Pete Domenici

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. I yield as much time as the Senator wants.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am opposed to the amendment, so I control the time. Does the Senator from South Carolina want some additional time?

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, has the Senator used the full hour? He had a full hour.

Mr. DOMENICI. The Senator does not have any time.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, it is very interesting; the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts says this is going to show our priorities. We have more than the President of the United States in education. So one would think that he would have more money available for tax reduction. But guess what. He found there are a lot of other priorities. So he has a 14-percent increase in domestic programs, all with high priorities equivalent to education--increase them all. Actually, in truth, the difference is, do you want to spend more money on the domestic programs of America, even though we are increasing education more than the President, do you want to spend more and not even give the taxpayers a shot as to whether or not they should get some tax relief via the marriage tax penalty, some small business help and those kinds of things? That is essentially the difference in priorities. We think ours are very good priorities. There is a lot of money in here for education. To the extent the Federal Government can be helpful, I believe we will be helpful. Amendment No. 2926

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, for purposes of conducting a Full Committee business meeting which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this business meeting is to consider pending calendar business.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, immediately following the business meeting for a hearing. The committee will examine the energy potential of the 1002 area of the Arctic Coastal Plain; the role this energy could play in national security; the role this energy could play is reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil; and the legislative provisions of S. 2214, the Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy Security Act of 2000.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2000, for hearings on Medicaid in the Schools: A Pattern of Improper Payments.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2000 at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to hold two hearings.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2000 at 9:30 a.m. to markup the nomination of Thomas N. Slonaker, to be Special Trustee for American Indians within the Department of the Interior, and to conduct a hearing on S. 612, ``the Indian Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation Act of 1999.'' The hearing will be held in the Committee room, 485 Russell Senate Building.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administraton be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2000, at 9:30 a.m., to receive testimony on political parties in America.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, April 5, 2000 at 9:30 a.m., in SH216.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent Dave Carney, a member of Senator Abraham's staff, be allowed access to the floor.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I wish to make a few remarks about a friend of mine. I will have been in the Senate at the end of this year for 28 years. When I arrived, a Senator was already here named Ted Stevens from the great State of Alaska. He was strong, articulate, and he was tough. He was moving up in the ranks. There are approximately 6 billion people alive on this Earth right now, and only 619,000 of them are living in Alaska. After a long process, it was decided that Senator Stevens should be the ``Man of the Century'' for Alaska. We have all attended banquets and events for the ``Man of the Year'' or the ``Woman of the Year.'' But Alaska did it up right. They found one of their own, and said: If you look at the century--for part of which they certainly were not in the United States--who is the man of that century? And it was our own Ted Stevens, currently the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. It is phenomenal how people more times than not find reality. They find out what gold is, what is really important, and what is big, strong, and sturdy. It is clear that when it comes to stature, he might not be a tall or big man, but he matches Alaska's mountains; no doubt about it. He is a mountain of a man. I am very grateful to be able to call him my friend. Other Senators have already put in the Record all of the things he has done around here in his years as Senator and how many times he has had to run. A few times he was Senator for only a couple of years, and then he had to run again. He has run more times than the number of years of service would directly yield for a 6-year term, as the occupant of the chair and I serve. When you add it all up, Alaska has done it right. They have concluded that when you look back on the people of Alaska, even long before there was statehood, they are really saying there has not been a man like him. Alaska hasn't had a man like Ted Stevens. He is unique. I want to say on the floor tonight that I am a few days late. I had left town when I found out about this last week. I am glad to have the opportunity tonight. I want to say I am thrilled to have him as my friend. He has a tough job. So do I. I do the budget, and he helps me. He does appropriations, which has to be done every single year with the claims all the Senators put upon him, and with all of the claims others place in behalf of the people of this country for new programs and new expenditures. He has an awful lot of that on his shoulders. I say to him that we are lucky we have him here. We are thrilled that he came from Alaska. If I were an Alaskan, I would have joined them in voting for him as the ``Man of the Century.''

