Tom Daschle

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record, without further intervening action or debate.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, momentarily we will take up a unanimous consent request that will accommodate a debate on the farm bill conference report. As I understand it, the distinguished Republican leader is on his way to the Chamber. Let me comment briefly on a couple of scheduling matters. I know the assistant Democratic leader has talked on several occasions and has offered unanimous consent agreements on terrorism insurance. We would be prepared, once again, to offer a unanimous consent agreement on terrorism insurance, but I hear our Republican colleagues continue to object. We have said on many occasions we are prepared to go to the floor procedurally, have a debate on any one of a number of questions relating directly or indirectly to terrorism insurance, but for whatever reason, our Republican colleagues continue to refuse to allow that debate and that consideration. This has been an ongoing effort. We have made many attempts to satisfy those certain Senators on the other side who proclaim interest and support for terrorism insurance, but we have been unable to satisfy their obstruction--I use that word with full appreciation of its definition--their obstruction when it comes to an important matter such as this. We will continue to try to talk with our colleagues in an effort to come to some conclusion procedurally, but I must say there is growing frustration on our part that we have not been able to proceed. The same could be said for the conference report on the farm bill. I have attempted to bring the bill up throughout the day. I must say, Senator Lott deserves commendation in his efforts to work with those who have threatened filibusters on the legislation. We received a letter from the President today urging the Senate to send the bill to the President as soon as possible. That was my hope today, that we would have a bill to send to the President. But as I now understand it, our Republican colleagues, rather than filibustering the bill, will ask for a substantial amount of additional time. We will ask unanimous consent they have 6 hours on Tuesday and 6 hours on Wednesday to talk about a conference report. So we will accommodate that request and we will proceed with that unanimous consent request as soon as the Republican leader comes to the floor. I have been getting calls today from the administration urging us to complete our work on trade as well. But as my colleagues know, there are those Senators on the other side who currently are filibustering the trade bill, the trade package. So we have a filibuster on trade and trade adjustment assistance, a quasi-filibuster on the farm bill, and I guess you could call it a filibuster on terrorism insurance--at least an unwillingness to proceed to terrorism insurance. These issues are important. We hear oftentimes our colleagues talk about how they wish we could accomplish more on the Senate floor. I advise my colleagues, this is one reason it is difficult to accomplish more, when we don't get any more cooperation than that. I do appreciate the work the Republican leader has invested in getting us at least to this point. I am prepared to entertain the unanimous consent request as soon as he comes to the floor. I might say that the schedule next week will include not only this elongated debate on a conference report relating to the farm bill but the trade bill. The schedule will include, of course, the debate on Tuesday for 6 hours. We will then go back to the trade bill. The debate on the farm conference report will pick up again on Wednesday, beginning at around 9:30. Our expectation would be that we would then complete debate by Wednesday afternoon with, again, the expectation we would come back to the trade bill and attempt to move and consider additional amendments. Because there are no vote scheduled on Monday, we will be in a pro forma session on Monday. There will be no votes, and I would not expect any debate on the trade bill on Monday. That is the schedule. My desire is to dual-track other issues as they become available. I realize the possibility is not very significant, but if we could reach an agreement procedurally on terrorism insurance, of course we would bring that up. We have other confirmation questions we would want to raise and certainly would be prepared to have votes on those as well. In addition, as legislation becomes available that does not involve a great deal of controversy, it would be my hope that we could take that up, as well, on a dual track. I remind my colleagues, we do have to make every effort to accommodate the May 16 deadline on the Andean Trade Preferences Act. If we fail, obviously all of the conditions involving the trade barriers that existed prior to the enactment of TPA kick back in. We would hate to see that. I hope we can avoid that. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Therefore, it is important we use all of that time available to us next week, outside of this consideration of the farm bill, to continue TPA, TAA consideration.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Arizona for being accommodating to me and other Senators. I strongly support the Lieberman amendment reaffirming this Nation's solidarity with Israel. It is a timely resolution, and I am proud to be a cosponsor. I have said many times that the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11 brought us closer to Israel. Every American now better understands the terrifying reality that Israelis have lived with day in and day out since Israel was founded 54 years ago. Today we send a message to the people of Israel: We stand with you in this time of great challenge. Each of us recalls the hundreds of letters and resolutions that poured into our offices from foreign capitals around the world in the aftermath of September 11. Their message was clear: The world will not allow terrorism to triumph. We are right to send that same message to our friends in Israel today. This amendment rightly calls on Chairman Arafat to fulfill his commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the territories. Without a clear and demonstrable commitment to battle terrorists, the world will remain skeptical of his intentions and his goals. As Arafat acts, so must the rest of us. We all have a role to play, and this amendment calls on ``all parties in the region to pursue vigorously efforts to establish a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.'' This land is home to three of the world's greatest faiths. And what happens there affects our common future. That means we all have responsibilities. The Arab States, particularly our key allies, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, must provide the same kind of leadership in the battle against Palestinian terrorism that they have demonstrated in our common efforts against extremism in Afghanistan. Israel, too, must act. At Oslo, at Wye, and again at Camp David, Israel has taken risks for peace. It must be--and I believe it is-- ready to do so again. We must all recognize Israel's right to defend itself against attack. That is a basic right of every nation and this amendment affirms it clearly. At the same time, we call on Israel to distinguish between those who seek only to provide for their families, and the agents of terror who seek Israel's destruction. Lastly, the United States must remain engaged in this vital region. We must remain actively involved in negotiations. More than any other country in the world, we can help to bring the parties together. We must continue to do so. The President's initiative to deepen United States involvement in the region is right for America, and it is right for Israel. The United States is--and will remain--Israel's best friend. We must--and will--honor our commitment to preserve Israel's military superiority. And we must continue to make clear--as this resolution does--that our bonds with Israel are unshakeable. We must also recognize that part of the war on terrorism must be to build productive societies. Right now, in Afghanistan, we are rebuilding that country and showing Afghanistan, and the world, that our war is with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and not the Afghan people. We must do the same in the territories--held rebuild the West Bank and repair the infrastructure of Palestinian society. In doing so, we will send a message to the Palestinian people and the world: Terrorists destroy, democracies build. And we will build. The names and the details in this resolution are different than those messages we received from around the world in those dark days last September. But the fundamental principle is the same: In the battle against terrorism, the world must be united. We are right to send that same message today to our friends in Israel, and to all of the people in the region who long for peace. I urge my colleagues to support the Lieberman amendment. Mr. President, there comes a time when, as leader, one has to make decisions about schedule that are not always in keeping with every Senator's wishes. But if anybody has looked out the window, they know that the storm which is forecast is virtually upon us. There are Senators who wish to catch airplanes prior to the time the airport is shut down. I have had numerous requests all afternoon for a vote on the Lieberman amendment to accommodate those Senators who need to leave. So while I fully appreciate the fact that there are some Senators who have yet to speak, given the circumstances we face weather-wise and the need for Senators to accommodate their schedules, I have made the decision that we will have a vote. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the Lieberman amendment.

