Pete Domenici

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Chair and Senate.

Mr. DOMENICI. I will propound a unanimous consent request. It is cleared on the other side. I ask unanimous consent vote on adoption of the budget conference report occur no later than 6:30 p.m. this evening.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, once again, I am trying hard to accommodate Senators. I will not use more of our time if they want to give back. I have one Senator who has not spoken. I yield 5 minutes to Senator Snowe.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am going to respond to the Senator for 1 minute, and then I will have remarks about the Senator from New Jersey and our relationship. I say to the distinguished Senator who spoke about the National Institutes of Health and what we are going to do and not going to do, everybody should know when and by whom the NIH increased in the most dramatic manner in its history. In the last 3 years, when Republicans controlled both Houses, we increased the National Institutes of Health--cancer, AIDS, all those diseases--let me give the numbers to my colleagues. Since 1998, NIH has increased 40 percent: In 1998, $13.7 billion; in 1999, it was $15.6 billion. That is a 14-percent increase. In 2000, it went up 13.8 percent, one of the largest domestic program increases in this whole budget. In 2001, this conference report, NIH funding is going to $19.3 billion. That is an increase of 8 percent. We are doing pretty well trying to find cures for serious ailments, thanks to the Republicans who in conference and elsewhere pushed so hard for it. I ask that it be in order to ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I was listening to Senator Mack. And I really wish all Americans could hear his concerns and message because I don't think the message he is sending today is getting out to people. I really believe most people think this is just a technical issue, it is automatic, it is what ought to happen. I think what the Senator from Florida shared with us indicates that this is not an ordinary situation. It is very unordinary. Cuba is not an ordinary country. It is a very unordinary country, in the manner and in the ways the Senator from Florida described it, and more. I thank him for coming here and asking the President and the Attorney General in a senatorial way--he made no threats, and there were no connotations in his voice. He clearly said, I ask that you consider the other side of this coin. I thank him for that.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the upcoming Tenth Annual Arms Control Conference taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In recognition of this Tenth Anniversary, I wish to emphasize the tireless efforts of this conference's founder, coordinator, and inspiration, Dr. James Brown. Dr. Brown's career has long emphasized arms control. Not only has Jim Brown devoted himself to this conference for the past decade, but he has also been a practitioner. He served in several different capacities at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, where he helped develop verification regimes for implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He also worked in the Pentagon as a special assistant to the Deputy Undersecretary for Planning and Resources. His academic resume is also impressive. Jim was a professor at Southern Methodist University, and a visiting professor at Air University. He was a founding director of the John Tower Center for Political Studies and co-taught courses with Senator Tower for eight years. Jim Brown was also selected as a senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ankara. Most notably, he has authored and edited nine volumes of scholarly work and 35 articles on Arms Control. Dr. James Brown has dedicated many years of his professional life in pursuit of international understanding as a fundamental prerequisite to progress on arms control and disarmament. Every year this conference reflects the culmination of his personal commitment. It is important to acknowledge the unique contribution that this conference has made and continues to make toward achievement of global peace and stability. The disarmament and non-proliferation work of Sandia National Laboratories and the Cooperative Monitoring Center are greatly enhanced and supported by the annual Arms Control Conference. This event should serve to underscore Sandia Laboratories' staunch commitment to a safe and stable international security environment. The success of this annual event owes itself to Jim's reputation, his integrity, his personal relationships with a broad range of policy makers throughout the global arms control community and their trust in him. Jim's diligence has enabled the Albuquerque conference to grow even more in stature each year bringing credit on Sandia, the Department of Energy and the State of New Mexico. Mr. President, New Mexico is fortunate to have Dr. Brown as a citizen.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Let me say to all Senators, we only have one rollcall vote left. That will be final passage.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, let me suggest, this is for Senator DeWine and others, including Democrats. We are willing to accept it. The Democrats are willing to accept it. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. If there be no further debate, the question is on agreeing to the amendment.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask amendment 3049, of Senator DeWine, be called up.

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

Mr. DOMENICI. We have no objection to the amendment. I yield back my time.

Mr. DOMENICI. Yes, sir.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I believe this amendment has been worked out with Members on our side who have a genuine interest. We have no objection.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, this amendment strikes the reconciliation instructions. What we have said in our budget resolution is, if we don't get any tax relief, the money will go to reducing the debt. I believe the budget resolution needs to have a reconciliation instruction if we are going to give a fair chance at the tax reforms that are proposed--any size, from $10 billion to $75 billion or whatever can be done. Without the reconciliation, we would get none of it done. Therefore, I oppose it and hope it will be defeated. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. DOMENICI. I will be pleased to speak with my colleagues regarding this issue. I am very much aware that these are difficult times for many farmers and ranchers across the Nation. For that reason, the Budget Committee set aside $5.5 billion in FY 2000 budget authority to provide assistance for agriculture producers.

Mr. DOMENICI. Senator Bond wants to speak on one of his amendments for a minute.

Mr. DOMENICI. We have no objection to this. This will be a voice vote.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I believe the next amendment is the minimum wage amendment by Senator Kennedy.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I do not believe we ought to take the HI trust fund off budget. That is what this amendment does. In the budget resolution, we have $40 billion for Medicare and we do not accept the President's cuts for Medicare. I think we have done right by Medicare. If we can incorporate these numbers in a bill this year, I think we will be on the right track. This just won't work. Medicare is not a trust fund like Social Security. I am grateful that Senator Ashcroft is trying to do this. He has been a leader in protecting Medicare and Social Security. I do not think this will work. Mr. President, I make a point of order that the amendment is not germane to the budget resolution.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. DOMENICI. You said they should be entitled to.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I believe Senator Abraham has the next amendment. Amendment No. 3063 (Purpose: To provide for the protection of Social Security trust funds surpluses)

Mr. DOMENICI. Thank you very much. Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.