Robert Dole

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, the Senate will have a period for morning business only tomorrow, and no rollcall votes will occur during Friday's session of the Senate. Following morning business, the Senate will recess until 12 noon on Monday, May 6th. Following morning business on Monday, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate turn to the consideration of Calendar No. 380, H.R. 2937, regarding White House Travel Office.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, it is my hope that the Senate could dispose of the White House Travel Office bill by the close of business on Monday. I did not hear the debate between the Senator from Arkansas and the Senator from Iowa, but, hopefully, if there are problems, we can work those problems out. We hope there are not any nongermane amendments. We will see what happens. Perhaps we could find that out before or maybe on Monday because I may fill up what we call the amendment tree--I prefer not to do that--in order to keep the Senate germane to the pending issue. There will be no rollcall votes during Monday's session of the Senate, and the Senate may be asked to consider any other legislative matters that may be cleared for action. I know there are a number of nominations on the calendar. I have never been one to try to hold up nominations, but I would just say to the White House they have had nominations--Republican nominees have been down there for 6 to 8 months--that have not been sent to the appropriate committees. It seems to me there ought to be some reciprocity here. If they continue at the White House to say, ``We are not going to send Republican nominees out,'' we do not find it very difficult to say, ``Why should we clear nominations the White House wants?''--whether judicial nominations or any others. So I hope we could have some understanding because I have never been one, regardless of who is in the White House, to try to hold up nominations. These nominees have families and obligations but so do the families we have sent down months and months and months ago. They are still waiting for some word from the White House. They cannot have it both ways. I also hope that we could still work out some agreement--we made a tentative suggestion to our colleagues on the other side with reference to the minimum wage. I will ask Senator Lott to try to meet again early next week with Senator Daschle or his designee to see if we can work out some time to take up that matter, either as a part of something else, which I will not speculate what it might be, or have separate votes, parallel votes on our proposal and a Democratic proposal, because we would like to proceed with the legislation and not have nongermane amendments at every turn. It took us 8 days to complete an immigration bill that probably should have taken 3 days, and I hope that we can catch up. We need to catch up so we can hopefully enjoy a recess or a few days off the end of this month. We have a number of bills we think should be completed prior to that time.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it stand in adjournment until the hour of 10 a.m. on Friday, May 3; further, that immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date, that no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be dispensed with, that the morning hour be deemed expired, that there be a period for the transaction of morning business until the hour of 1 p.m. with Senators to speak for up to 5 minutes each with the following Senators to speak for the designated times: Senator Coverdell for the first 90 minutes and Senator Daschle for the last 90 minutes.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Not today.

Mr. DOLE. I did not make any reference today to the appointment of judges, but I did make a reference to the fact that judges in the second and ninth circuits have been reaching for some way to find a constitutional right to die, and I thought that should be decided by the legislative branch.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I appreciate that. I would only say the fact that they got the highest rating by the American Bar Association worries me even more. It is nothing but a liberal advocacy group, and that should indicate what kind of judges are being given these very high ratings. The more liberal you are, the higher rating you get from the American Bar Association. It is customary, it has been in Democratic and Republican administrations, to honor a President's nominees unless there was some reason--sometimes you do not know until after they have, in this case, been on the bench and made a few rulings to see precisely which direction they can go, but we will be happy to accommodate the Senator from Arkansas if he would like to have all these contested in the future. I do not know how many judicial nominees are on the calendar now. So I would just say, obviously, the President has a right to appoint the judges that he believes more or less follow his philosophy and others would have the right to appoint those who follow their philosophy. That debate will probably continue.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, it is also my hope that we can complete action on the Billy Dale matter on Tuesday, and then also Amtrak authorization which is, as I understand, not particularly controversial, and the firefighters discrimination bill, S. 849. We hope we might be able to reach a time agreement on the firefighters discrimination bill. I think it has broad bipartisan support. I know the Senator from Vermont [Mr. Jeffords] has an amendment; the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] has an amendment. There are three or four amendments on each side. Some will be adopted, some will be defeated. But I would like to complete action on that bill early next week so that we can move on to other matters before the week is out.

Mr. DOLE. I will be happy to yield to the Senator from Arkansas.

