Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I move to waive section 313 of the Congressional Budget Act for consideration of sections 5001(b)(3), 5001(b)(4), and the relevant sections of 6043 of the conference report to accompany S. 1932. I understand the Chair is going to rule that the fourth point of order relative to foster care is not well taken. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. GREGG. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. GREGG. My question is whether I should make my statement before the Senator makes the point of order.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the Senator from North Dakota has been cooperative and very fair, as he always has been when proceeding on these bills. He is a true professional. I know the Chair has been advised as to what the four points of order are. I have a parliamentary inquiry: Does the Chair deem the foster care point of order to be well taken if that question is put to the Chair?

Mr. GREGG. Basically, if I may continue, we would be dealing with three points of order as being well taken if they are put to the Chair?

Mr. GREGG. Not at this time is the question.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the Democratic leader on the bill has every right to make a point of order. Clearly, the Chair will rule they are well taken. Let's talk about the substance quickly. They are essentially technical points of order. Two deal with reports and the other with an issue of liability which is very narrow, dealing with what people are told when they come into an emergency room. Essentially, the practical effect of doing these technical attacks on this bill will be that the bill must go back to the House of Representatives and the House of Representatives is going to agree and knock that language out. But the House is not here. So what is the real practical effect of this? It is that the Katrina money in this bill will not be spent. The TANF Program, the welfare program, will lapse. The Medicare physicians payments increase, which basically makes Medicare physicians whole, will not occur. Transitional medical assistance for families who worked their way off welfare will be lost. And the therapy caps for seniors who suffer strokes will be lost during this interim period. Why would we want to do that simply to go through a technical exercise? It makes no sense at all, other than the fact that the other side of the aisle wants to delay the process. But in the process of delaying for purely technical reasons--I mean, two reports are being challenged. We get thousands of reports in this institution. To delay the Katrina benefits for the people in the gulf coast region who have suffered is outrageous, over two reports. To potentially stop welfare payments for up to a month because the House cannot get back here is outrageous, over two reports. To stop transitional medical assistance is outrageous, over two reports. To say nothing of the other reports. I realize if we don't enact this bill by the end of this year, there are $18 billion worth of subsidies that are going to flow to corporate lenders which are totally inappropriate, which the HELP Committee has said we have to stop. But those subsidies will go to those lenders. The money will potentially be lost, and that money that was going to be used to reduce debt and give students more loans will be lost, potentially, unless we get this bill done by the end of the year. We have serious issues that have to be addressed. They should not be tied up over technicalities. That is what these points of order are about.

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. I yield to the Senator from Missouri 10 minutes.

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

Mr. GREGG. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized on Democratic time.

Mr. GREGG. If Senator Rockefeller is ready, why not have the Senator proceed and then we will go to the Senator from Missouri.

Mr. GREGG. That is correct.

Mr. GREGG. The Senator is going to speak as if in morning business, I believe, but on the bill.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I would presume they would be speaking after Senator Stevens.

Mr. GREGG. That Senator Brownback be allowed to speak.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, all we are trying to do is get people to have time to speak. Senator Brownback was to go next, and Senator Stevens, and when we go into a quorum call the time comes off the bill in an equal way, equal time. That is my understanding.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, prior to yielding to the Senator from Colorado, I am going to take a minute and a half, which would be the minute Senator Schumer had and the half minute which we so graciously gave the Senator from North Dakota. I would simply point out that the Democratic leader said: We killed the Patriot Act. So that is where the body lies. It does not lie on this side of the aisle. It does not lie at the White House. The body lies right there because of the fact that we were not allowed to go to a vote on final passage. That is the way the institution works. The Senator from New York said: Well, we are taking our marbles and leaving. We are not taking our marbles and leaving. We had 50-plus votes willing to continue the PATRIOT Act under the new law, as it has been drafted, as it has gone through the committee process. Fifty-plus votes, that is a majority. What happened, however, was the other side of the aisle did not get it exactly the way they wanted it, so they are going to kill it. That is where the body lies.

Mr. GREGG. Senator Stevens is here to speak. How much time do you require?

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, at this point, I will yield to the Senator from Colorado.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask to amend the unanimous consent request that Senator Stevens be allowed to proceed, as Senator Kerry, in morning business, and not charged to the bill.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask during the quorum call the time be equally charged.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, is the time running against both sides?

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, what is the time, if the Chair will advise the majority and the minority?

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, are we in a quorum call?

Mr. GREGG. I make a point of order a quorum is not present.