Dianne Feinstein

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I object.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I know the Senator from Louisiana wishes to speak in morning business, which is fine. I wonder if I could make one brief announcement. Members are interested in bringing this bill to a conclusion. There are a number of amendments that were listed in the consent order. I ask that Members come to the floor to call up their amendments shortly. Senator Coburn has a number, Senator Reid, Senator Collins. Senator Ensign has a motion to recommit. If these Members could come to the floor and call up their amendments, it would be appreciated. We would be able to, hopefully, conclude the bill.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I certainly will.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. The Senator has an hour.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I think directly following Senator Landrieu.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, if I may, if the Senator would be good enough to mention the subject of the amendment as he reads the number, it would be appreciated. We could keep it straight that way.

Mr. FEINSTEIN

Mr. FEINSTEIN. Good. I just want to know about which one the Senator is speaking when he is speaking.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, with respect to amendment No. 2511, Senator Coburn and I have come to an agreement. Therefore, there is no need for me to offer a second degree. I ask unanimous consent that the Coburn amendment No. 2511 be modified with the changes at the desk, and that the amendment, as modified, be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would be happy to do the same thing. If I may, Senator Coburn's amendment No. 2463, he and I have come to an agreement. I ask unanimous consent that the Coburn amendment be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, if I may say through the Chair to the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma, the manager of the amendment and I are prepared to take the amendment. Moreover, we are prepared to convene a meeting between the two Department heads, have you present, and sit down and see what we can work out.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. We will accept the amendment on both sides with the stricture I just added to it on the pending amendment.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Thank you, Madam President. Amendment No. 2483

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, regretfully, I have to oppose this amendment. The fact is, we would lose opportunities to conserve valuable lands because within national parks there are inholdings, and inholdings, when they become available--these are private properties that people own--the Federal Government buys them and adds to the public land. Let me name a few: In Georgia, I am told the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area would be involved; in many States, Civil War battlefield sites; in Ohio, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; in the State of Washington, Mount Rainier, Olympic, and San Juan National Parks; in Texas, Big Thicket National Preserve; in Indiana, the Hoosier National Forest; in Utah, Dixie National Forest; in South Dakota, the Black Hills National Forest. The point I wish to make is, on occasion, there are families who have large land holdings, and these are valuable, pristine land holdings. Their first preference might be to have the Federal Government buy these lands to hold them for the future and to conserve the lands. If the Federal Government can't do that, the lands go on the market, generally, for the highest and best use. With some of our prized and treasured possessions, that is not the way to go. I will oppose this amendment. I am sure it will be in line for a vote.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Will the Senator yield? I know he is a gentleman.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, when we did the stimulus, we put in the maximum amount that the departments could use for maintenance and rehabilitation. I have the breakdown. It is hard to add it all up quickly, but I can give some idea. Bureau of Land Management deferred maintenance, $35 million; recreation maintenance, 25; trail maintenance, 20; abandoned mine site remediation, $30 million; habitat restoration, 25. It goes on. I recall as we did this, what we were told by our staffs is that was the maximum amount these departments could absorb in the length of time covered by the stimulus. I will leave my colleagues with that.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I appreciate that, but I cannot accept that. We believe the Land and Water Conservation Fund is working as it is supposed to. If anything, it has been underfunded. This bill proposes to appropriate $420 million of the $900 million that is authorized. That is less than 50 percent. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, we believe, is extraordinarily important. We would try to get it higher if we could, but we cannot.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside and amendment No. 2504, as modified, be called up.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, there is a further modification at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be further modified.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, this modification, which has been agreed to on both sides, allows the Secretary of the Interior to make $200,000 available for preservation of the Martin Luther King papers. It is an amendment offered by Senator Isakson. I fully support the amendment. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment as further modified, be agreed to.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to call up amendment No. 2535.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, this amendment has been accepted by both sides. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to call up amendment No. 2527.