Mr. DOLE. I do not have a number.

Mr. DOLE. I would certainly look kindly on having the Senate Judiciary Committee considering that. I think Senator Hatch would be very receptive. My view is, if someone who is not a target is not only inconvenienced but must go out and hire counsel, there should be some recompense. I do not care whether it is Whitewater or whatever it may be. So I would certainly, if I could work with the Senator from Arkansas and encourage the Senator from Utah, Senator Hatch, to immediately go to work on it, perhaps we can work out something.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. I will be happy to yield the floor or yield to the Senator from Arkansas.

Mr. DOLE

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

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes S. 1664 on Thursday, May 2, the following amendments be the only amendments remaining in order: Senator Graham of Florida, Senator Graham of Florida, Senator Chafee, Senator Simpson, and Senator DeWine. I further ask that following the debate on the above-listed amendments, the Senate proceed to vote on in relation to those amendments, with the votes occurring in the order in which they were debated, and there be 2 minutes equally divided for debate between each vote. I further ask that following the disposition of the amendments or points of order, the Senate proceed for 30 minutes of debate only to be equally divided between Senator Simpson and Senator Kennedy, and following that time the Senate proceed to vote on Simpson Amendment No. 3743, as amended, to be followed by a cloture vote on the bill; and if cloture is invoked, the Senate proceed immediately to advance S. 1644 to third reading and proceed to the House companion bill, H.R. 2022; that all after the enacting clause be stricken, the text of S. 1644 be inserted, the bill be advanced to third reading and final passage occur, all without further action or debate.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I also ask that Senator Byrd have whatever time he wishes under his control prior to the vote.

Mr. DOLE. Yes. In fact, I said, ``or points of order.''

Mr. DOLE. There could be more than one, so we did not designate any names.

