Tom Daschle

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. OK. We hoped we could accommodate the Senator from Arkansas with a vote on his amendment so that it could be taken before the cloture vote. That is all this unanimous consent request is designed to do. So if we cannot get it, we will just proceed, the Senator from Arkansas can offer his amendment, and we can do it without a UC. So if I cannot get that agreement, I will simply withdraw the request and perhaps we can proceed with the amendment.

Mr. DASCHLE. I thank my colleagues.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, we have been on this bill for almost a record length of time now. I am told that tomorrow we will break the record for the length of time a farm bill has been debated. If we get cloture, of course, we will still entertain 30 hours of debate for germane amendments. As I have done on several occasions, we will also entertain unanimous consent requests to consider amendments that are not germane. But time has run out. This is the third cloture vote. We have a lot of other legislation that must be addressed before the end of the week. We have three conference reports on appropriations that must be completed. We have other legislation of import to both sides of the aisle that must be addressed and, hopefully, completed. I announced earlier today that if we fail to get cloture on this vote, we will have no other choice but to go on to other issues. That will terminate the debate and end any possibility that we could complete our work on the farm bill this year. I put all my colleagues on notice, after three cloture votes we need to move on. It is up to both of us, Republicans and Democrats, to make that decision. We can finish this bill. We can accommodate all the other items that need to be addressed, but we have to move on. Germane amendments for 30 hours ought to be enough for everybody who has debated this bill now for over 2 weeks. I ask my colleagues to vote for cloture. Let's get this work done. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I haven't seen the letter, but I will tell you, the Farm Bureau has probably been the leader of all farm organizations in urging the Senate not to delay. It is one thing to vote for or against a particular piece of legislation relating to amendments that may or may not be offered. But it is another thing altogether to complete our work. The Farm Bureau, the Farmers Union, virtually every farm organization known to this country has urged the Senate to complete its work, and to do it this week--not next week, not in February, not March, but now. The Farm Bureau, the Farmers Union, all the other farm groups have said that. I think those positions ought to be made clear as well. I yield to the Senator from Iowa.

Mr. DASCHLE. Let me respond briefly. First of all to the Grassley amendment, we are told now that it is germane, and certainly it would be eligible for consideration. That goes to the point I made just a moment ago. A lot of amendments that are still pending will certainly be entitled to consideration, entitled to a vote, and that is as it should be. I also note the Republican leader's comment that this has been a partisan process. I am told by the chair of the committee that we have never had as many unanimous votes in a markup as we had with consideration of this farm bill. Of the titles that were passed out of the committee relating to this bill, nine of them passed unanimously. Only one failed unanimity. That doesn't sound partisan to me. The commodity title was the only title that generated votes on both sides. Every other vote, in all nine titles, was passed unanimously. Again, as to the assertion that we can wait, I must say I urge you all to refer to the Budget Committee and their projections that, by waiting, we chance losing $25, $30, $40 billion in budgetary authority. This in essence is a vote to cut agriculture by a substantial amount of money, if we fail cloture now, if we don't take full advantage of the budget window we have available to us. We can't wait. I know the administration has urged that we wait, the Secretary of Agriculture has urged that we wait. I must say, 32 or more farm organizations have urged us to act now. Why? Because they are worried about the budgetary implications. Why? Because they want farmers and ranchers to have the opportunity to make the transition. Why? Because the Department of Agriculture normally needs 6 months to make the transition. There are plenty of reasons it is important for us to bring this debate to a close. Let's do it. Let's move on to the other issues we have to confront. Then let's going home for Christmas.

Mr. DASCHLE. I am happy to yield to the Senator from Oklahoma.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask unanimous consent there now be a period for morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will be very brief. I congratulate the distinguished Senators from Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri for their extraordinary work in this regard. I would not have bet we could have gotten to this point when the effort began many, many months ago. There was a great deal of concern for how the last election was conducted--on both sides. Given the acrimony and difficulty in reaching even some consensus about how to approach this issue, I knew the odds were long. But these leaders overcame the odds. They articulated a vision for how this country ought to perform in every election and worked together, in spite of these difficulties, and have achieved a result that I think is extraordinary. I do not think the Senator from Connecticut is far off when he talks about this being landmark legislation. Indeed, if it can incorporate the opportunities for millions of voters who have been disenfranchised, it will be landmark legislation. If we can deal with the fraud that has existed on occasion in elections in the past, it will be landmark legislation. I cannot think of any higher priority. I cannot think of anything for which there is greater cause for excitement than the opportunity to address this issue in the comprehensive and very commendable way the Senators from Connecticut and Kentucky have. I commit to work with the two Senators to find a time very early in the next session of Congress where we can take this bill up on a bipartisan basis, and maybe even set the tone that could be taken into other legislation as well. I think that would be conducive to bringing about the kind of result we would like as we begin all of our work in the next session. I will work with them. I will commit to them that we will find the time in the schedule to ensure that this legislation can be considered early. I, again, congratulate both Senators for the extraordinary job they have done getting us to this point tonight. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I compliment the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island for his comments now and for the leadership he has shown on this issue now for several years. Our caucus and the Senate owe him a debt of gratitude for the job he has done in sensitizing us to the importance of this legislation and our efforts to address this issue. As the Senator noted, this legislation has a very favorable history. Senator Lautenberg, our former colleague from New Jersey, has also worked with the Senator from Rhode Island to pass this legislation at some point in the past, and because it has such overwhelming support I am confident this Senate can pass it as well. The Senator has talked to me on several occasions about the importance of taking this legislation up this session. It is regrettable at least to date we have not had the opportunity to do that. I share the Senator's expressions of urgency with regard to the consideration of this legislation, and as I committed to him privately I will commit as well publicly that we will take this legislation to the Senate, hopefully early in the session next year. There is no reason why we cannot complete our work. There is no reason why the Senate cannot go on record again, as it has before in passing this bill, and send a clear message, at least when it comes to the gun show loophole, that we can take steps to protect ourselves and protect this population, and find ways in which to do it in a reasonable way. That is what the Senator is asking. Again, as I say, I thank him for his leadership, his commitment, and I will work with him to assure this legislation can be taken up successfully sometime next year.

