Pete Domenici

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. All right. Could we just make sure everybody understands we are prepared to move, soon, to bring the LIHEAP issue back on the calendar where it belongs, and to dispose of it this evening? With that, I assume we will proceed, Senator, to vote on your amendment, if that is all right with you.

Mr. DOMENICI. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. DOMENICI. I remind the Senator, in response to the Senator from New Mexico and his remarks about this being more of the same and enough is enough and his comment, one thing is different, and that is that the ranking minority member of the Energy Committee was on his amendment, I remind the Senator that same Senator has offered his own amendment and it did not get enough votes. If you get as many votes as he got, you are doing quite well. I don't know that you can expect more by saying he is on it since he has tried his best and failed already.

Mr. DOMENICI. I am anxiously awaiting for you to decide you have used your time up. Have you?

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. For the information of all Senators, tomorrow morning Senator Dole will deliver her maiden speech. When the Senate resumes the Energy bill, Senator Boxer will offer the first of two ethanol amendments. The votes in relation to these amendments, as well as the pending Schumer amendment, will be stacked to occur later in the day. It is hoped that Senators who have additional amendments on any part of this bill would make themselves available to offer those amendments so that further progress can be made on this important legislation. I would also add, it is hoped we can reach an agreement so that all of the amendments must be filed at the desk by a time certain. We will continue to work toward that agreement. Having said that, votes will occur tomorrow on amendments to the Energy bill with the hope of making substantial progress. If there is no further business to come before the Senate----

Mr. DOMENICI. I have no objection. I repeat to the Senators, we are going to make every effort. The distinguished Senators, Mr. Bingaman and Mr. Reid, and myself and the distinguished majority leader, we are going to do everything we can to try to get a list of amendments and a date certain for first-degree amendments with reference to this bill. Having said that, votes are going to occur tomorrow on amendments to the Energy bill with the hope of making substantial progress.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Pryor as heretofore agreed to.

Mr. DOMENICI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. On behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 5. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then begin a period of morning business until the hour of 10 a.m., with the time under the control of Senator Dole, provided that at 10 a.m., the Senate resume consideration of S. 14, the Energy bill, and Senator Boxer be recognized as under the previous order.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Senator for coming early this morning and offering an amendment to help us get this bill going. We will be arranging a sequencing of these amendments later in the day. I thank the Senator for bringing forth the amendment at this time.

Mr. DOMENICI. Might I say to the two Senators debating the issue, because of management problems, it appears this amendment will be set aside and will be voted on later in the evening but today, along with as many votes as we can stack with it, sometime after 4 o'clock this afternoon. I assume that is satisfactory to the Senator from California and the minority leader. I yield the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, what is the amendment?

Mr. DOMENICI. I assume it would be a second-degree amendment.

Mr. DOMENICI. Is it in order without a consent agreement?

Mr. DOMENICI. She already did that?

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Chair.

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

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I want to discuss with the Senate where we are. As manager of the bill, I am interested in trying to see if we can entice and excite Senators about bringing their amendments that have to do with the ethanol part of this bill to the floor today, if possible. We have two pending and, very shortly, we will have a consent agreement regarding voting on those two. That would give us the afternoon for further discussion on and the reception of other amendments with reference to ethanol--if Senators desire to do that. We are aware of two or three others, perhaps four Senators who would like to offer amendments regarding ethanol. I remind Senators there are many more issues in this Energy bill, although this is a very important one. Obviously, we want it thoroughly debated and, ultimately, hopefully, from the managers' standpoint, we would like it to be adopted as part of the bill. Sooner or later, we have to head on to some of the other provisions. There are seven or eight contentious ones at least that need to be discussed. We are now awaiting final word from the other side as to whether we can proceed. I understand we can.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I understand that S. 1162 is at the desk and is due for a second reading.

Mr. DOMENICI. I ask that it be in order to read the title of the measure.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask that the Senate proceed to the measure and object to further proceeding.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I understand the ethanol sequencing of votes is acceptable, so I will propound the unanimous consent request. I ask unanimous consent that a vote occur in relation to the Feinstein amendment No. 843 at 4:30 today and that there be 10 minutes equally divided for debate prior to the vote. I further ask that following that vote, the Senate immediately proceed to a vote in relation to the Feinstein amendment No. 844, with 4 minutes equally divided for debate prior to that vote.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, that means that at 4:30 we will start the first vote on S. 14, the Energy Policy Act. There will be two votes. There is another matter already pending, but we will await the arrival of the chairman of the HELP Committee, Senator Gregg, to see what his pleasure is regarding further time to debate the LIHEAP amendment and an amendment I made on his behalf thereto. Hopefully that, too, can be disposed of today, although the Senator from New Mexico is in no way pushing that because Senator Gregg will use whatever time he needs in that regard. Once again, Mr. President, I say to my fellow Senators, I know some of them have other amendments regarding the ethanol amendment. We also know that the ethanol amendment is very popular. We think it is a fair assessment to say it is probably going to pass rather handsomely in the Senate. Nonetheless, Senators desire to make their case and make their points, and the Senate is disposed, obviously, to let them do that. It would be nice if we could get that much of the bill done today; that is, debate on those issues pertaining to ethanol. I note Senator Bingaman is standing. Perhaps he desires to speak at this point.

Mr. DOMENICI. I assume I said 4 o'clock. I was incorrect. It is 4:30 p.m. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.