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination reported out earlier today by the Health, Education, and Labor Committee: Elias Adam Zerhouni, to be Director of the National Institutes of Health. I further ask that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, any statements be printed in the Record, and the Senate return to legislative session without any intervening action or debate.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4156.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent that the Daschle substitute amendment No. 3386 be printed.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will inform my colleagues we will be in session on Tuesday for debate only to address the trade legislation. Senators will be welcome to offer amendments. They will be welcome, of course, to talk about the bill and, of course, if they have other matters to address, they would be welcome to do that as well in morning business. But we will come in at 3 o'clock on Monday, primarily to address for debate purposes only the trade bill.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, May 7, at 9:30 a.m., the Senate proceed to the conference report to accompany the farm bill under the following limitations with the total time limit of 12 hours divided as follows: On Tuesday, May 7, there be 6 hours of debate equally divided under the control of the chairman and ranking member of the Agriculture Committee; further, I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday May 8, there be 6 hours equally divided; and, finally, I ask unanimous consent that following the use or yielding back of that time on Wednesday, the Senate proceed to a vote on or in relation to the conference report without further intervening action or debate.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will say one more time that I appreciate the help and leadership shown by the Republican leader in bringing this bill to the floor. I know sometimes you can't have everything you want. I wanted a shorter period of time, but we will live with this, and we will move on. I thank him for that. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. DASCHLE

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

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 o'clock on Monday, May 6; that following the prayer and pledge, 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 resume consideration of the trade bill.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, on Monday, we will then be on the trade bill with no votes. As I said a moment ago, the bill will be open to amendment.