Mr. DASCHLE. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 289, which is at the desk; that the Kennedy-Gregg amendment to the concurrent resolution be considered and agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that the concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, without intervening action or debate.

Mr. DASCHLE. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, it has been said that free schools preserve us as a free Nation. I believe that this education bill will strengthen our schools, and strengthen our Nation long into the future. Much has happened since we began work on this bill to update Federal elementary and secondary education programs. We were well on our way to reaching a bipartisan consensus on this bill last spring when control of this institution changed. That unprecedented shift could have thrown this effort into the limbo of partisan gridlock. But we continued to move forward and in June, we passed a strong, bipartisan bill. Then came the terrible events of September 11 and, a month after that, the anthrax attacks. Even as we focused on urgent national security concerns, from strengthening airline security to making sure our military has what it needs to dismantle the terrorists' networks, members of the education conference committee continued to work together and iron out differences between the Senate and House versions of this bill. No one deserves more credit for getting this bill done this year than Ted Kennedy, a man who has spent the last 40 years of his life working to make sure that every child in America has the opportunity to go to a good public school. I want to commend Chairman Kennedy, and all the members of the conference committee who worked long and hard on this bill, and kept their eyes on the prize, even during the turmoil of the last three months. President Bush also deserves credit for helping to put education first, and convincing the doubters in his party that the Federal Government must be a partner in the effort to strengthen America's public schools for all children. The last time we authorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, there were those in the President's party who advocated abolishing the Federal role in education. Instead, President Bush came to us with a serious proposal and a serious commitment to make progress for our children. He built his proposal around the principle that all children must be given the chance to succeed in school. He agreed that we must have high standards for success in every classroom in every school in every community. He recognized that reading is, indeed, the foundation of all learning. Without reading, the job manuals and newspapers stay closed, the Internet is a dark screen, the world of discovery is worlds away, and the promise of America is, simply a closed book. He said we have to measure results, so parents and communities can know what is working, and what isn't. We were pleased that the President was willing to support several measures Democrats have long advocated. This new law sets high standards for all teachers. It also provides communities with help, if they need it, to recruit, hire and train new teachers so that every classroom can be led by a qualified, effective teacher. Under this law, low-performing schools will get the help they need to turn around, and face consequences if they fail. Immigrant and bilingual children who need extra help to succeed in school and learn English will get that help. And communities that require help meeting the needs of their most disadvantaged students will get it. I am pleased that the conferees stripped provisions that many of us thought would ultimately be damaging to public schools. The bill does not allow limited Federal resources to be siphoned off to private schools through ill-advised voucher schemes. It also does not give States blank checks with no accountability, as had been proposed by supporters of the Straight As block grant program. I am disappointed, however, that this bill does not provide full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Senator Jeffords is right: we made a commitment more than 25 years ago to provide 40 percent of the cost of this program; so far, we have failed in that commitment. We need to do better. Though we finish this bill today, the work of improving our children's schools does not end. This bill lays out a blueprint for reform. But we know that real reform cannot occur without real resources. Our schools face real challenges: the generation now passing through our schools has surpassed the Baby Boom in size, and school enrollments are expected to rise for the next decade; a large part of the teaching corps is getting ready to retire. Schools will have to hire more than 2 million new teachers over the next decade; diversity in the classroom is increasing, bringing new languages, cultures, and challenges; technology is revolutionizing the workplace and our society as a whole. Schools must keep up with the pace of change, by helping students gain important skills in technology, and by taking advantage of technological capabilities to advance learning for all children. The first test of whether we are serious about meeting those challenges and keeping the commitments this bill makes will occur this week, when we take up the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. The details of that bill are still being finalized, but we expect it will provide communities with an additional $4 billion to meet their new responsibilities under these programs. We must make sure that money is there not only next year, but every year. This bill meets many of our greatest education challenges in word. I hope that this and future Congresses will ensure the resources are there to meet them in deed. That is the only way that we can strengthen our schools and move our Nation closer to becoming a land of opportunity for every child. It is with the understanding that we still have work ahead of us, I give this bill my strong support, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. DASCHLE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to proceed to the motion to reconsider the cloture vote on the substitute amendment to S. 1731 be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, only if it is restricted to nutrition, I have no objection.

Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I have no objection, and I ask my request be amended. I also hope that might encourage my dear friend from Indiana to vote for cloture at some point perhaps as early as tomorrow. I have no objection and so amend the request.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor for a couple of minutes prior to the time we finish our Senate business for the week to, first, compliment the Presiding Officer who has been our floor manager on the farm bill now for 1 entire week. This afternoon marks 1 complete week of deliberation on the farm bill. I know this has not been easy on many, nor easy on the ranking member, as they have attempted to deal with the bill itself. I compliment the Chair for his outstanding leadership and patience and the extraordinary effort he has made to manage this bill in a way that accommodated virtually every Senator. I am disappointed that we weren't able to achieve cloture on the bill. I have indicated that we are going to keep trying to reach that point where we can bring debate to a close. I know there are a number of other amendments. We accommodated those on the other side of the aisle who wish to bring up an alternative to the committee-passed bill, the so-called Roberts-Cochran bill. I believe we have had a good debate. I hope we can complete our work this coming week. I would not want to have to come back after that, but we will entertain the possibility of coming back additional days after Christmas, if need be, to get this job done. There is nothing that says we can't keep coming back until the 23rd of January, if necessary. We will look at all the options. But we need to bring this bill to a close. As I have said on other occasions, we need to do it for a number of reasons. Some of us have outlined those reasons throughout the week. I think as we close out the week and mark the fact that we have now spent a week on the bill, we remind all colleagues that we have a budget window that may close. If that budget window closes and we are precluded even by a few billion dollars from dealing with all the needs in this bill, what a mistake that would be. What a moment of admission of failure that would be. I hope we can avoid doing that and avoid that scenario. Secondly, I know, based on many conversations the managers and I have had and others have had with regard to the continuity, of the need to have a clear roadmap on how we transition from Freedom to Farm to whatever it is that Congress ultimately passes, something that every farmer and rancher would like to know. I think that is the reason I got calls again this morning from farmers and ranchers in South Dakota who said: Please pass this legislation as quickly as you can because we need to know. We need to plan. There is so much uncertainty in farm legislation as it is. There is so much uncertainty with agriculture as it is. To exacerbate that uncertainty by refusing to act, or not acting as quickly as we should, is compounding the problem unnecessarily. We have seen a 75-percent reduction in farm prices since 1996. That is a remarkable demonstration of the need to do something now. I hasten once again to note the importance of completing our work. I also say that as complicated as farm administration is, it is important that the Department of Agriculture be given as much lead time to make the transition as smoothly as they can. There is no question, from a farm income point of view, from a farm certainty point of view, from the smoothness in transition point of view, and from the budget point of view, one could add more and more reasons that it is important for us to finish our work. No one has said it more eloquently or passionately than the chairman of the committee, my friend from Iowa, Senator Harkin. I simply come to the floor to again reiterate that we are determined to finish this bill. We are determined to do all we can to finish it not only on the floor but in conference. We will do whatever it takes to stay, to work, to cooperate, and to find ways to compromise. But it has to be a two-way street. We have to continue to keep the pressure on. That is certainly my intention. I know it is the intention of the distinguished chair of committee. It has been 1 week. If necessary, it will be 2 weeks. And, if necessary, it will be 3 weeks, or more. But we are going to get this bill done. I am just reminded that while we have been on the bill for a week, we actually made the motion to proceed 2 weeks ago. One could argue that we have been on the bill in one form or another for 2 whole weeks already. I do not know what the record is, but, clearly, we have a lot of work to do. With the holidays coming up, it certainly warrants putting all the time and effort we possibly can into getting this job done. I know there is interest in doing that.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12:30 p.m., Monday, December 17; that on Monday, immediately 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 that there then be a period for morning business until 1 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of a resolution submitted earlier today by the majority and Republican leaders.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a civil action commenced in the District Court for Dallas County, Texas. The lawsuit, filed by a pro se plaintiff, names Texas Governor Rick Perry and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as defendants. While the allegations in the complaint are not clear, the plaintiff appears to call for the impeachment of the defendants by the Texas state courts because of some unspecified, official action. This resolution authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Senator Hutchison in this suit. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate today, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned as under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Sessions.

Mr. DASCHLE. I thank the Chair.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. For the information of the Senate, as previously announced, no rollcall votes will occur on Monday. The next vote will occur on Tuesday, December 18, at 11 a.m.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, Senators Lieberman and Thompson have an amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration; that the amendment be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, that the committee substitute, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no further intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.