Mr. DOLE. I might also indicate to my colleagues and perhaps the managers that between 10 and 12 they could sort of stack the votes, whatever works out. We could have a series of votes at noon. Otherwise, whatever the managers desire.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I would now ask that we resume immigration. I understand there are a couple of amendments Senators can dispose of. Mr. KENNEDY addressed the Chair.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I understand that the Senator from Massachusetts wishes to speak. I ask unanimous consent, after the Senator from Massachusetts completes his remarks, that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, the legislation before us today contains several issues of priority for several States. Today, we are prepared to go forward with a number of items concerning parks and public lands issues across this country and I am pleased to support this package. I would like to thank Senator Murkowski for including provisions critical to Kansas and California. I am pleased that the Presidio legislation is included in this package. This critical provision will allow for the innovative preservation of the Presidio, one of our Nation's true treasures. This bill also includes the establishment of the Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas. More so than any other legislation, this package represents the interests and priorities of individual States. States like Kansas and California want these initiatives accomplished--not battered about by outsiders and Washington bureaucrats who think they know best. National forests; land conveyances, visitor centers, land exchanges and historic parks--these are all issues of importance to the various interest involved and should no longer be delayed. I urge the President to support this package. presidio Mr. President, this bill provides for the administration of the Presidio in California. I am pleased to join with my colleagues to pass this legislation which will provide for an exciting future for the Presidio. The Presidio is a treasured resource of this country. The legislation before us today provides for national recognition of the Presidio. I believe Senator Murkowki has sought a balance between the interests of the trust charged with preserving this resource and the interests of the National Park Service. In my view, the Presidio trust will ensure an important partnership between the local community and this property. This trust, established within the Department of the Interior, will manage the renovation and leasing of the specific Presidio properties. The revenues generated from these leases will then offset the costs of maintaining the Presidio as a national park, reducing the need for Federal funding. Through this innovative approach to managing one of our Nation's finest landmarks, we can ensure the preservation of the Presidio while also providing significant opportunities to the local community. The unique history of the Presidio's operation as a military post dates back to 1776. Its designation as a national historic landmark in 1962 recognized the importance of the post in many military operations. After the Army closed the post, the National Park Service took over the Presidio. When comparing our limited resources against the number of national parks and historic sites, it is apparent that we must find new ways to manage and preserve such important resources. establishment of the tall grass prairie national preserve in Kansas For several years there have been attempts to create a National Tall Grass Prairie Preserve on nearly 11,000 acres in Kansas, known as the Z-Bar Ranch. Proposals for this preserve have faced valid opposition from concerned citizens and landowners in the area. Any involvement by the Federal Government generates concerns, but this legislation provides for involvement by the Federal Government. Senator Kassebaum has worked to bring all parties together to discuss the establishment of a prairie park and strike a balance with this legislation. I have always supported Senator Kassebaum's efforts to encourage private participation in the establishment of a national prairie preserve in Kansas. The Z-Bar Ranch is currently owned by a private trust, but establishing Z-Bar as a national preserve requires legislation. Under this legislation, the Federal Government is limited to ownership of a maximum of 180 acres of the Z-Bar Ranch. The Federal Government would be authorized to purchase or accept a donation of this portion of land. The current owners of the ranch have offered to donate the core area of land to the Federal Government. This will minimize the cost of establishing the preserve. In my view, a compromise which includes minimal Federal ownership and continued local input sets this proposal apart from other efforts. The Tall Grass Prairie is a vital part of the natural environment and heritage of the high plains. Those who have visited the Flint Hills of Kansas appreciate the beauty of this prairie. Senator Kassebaum's work in creating a partnership between public and private sectors will help preserve the history of the Midwest. With a private/public partnership, we can officially recognize the Tall Grass Prairie while limiting the involvement of the Federal Government. I commend Senator Kassebaum for her hard work on this innovative legislation and her efforts to recognize this important Kansas landmark. I again commend Senator Murkowski and Senator Campbell for their work on this important piece of legislation. I know that earlier the administration expressed some concerns about the Presidio legislation, I think in reviewing the bill before us they will find their concerns were addressed by the committee. I commend the community of San Francisco and people of California for recognizing this important resource and working to develop an approach that will allow generations to come to enjoy this historic and unique landmark.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate turn to the consideration of Calendar No. 300, H.R. 1296, regarding Presidio properties, and the bill be considered in the following fashion: That amendments numbered 3571 and 3572 be withdrawn and all other amendments and motions other than the Murkowski substitute and the committee substitute be withdrawn, and the committee-reported substitute be modified to reflect the adoption of the Murkowski substitute, as modified, to reflect the deletion of title XVI, Sterling Forest, and title XX, Utah Wilderness, and containing the text of amendment numbered 3572, with Lost Creek land exchange modified to reflect the text I now send to the desk, and the committee substitute, as amended, be immediately agreed to, the bill be advanced to third reading and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, all without any intervening action or debate.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, Henry Clay, one of the most eloquent men to serve in the U.S. Senate, once said, ``Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as character.'' I know I speak for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in saying that Senator Richard Lugar is truly a man of character. And I join today in saluting Senator Lugar as he becomes the longest serving Senator in Indiana history. Today marks Senator Lugar's 7,059th day in this Chamber. They have been days spent making a difference in nearly every issue that has come before this body, including agriculture, trade, the budget, foreign policy, and nuclear security. As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Lugar played a key role in bringing freedom to the Philippines. And as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, he produced legislation which will bring freedom to America's farmers. Dick Lugar's service to his State and his country are not limited to the time he has served in the Senate. It was Naval Officer Lugar who prepared intelligence briefings for the Chief of Naval Operations and President Eisenhower. It was Mayor Lugar who led the city of Indianapolis for 8 years, earning a reputation as one of the Nation's most innovative and successful mayors. And it is husband and father Dick Lugar who stands as a role model for countless young Americans. Mr. President, over the last few years, Senator Lugar has asked summer interns in his Washington office to research an Indiana Senator of their choice. I am confident that in decades yet to come, when young Indiana students research those who have served their State, they will conclude that not only did Richard Lugar set a standard in terms of longevity, he also set a standard in terms of integrity.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I now ask there be a period for the transaction of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mr. DOLE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that immediately following the disposition of H.R. 2202, the immigration bill, the Senate proceed to an original bill (S. 1720), which I now send to the desk; that the bill be advanced to third reading and the vote occur on passage immediately, without further action or debate, following the vote on H.R. 2202.