T. Gorton

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this is what I would propose. First, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Domenici be added as a cosponsor on the Abraham amendment.

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

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GORTON. There is some confusion here about the location of the amendment. We are looking for it.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I hope we are close to the end. We have not yet quite settled the second-degree amendment by Senator Murkowski or the first-degree amendment by Senators Stevens and McCain. I don't think there are any significant number of other amendments that have not yet been dealt with. We do have a large number of colloquies, but I will wait to enter them until after a vote on final passage. We will try to work out the rest of it. I notice the Senator from Alaska on the floor, and I yield the floor.

Mr. GORTON. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this allows certain additional funds for payment in lieu of taxes, has benefits to counties throughout the country, and has an appropriate balance but does not affect the overall balance of the bill. It has been cleared on both sides.

Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

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

Mr. GORTON. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. GORTON. I move to lay it on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I believe that could be accommodated under the committee's language and would be happy to work with the Senator to make sure this is the case.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, it is my understanding that, because these funds are expended as part of the TPA account, any unused funds would revert to the other uses of the TPA account. We would support allowing this to happen 60 days prior to the end of the fiscal year.

Mr. GORTON. As the Senator may know, the reprogramming threshold established by the committee's guidelines is $500,000. I do appreciate the clarification that this effort would not be a new start. Should the Department be able to identify funds for a reprogramming, it should consider the needs associated with completing the ongoing project designs.

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1241

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of myself and Senator Byrd and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an explanation of the effect of this amendment be printed in the Record.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this is a managers amendment that shifts money between a number of accounts in order to address a number of outstanding issues relating to this bill. This amendment is fully offset by reductions from elsewhere in the bill so that the bill remains in compliance with its allocation. This proposal has been cleared with Senator Byrd and I urge its adoption.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this does make a correction in connection with bill payments to Alaska which I believe is appropriate and I believe has been cleared.

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

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

Mr. GORTON

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside, and I send another amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GORTON. Reserving the right to object, I did not hear the request of the Senator.

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

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