Mike DeWine

Mr. DeWINE

Mr. DeWINE. Let me ask the Chair, is the time now controlled by the opposition or is it total time?

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Virginia for his good statement. I thank him for his support of the amendment. I just say that our hope for this bill, after passage, obviously, is different. I hope this marriage continues. He hopes for a divorce. I hope the marriage will be a long-lasting one. As I have said earlier, I think it will. It is a logical marriage. I think the FDA regulation will not be onerous. It is logical. I think tobacco farmers will not in any way be burdened by this legislation. But the children of tobacco farmers, as well as the children of all Americans, will be benefited by FDA regulation, just as they are benefited by FDA regulation of milk and macaroni and cheese and of every other product we consume. It just makes sense to me, and it makes absolutely no sense we would not be regulating products such as tobacco. The time is finally here that we will recognize this, and the American people will recognize it today, that we should, in fact, be regulating a tobacco product. At this time, let me yield to my colleague Senator Harkin. Before I do that, let me inquire of the Chair, how much time is remaining?

Mr. DeWINE. All right.

Mr. DeWINE. Seventeen and a half minutes total is remaining. How much time would my colleague from Iowa need? I ask my colleague from Alabama, do you seek time as well?

Mr. DeWINE. Seventeen and a half minutes.

Mr. DeWINE. Senator Kennedy wants some time at the end, I know. He told me he wants 5 minutes at the end. I probably will want a minute or so. I ask the Senator from Iowa how much time he would like.

Mr. DeWINE. I say to the Senator, Senator Lott and my colleague from Alabama both have preference because it is all opposition time.

Mr. DeWINE. No. There is no time.

Mr. DeWINE. I thank my colleague for the question. I am looking at the same language. He read it correctly. It is directly in the amendment. It was originally in the bill that my colleague from Massachusetts and I wrote and introduced. I have penciled in here ``FDA can't go on the farm,'' which is a shorthand version of what he said. But actually it goes further than that. It is not just on the farm but it is basically any kind of FDA interference in this area. In earlier versions, years ago, the bill may have given my colleague from Kentucky something to worry about but this version clearly makes it abundantly clear the FDA cannot do this. I am glad my colleague has pointed this out. I have other editorials I can read but I see my colleague from Illinois is in the Chamber. If he is ready to speak, I am more than happy to yield him time.

Mr. DeWINE. I inquire of the Chair how much time remains.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I say to my colleagues, the Chair, and to my colleagues in the Chamber, I have only had one Senator come to me requesting time in opposition. I probably would propound a unanimous consent request to take some time from the opposition with the understanding that--I have not done that yet--anyone who wants to speak in opposition, obviously, we would make that time available. I yield 10 minutes to my colleague from Illinois.

Mr. DeWINE. We only have 17\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. DeWINE. Seventeen and a half minutes total. Senator Lott is going to speak in opposition. I ask the Senator from Alabama, are you in opposition?

Mr. DeWINE. Seventeen and a half, and Senator Lott wants some time.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I thank all the cosponsors of this amendment for their good work. Senator Hollings has done an excellent job. I congratulate him, as well as the other cosponsors. I thank my colleague, Senator Lautenberg, for his very eloquent remarks. He and I have worked on issues that affect public safety. He has been a leader in highway safety. He and I have been on this floor together and have worked on legislation that we hope has saved the lives of children. He has been a good partner. I appreciate his comments again today. It is good to be working with him again.

Mr. DeWINE. I yield to my colleague from Massachusetts.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Snowe be added as a cosponsor of S. 2461, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Mr. DeWINE

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on the nominations of Mr. Stuart Levey, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement; Mr. Juan Carlos Zarate, of California, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes; and Ms. Carin M. Barth, of Texas, to be the Chief Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearings is to receive testimony on S. 1852, to provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in Philadelphia, PA, and the development of an exhibit to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin; S. 2142, to authorize appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes; S. 2181, to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado; S. 2374, to provide for the conveyance of certain land to the United States and to revise the boundary of Chickasaw National Recreation Area, OK, and for other purposes; S. 2397 and H.R. 3706, to adjust the boundary of the John Muir National Historic Site, and for other purposes; S. 2432, to expand the boundaries of Wilson's Creek Battlefield National Park, and for other purposes; S. 2567, to adjust the boundary of Redwood National Park in the State of California; and H.R. 1113, to authorize an exchange of land at Fort Frederica National Monument, and for other purposes.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 1 p.m., to hold a hearing on the Gulf of Guinea and U.S. Strategic Energy Policy.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Communications be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on Implementation of Nielsen Local People Meter TV Rating System.

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 3 p.m., to hold a Members Briefing on Iraq.

Mr. DeWINE

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I understand we have 4 minutes on each side.

Mr. DeWINE. I yield to my colleague from Massachusetts.

Mr. DeWINE. How much time remains?