Wendell Ford

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii [Mr. Akaka] is absent because of attending a funeral.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii [Mr. Akaka] is absent because of attending a funeral.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Hawaii [Mr. Akaka] is absent because of attending a funeral.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I appreciate the remarks of the distinguished majority leader, and I say to him we are working as hard as we can. Your people are here in the Cloakroom now and amendments are being peeled off and an agreement is imminent, I think. So I would hope that we all understand we are doing as well as we can on both sides. So when the majority leader says there is 15 additional amendments on that side and you are trying to cut those down, maybe we have twice that many, we will cut those down. But we are getting very close. I want Senators to know everything is being done in good faith. There is not any bad faith here. It is all being done in good faith, and I hope that we will have an agreement that everyone will accept and have it shortly. I thank the Chair.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Simon] is necessarily absent. I also announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from California [Mrs. Boxer], the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn], and the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Simon] are necessarily absent. I also announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

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

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. amendment no. 2420

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. amendment no. 2413

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, the President of the United States just held a press conference as it relates to the regulation of tobacco. I will make a few remarks in response to that. The President's announcement today is very disappointing. After weeks of attempting to arrive at a solution with the White House, offering proposal after proposal, my farmers lost out to the zealots. We had agreed to almost everything the White House proposed, with ways to put teeth into that agreement. I know that, because I have been attempting to negotiate since day one. No one, to my knowledge, was attempting to block the President's position of reducing underage smoking. We were offering a fair and enforceable way to get there. Mr. Kessler wanted a scalp on his belt, and the White House was determined to give it to him. Even Representative Ron Wyden of Oregon, a strong antitobacco advocate, asked the President to basically agree with our offer. The administration has chosen litigation over compromise, delay over action. The President has chosen a press conference instead of a negotiating conference. He has chosen a process that reaches his goals later rather than sooner. I am not only disappointed, Mr. President, but I am hurt. My first thought was to be vindictive, use every means I have available to me-- and there are several--to get back at the White House. But I have decided not to take that course. I will, however, try to seek out people of reason to help work through this problem. I have never been one who thought it wise to appoint a person to your administration from another, especially if he or she was of a different party. Mr. Kessler is a carryover from the Bush administration, and I am not sure he is doing this administration any favors. The President said he wants to work to pass legislation that would accomplish these goals. I will introduce such a bill when we return in September and believe it will be acceptable to the White House. The FDA is so far behind now in making important decisions and with the attempt to acquire additional work, I believe the people of this country will be ill-served to a much greater degree by this decision. Mr. President, I have five grandchildren. Three of those grandchildren are teenagers. None of my grandchildren smoke, thanks to their parents, because they have seen to it that they did not. I am not advocating teenage smoking. All I am trying to do here is to put into place an agreement with the White House so that we may proceed and do those things that are necessary, because today suits have been filed all over the country as it relates to the proposed regulations. So now we have confrontation where we could have had an agreement. I am very hopeful that when we come back in September, those who are reasonable and fair will join with me in accomplishing the purpose of reducing or eliminating smoking among teenagers and do it in a very fast and appropriate manner. I yield the floor. Mr. BINGAMAN addressed the Chair.

Mr. FORD

Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley] is absent because of illness in the family.

Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to. [[Page S 12121]]