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the nomination be printed in the Record, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate return to legislative session.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will begin debate on the satellite loan guarantee legislation at 9:30 a.m. Amendments to the bill are expected to be offered and debated throughout the day. It is expected that action on the bill can be completed prior to adjournment. Therefore, Senators may expect votes on amendments and final passage of this bill. Following the disposition of the bill, there will be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the gas tax legislation. After that cloture vote, the Senate will begin a period of morning business with a statement expected by Senator Brownback on the marriage tax penalty.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, with reference to the satellite loan guarantee legislation, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 2285 occur immediately following the conclusion of S. 2097, the satellite loan guarantee bill, but in any event no later than 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I understand that S. 2323 is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. DOMENICI. I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on the executive calendar: No. 450.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, before I conclude on this subject, after which time I want to make a short speech about Ted Stevens, my friend and everybody's friend here in the Senate, I want to talk about this administration for a minute. Nobody will deny that President Bill Clinton is about as articulate and as smart a President as we have ever had. He can get on television and tell us things, and people believe him. When in fact we are doing things, it is good to have a President like that because people find out what we are doing. As I look back on this administration now, I used to say there are two difficult things--because I am a budget man, a fiscal policy guy; that is what I have been doing around here. I used to say there are two major problems left for America. If we solve them, we have our fiscal policy house in order like we never thought we would. We are going to be on the path of surpluses, of low taxation, which is when America does well, when we are taxed at low levels. That is one of the most significant differences between our country and its business success and production of jobs and employment and those who compete with us. We tax business low, not high. We let business pay money to employees, not to welfare programs. This is pretty exciting stuff. One of the two things we never fixed is Medicare, which is in no better shape today than when the President walked into the office. In fact, it is closer to bankruptcy. No major reform. No prescription drugs. I used to say that. Then I would say the other one that is major is Social Security--this gigantic program that has taken so many seniors out of poverty, and we all have to be proud of that. I used to say, if this President would leave us a permanent solution to that, he would leave a great legacy. But he has ignored the two big problems of the country. Tonight, as Senator Voinovich was on the floor talking, I was reminded that there is a third problem America has that this President has not touched, which is America's dependence on crude oil from foreign countries to operate our cars and use in our daily lives, almost to the point that we could not survive without it. What has happened? Growing dependency. It used to be that I thought when we got to 50 percent, I would join Senator Bentsen, or someone, on the floor saying put a program out. The prediction is that we will be at 65- percent dependency in the next 10, 15 years. It is not so important that we are 65-percent dependent, but when you are that dependent, if somebody decides to cut your supply by just a million or two out of the 65, the prices go up. That is what is happening right now. The world needs X amount, and they are producing about X minus 2.5 or 2.7 million barrels a day. Look at what happens to the prices. So we became vulnerable during this administration, which kind of happily moved along saying: Isn't it neat? We have cheap oil, and it's feeding this magnificent economic growth, and, boy, aren't we on the gravy train? Tonight, we are talking about the fact that that is not a gravy train. We are really in big trouble as the world's most powerful nation, and not a constructive thing has happened, unless one concludes it is constructive to have Secretary Richardson going to all these nations--some of them twice, some three times, I assume--urging that they can't hurt their friend America by continuing to underproduce oil. We have to produce more so the price will come down. That can't be an energy policy--to go out to those big countries and rely on your friendship to get some relief; that is not an energy policy. How can we, as a great nation, say to our children and grandchildren: That is the legacy we are leaving you? Boy, we hope we have a great Secretary of State and a great Secretary of Energy in about 8 or 10 years, so they can meander around the world and know all these leaders and go there and have dinner with them and talk about being their great friends. What if it turns out that in a few years they are up to here with us? Some are already saying it. We have been so inconsistent with Kuwait, our business friend, that they are asking publicly: What is it America wants of us? They have been trying to be helpful. We saved them. Incidentally, while we saved them, they paid an awful price in terms of dollars to pay for that war. America didn't pay much for that war. Between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and others, they paid almost every penny for the cost of that war. It was the slickest thing you ever saw. I was sitting with the man who worked with the President and who set all of it out in a formula for how these countries would pay. They paid it. We were thrilled to have those countries go out and pay for that war. They paid for it. They went into hock and mortgage to pay for it. They are wondering: What do you want of us, America? We are trying to do everything you are asking of us. But we don't know what to do. That is pretty tough stuff to come from one little country. It is little. But for a small country, it has more barrels of oil under each square piece of its earth than any other similar piece of soil in the world. That is Kuwait. It is small but hugely laden with oil supplies. I am delighted that the gas tax pumps Senator Voinovich up enough to come to the floor and not only talk about that gasoline tax which pays for our highways. No matter what it was for when it was passed, it is now in our highway trust fund. It is part of the formula that we used. I will tell you, if you temporarily repeal it for 1 year, it will not hurt the allocations for the year 2001. Everybody will get what they currently plan on getting. But that means we have to eventually put the money back in. We are running around talking about trying to pay for future military needs and trying to take care of some new Medicare needs, if we can get reform, and, frankly, we ought not to be cavalierly talking about these billions that we are going to have to take out of the general fund. I want to say for the record so everybody will know when they hear about their gasoline tax that the rule of thumb is for every penny of tax for roads and the like, the U.S. Government gets $1 billion. That is a pretty rough calculus. If it is 4.3, it is about $4.3 billion. If it is 18 cents that is repealed temporarily, or otherwise, it is about $18 billion. That is per annum, per year. The rule of thumb still applies. It applied a few years ago. Nobody has changed it, to my knowledge right now. It might change as the price goes up. We may see some change. But I don't think so because these are not percentages. They are pennies per gallon.

