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 send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senators Abraham, Levin, and Hatch, and I ask unanimous consent any pending amendment be set aside and we consider this amendment.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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

Mr. GORTON

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

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

Mr. GORTON. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. GORTON. The Miccosukee Settlement Act of 1997 brings closure to disputes between the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation in connection with the construction of Interstate 75. It has been cleared on all sides.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, the amendment is sponsored jointly by the two Senators from Florida, Senators Mack and Graham.

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.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Mack.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this amendment requires the administration to submit to Congress a priority list for lands to be acquired with moneys appropriated in title V. Congress will make the ultimate determination.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senators Bingaman and Domenici.

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

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator McCain.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this is an amendment on behalf of the two Senators from Oregon for repair of the Oakridge Ranger Station. It has been cleared by both sides.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this amendment is not acceptable. We had worked all day with the senior Senator from Alaska and the Senator from Arizona on a proposal that I had not previously seen that really ought to be authorized, even in its original form, and about which I have some concerns, the composition of the research board, the involvement of the Department of the Interior, the way in which money is allocated, the kind of scoring problems that we will have which will create problems with the Budget Committee. But it seemed to me that the compromise that we had reached on it among several of us was clearly worth going forward with. This second-degree amendment involves now $1.6 billion, at 8 o'clock at night, when we were attempting to finish a bill on which it does not belong because it needs to be authorized, and it has not been cleared on the other side. We made no attempt to clear it on the other side. I did not know it was coming. Other Senators, including the majority leader, feel as I do. I move to table the second-degree amendment of the Senator from Alaska.