National Rifle Association. I previously have spoken on this floor about the intemperate language that was used in that letter. It is no excuse to say, ``Well, fundraising letters are not always accurate. There was a little bit of hyperbole here, and it went a little bit overboard, but perhaps otherwise it was all right.'' I think to describe members of law enforcement organizations of the United States as ``jack-booted thugs'' and individuals wearing ``nazi bucket helmets'' who randomly shoot civilians is just totally improper. So, Mr. President, I commend former President Bush. I think what he did was the right thing. I hope it sends a sobering note to the National Rifle Association to watch its language, particularly language it sends out in solicitations, or in whatever manner in which they dispense such language. I congratulate the former President for his actions. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be a period for morning business.

Mr. CHAFEE

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

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Breaux and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Breaux and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, again I would like to say that the reason we have this legislation is really because of the steady, persistent tenacity of the Senator from Indiana. should feel very, very grateful for the work that Senator Coats has done in connection with this legislation. I can also assert that when the definition of ``bulldog'' is given, there is no one the tenacity shown by a bulldog more appropriately fits than Senator Coats. He has pressed this issue to its fullest. I congratulate him.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the distinguished Senator from Montana for his patience and help in all these measures; not only this one we are dealing with right now, but the whole series of them. His suggestions have been excellent. I want to express my personal appreciation, but I know that everyone in the Senate is indebted to him for his hard work in seeing we get these agreements. Amendment No. 1076

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

Mr. CHAFEE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1077

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, this amendment is thoroughly agreeable to the Members on this side.

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

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Is Senator Dorgan ready to go? This would involve a rollcall vote on Senator Dorgan's amendment, if he proceeds with it.

Mr. CHAFEE. If the Senator could withhold for a minute.

Mr. CHAFEE. We hope you do not, too. If you can check with your Cloakroom and see, we will do the same. We want to press this along and hopefully finish today. We know a lot of people have engagements. Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE. Who else? Senator Dorgan has an amendment. I hope people will speak up because we would like to close out the amendments, if possible, if we can get an agreement. Senator Boxer, I am sure, has one. We are not seeking a big list. I know Senator Boxer has an amendment. Senator D'Amato.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, many people have asked what is going to happen for the remainder of the day. What we would very much like to do is get these amendments disposed of as quickly as possible. I know that many people have plans. We would like to see how many amendments there are around here. I think most of the players are here. If people could tell us who has an amendment, then we could figure where we go from here. Now, who has an amendment? All right. Senator Coats. We are conscious of his. Senator Gorton. We are conscious of his. That is the same one as Senator Murray's, right?

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, what I really hope is that the Senator will withdraw his amendment. As the Senator knows, we have had no hearings on this. We have arrived at the tonnage limitations that affect importing States and exporting limits. We have had them agree to this very carefully, through a lot of laborious negotiations. If we add all the tonnage that comes with so- called industrial waste, and nobody knows how to define ``industrial waste,'' then we truly have upset the apple cart. What can we promise the Senator? I think he has a legitimate request that in the committee we would consider how to handle--I suppose we could get into municipal waste, into construction, demolition debris, also, and maybe that is something we ought to look at in the future. I do not want to say we will do it immediately if we agree to it. We have a pretty full agenda in that committee. I say to the Senator that I would agree to having some hearings in the future. I am not saying this calendar year, because this calendar year is really just taken up with all kinds of challenges in the committee including endangered species, Superfund, clean water, plus the other things we have on the agenda.

Mr. CHAFEE. We are anxious for people with amendments to bring them up. I think Senator DeWine had an amendment. Let us see what his decision is on that. But we are pressing for these folks to bring forward their amendments. If they are going to offer them, fine. If they are not going to offer them, would they tell us. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I so ask unanimous consent.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, can we get a time agreement? Will the distinguished Senator agree to 20 minutes equally divided, and if we do not use it, fine?

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to the senior Senator from Oregon. He has been persistent in this measure. I do not recall that we ever had a hearing in the committee. But I do recall we had a vote in the committee. As I recall, Senator Jeffords, then a member of the committee, raised it so we did have a vote in the committee on it.

Mr. CHAFEE. The vote failed. However, the Senator has been very gracious in his handling of this subject. I would be glad to arrange a hearing for his legislation in our committee. I just say this, if he could give us a little time? We are chock-a- block in that committee right now. But in due course I certainly will work in a hearing.