Mr. DASCHLE

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

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, with the authority of the Finance Committee, I withdraw the committee amendment and send an amendment to the desk.

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, we have just sent to the desk legislation that includes three components: First, the trade promotion authority; second, trade adjustment assistance; and third, the Andean Trade Preference Expansion Act. The trade adjustment assistance measures are particularly crucial because they will provide help to dislocated workers. This package includes job search assistance, unemployment insurance, and, for the first time, much needed health benefits. We are now ready to begin the debate on this important trade legislation and, as we have noted for some time, this bill is open to amendment and we encourage Senators to come forth with their amendments soon. I look forward to a full and spirited debate. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, first, I compliment and thank the distinguished Republican leader for the cooperative effort he has put forth to get to this point. We have talked on many occasions over the last several days, and the spirit with which he has discussed the importance of this legislation, as well as the importance of a good debate, is exactly the one I hold as well. I encourage Senators to offer amendments, but let me also say, as the Senator alluded, we will be able to determine whether this is good faith or not, whether we are just delaying for the sake of delaying; that will not be something we can tolerate. But we certainly encourage a good and vigorous debate with ample opportunity to offer amendments. There is a difference between simply delaying for delaying sake and amendments for the sake of changing, improving, or in some way altering the legislation as it has been introduced. Again, we will work with all of our colleagues to accommodate that and look forward to the debate beginning tonight and again tomorrow morning. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, just for the information of our colleagues, there will be no more votes tonight after the two votes we have on the judges. The next vote will occur on Monday evening at approximately 5:30. There will be no votes tomorrow.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I thank the Senator for his leadership on the broadband tax credit, and I thank all of our colleagues who have expressed their support for this measure today. As you know, I am a cosponsor of Senator Rockefeller's bill, S. 88, and share the strong support for this bill expressed by our colleagues today. We have made this a centerpiece of the Democratic high technology agenda. We believe broadband deployment is key to the continued economic growth of the entire Nation, and is particularly critical in rural areas that studies have shown too often lag behind their urban counterparts. This bill addresses that issue head-on by giving special incentives to rural deployment. This measure is one of a number of solutions that have been proposed that will prove effective in achieving universal availability of the most advanced telecommunications technology. I look forward to working with the Senator from West Virginia, the distinguished Chairman and Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and all of our colleagues who have spoken out so forcefully today. I hear you and share your support for this proposal. Given the large number of cosponsors, it is clear that the broadband credit can win approval in this Chamber. So I would say to my colleagues that I want to move the bill at the earliest opportunity.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, we are now reaching the end of 6 weeks of debate on this energy bill. I want to thank Chairman Bingaman for his tireless leadership. He began this process by coordinating the work of nine separate committees, and he has done an amazing job of shepherding this large, difficult, and sometimes contentious piece of legislation to its conclusion. When we began this energy debate, I spoke about the need to keep in mind four key goals. I said that any energy plan we pass should increase our energy independence . . . it should be good for consumers . . . it should create jobs . . . and it should be responsible--both environmentally and fiscally. In a number of places, this bill meets those goals. In some, it falls short. But overall, this is a far more responsible, progressive, consumer-friendly energy policy than the one advanced by the Administration, or passed by the House. Our energy plan invests in new ideas, new technologies, and new approaches to old problems. It demonstrates that our energy policy need not be a tug-of-war between increased production and increased conservation. This bill helps us do both. For example, this bill encourages the construction of a pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the lower forty-eight states. There are 35 trillion cubic feet of known natural gas reserves on the North Slope of Alaska. Right now, that gas is being pumped back into the ground because there's no way to get it to the American consumers who need it. Our nation faces a long-term shortage of natural gas, all experts agree. An Alaska pipeline would deliver at least 4.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day to the Midwest, the central point of the nation's gas delivery network. 