Mr. DOMENICI. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. DOMENICI. First, I thank the Senator for his good remarks. He is right on. I think he should add to his arsenal of words and discussions about the energy crisis the following: The United States of America has the greatest intelligence organization. We spend so much on intelligence and information gathering. We have an agency within the Department of Energy that is independent. We put a lot of money in it. They call themselves the ``analysts of energy.'' They are supposed to know everything you can know about crude oil. Tonight, as the cartel and its member countries concluded a meeting and said, this is what we are going to do, the United States of America has no way of finding out whether they have or have not. We do not know how much they are producing, how much they are exporting. That may come as a shock to you, but I can guarantee you what I am telling you is right. We don't know. Now isn't this something? We are now sending diplomats, such as my friend and former colleague from New Mexico, to go over and kind of beg these countries to consider our economy and worry about our future and that we are in this together, we are bosom buddies, and we bailed you out of a few wars; don't do us in so bad; put a little more oil on the market so the price will go down. We don't know, unless they choose to tell us, day by day how much they are putting in the market, how much is being exported to the world communities. We sort of know how much the world needs. Our chairman of the Energy Committee has reported over and over again what that number is. But if you ask the person from the energy agency of the United States, Do you know how much they put on the market months ago?--give us the month and tell us how much--they will tell you: We don't know. As a matter of fact, they will tell you they lost 500 million barrels somewhere. I don't mean that it sank underground in a big hole and depleted away; they just lost it in transit, didn't know what happened to it. I submit that we ought to worry about all the things you are talking about, but we had better get our heads together and find out who we are going to assign the responsibility of finding out how much of this international oil is being put on the market. After all, we ought to know. We are paying the money for it. Our future is dependent upon it. If they cut down the spigot and we don't know for 6 or 7 months what they did, shame on us, don't you think? We have to know that.

Mr. DOMENICI

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it adjourn until the hour of 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 30. I further ask unanimous consent that on Thursday, immediately following the prayer, 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 the Senate then begin consideration of S. 2097, the satellite loan guarantee legislation.