4.5 billion cubic feet per day is nearly ten percent of America's daily gas consumption. Last month, Alaska Governor Tony Knowles met with me to discuss the additional provisions he felt were needed to invigorate this project. At his urging, and with the strong support of Senators Murkowski and Stevens, the bill we are clearing for conference today not only assures that any gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay will run through Alaska, it also seeks to assure access to the gas for residential and business users in Alaska, protects access to the pipeline for future gas discoveries, and reduces the financial risk resulting from wildly fluctuating gas prices. The provisions we added are important to our nation's energy and economic security, and improve the viability of the Alaska gas pipeline project. They should be retained in conference, and I will work with Senator Murkowski and Governor Knowles to protect them. That pipeline is one example of how this bill will allow us to use our traditional fossil fuel supplies more intelligently. Other examples include tax incentives to increase common-sense conservation in our homes, expand the use of renewable energy like wind, solar and geothermal power, and encourage investments in new technologies to help us use energy sources like coal in a more clean and efficient manner. And, when it comes to energy efficiency, this bill also says that the federal government must lead by example. I also said at the beginning of this debate that we already look for the ``Made in America'' label on our clothes. We need to put that same ``Made in America'' label on our energy, too. That's why this bill includes tax incentives to help us diversify our energy supplies by harnessing the power of the wind, the sun, and the heat of the earth itself, and to keep the energy produced from those sources affordable. And that's also why this bill triples the amount of ethanol we use. Yesterday, I was out in South Dakota at an ethanol plant with President Bush. I agree with the President when he said, ``[ethanol is] important for the agricultural sector of our economy, it's an important part of making sure we become less reliant on foreign sources of energy.'' To that I would add that it's an important way of keeping our air clean, as well. Tripling the use of ethanol is a win, win, win, and I'm glad that's what this bill does. The electricity provisions in this bill will shore up the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make our electricity more reliable and competitive, and will establish a small but important renewable portfolio standard. Remember, ethanol and renewable energies come from American farmers and producers, pass through American refiners, and fuel American energy needs. No soldier will have to fight overseas to protect them. And no international cartel can turn off the spigot on us. It is important we make sure these provisions stay as part of this bill in the conference. On a personal note, I should add that crafting this fuels compromise took enormous effort, and I would like to thank Senators Jim Jeffords and Bob Smith of the EPW Committee, as well as Senators Tim Johnson, Dick Lugar, Ben Nelson and Chuck Hagel for their vision and hard work. I do regret that we failed to keep the vehicle fuel-efficiency provisions that were originally in this bill--something that could have been done without affecting safety or performance. That measure we would have saved American drivers billions of dollars--and saved our nation the same amount of oil we are currently importing from the Persian Gulf. Bold steps like that would have moved us much closer to energy independence, and I hope that we can work to increase vehicle fuel efficiency in conference. While I am frustrated that we didn't take that large step forward, Congress did the responsible thing by refusing to take a huge step backward by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. Ultimately, a bipartisan majority of the Senate concluded that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would do very little to help our economic situation or increase our energy independence--but would do a lot to damage one of the last pieces of pristine wilderness in this country. Finally, this bill reflects the growing bipartisan consensus that the threat of global climate change is real and, unless we act, will have devastating consequences for our children and grandchildren. The climate change provisions in this bill will help restore American credibility in this area and begin the long-overdue process of American engagement in solving this growing problem. In the end, this bill recognizes that we can't be content to pursue an energy policy based upon the old philosophy of dig, drill, and burn--and begins the process of moving towards more innovative approaches to our energy future. It doesn't get us all the way there, but it gets us moving in the right direction. I am hopeful that we can continue to move even further in that direction when this bill goes to conference. But for that to happen, we need to pass this bill now. It has been six weeks on the floor. We have had a good, open, and fair debate. We've debated and voted on dozens of amendments. Let us acknowledge the important role of conservation and renewable sources for our nation's energy future. Let us start moving towards a more balanced and far-sighted energy policy. Let us pass this bill.