Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

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

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the brave Americans who served on the USS Thresher. The nuclear submarine USS Thresher, named after a shark, was built with extreme pride by yankee craftsmen working at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH. After operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean, she returned to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for overhaul, and then on April 10, 1963 she went back to sea for post-overhaul trials. Sadly, during those deep- diving trials, the Thresher was lost off the coast of New England, along with all 96 sailors, 16 officers, and 17 civilians on board, falling more than 8,000 feet below the sea. The sailors, officers and civilians aboard the USS Thresher made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our Nation. They are remembered daily throughout New Hampshire, and Maine, and certainly within the U.S. Navy. This measure we introduced recognizes the courage and bravery these men demonstrated in risking their lives in the development of the United States Navy's submarine program, a program which has proven invaluable to the American military. The tragedy of the USS Thresher demonstrates the inherent danger of submarine service. On this the 40th anniversary of the tragedy, it is fitting that the Senate remembers with profound sorrow the loss of the USS Thresher and her gallant crew of sailors and civilians; and expresses its deepest gratitude to all submariners on eternal patrol, who are forever bound together by their dedicated and honorable service to the United States of America. May our country never forget those who gave their last full measure on the USS Thresher.

Mr. GREGG

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 I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I rise in opposition to the amendment. We seem to have had an intermission on the issue of spending, but the curtain has risen again. This amendment sets a new standard, quite honestly. We increased IDEA spending by 24 percent in this bill in 1 year, and 380 percent since 1996. What this amendment would do is increase IDEA spending by 250 percent in 1 year, $229 billion over 10 years. In fact, the way the amendment is drafted, the Federal Government would now be paying not 40 percent of the cost of IDEA; it is on a glidepath--under the amendments that were already accepted, the Federal Government would be paying 60 percent of the cost of IDEA, which is 20 percent over what we committed to as a government. Now, that is absurd. At some point, this spending simply has to be brought under control. At some point, we have to recognize that what is happening here is not an attempt to have fiscal responsibility or proper budgeting but simply to put forward a show. I yield the floor.

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, as the Senator from Iowa well knows, this bill does not eliminate any programs. As the Senator from Iowa well knows, this bill sets a number, a gross number, that we will spend on education. However, what the Senator from Iowa doesn't appear to know is that this bill is already $8.1 billion above where his bill was when he reported it out of committee just 3 months ago. I am wondering why we need to continue to put money into programs to which there is a significant commitment already. It is time to bring down the curtain on this theater of spending. I yield the remainder of my time.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendment. We have increased childcare assistance by 250 percent since 1996. We doubled the number of children in childcare programs. This budget resolution alone increases childcare assistance by 7.3 percent in the mandatory accounts, 10 percent in the discretionary accounts, for a $5 billion increase. All of this has been done while welfare rolls have dropped by 54 percent. We are putting a dramatic increase in money in fewer children who are even qualified for the money which means, as a practical matter, that we are certainly making an extra effort in these accounts. This increase is excessive in light of the amount of the increases already in the bill, which are dramatic in and of their own right. I yield the balance of my time.

Mr. GREGG. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 417

Mr. GREGG. I yield back my time.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, in the Head Start and early education programs, we have increased those by 800 percent--800 percent--in the last decade. In this budget, we have a significant increase in Head Start. In fact, we are putting so much money into Head Start already that about 7 percent of the slots in Head Start are not even filled. We have so much money in this program, in a number of parts of this country they cannot find the kids to put into the programs. It is really inappropriate for us to fund it in a way which is excessive. We are doing a strong and effective job in the area of funding Head Start and early education programs. I hope we defeat this amendment as spending which is unnecessary at this time.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this amendment adds an additional $2 billion into our educational accounts. We already increased educational spending last week. We are increasing it here again. The practical effect of what we are doing is that we will have seen a 91-percent, or $3.2 billion, increase in Head Start as a result of this amendment and the additional amendments we passed. We will have seen over a 333- percent increase in funding in special education in the last few years as a result of this amendment and others and a 90-percent increase in funding in title I as a result of this amendment and others. With this amendment, we will have again dramatically increased the funding for both preschool and general education activities at the elementary and secondary level, and I believe we should have pretty much filled up the bucket in those accounts. Mr. President, I yield back the rest of my time.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I call up an amendment. I believe it is at the desk, or I will send it up.

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

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. That is correct.

Mr. GREGG. The Senator knows the budget rules much better than I do. I think his answer is rhetorical, and the answer is no.

Mr. GREGG. I have no idea.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the COPS Program was designed to put 100,000 new police officers on the street. We have, in fact, put 110,000 new police officers on the street. In addition, the program has been replaced in large part by the huge amount of increases that are going into the First Responder Program, into the Byrne grant, into the LEA grant, and into the local law enforcement effort overall. We are dramatically increasing money in these accounts. To continue a program that was supposed to fade out is totally inappropriate when we are already expanding the spending in these accounts by significant amounts.

Mr. GREGG. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this amendment represents another significant increase in IDEA funding. It represents a $3.2 billion increase over the next 2 years, which will mean that the total increase in IDEA funding over the next 2 years will be approximately $6.7 billion. That is a very dramatic increase that puts us clearly on a path toward full funding of the IDEA accounts, on which many have worked for a long time. I hope the membership supports the amendment.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask that my amendment be reported.

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

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, over the last 4 years, especially over the last 2 years President Bush has been in office, there has been a dramatic increase in IDEA funding. In fact, we have increased IDEA funding by almost 173 percent. Last year, we added $1 billion. This year, we added $1 billion. This budget will add $1 billion on top of that--$3 billion in 3 years. This has been a major commitment to IDEA. I will be following the amendment the Senator from North Dakota has proposed with another amendment which will add an additional $3.2 billion into IDEA. It is inappropriate to take the course of action which the Senator from North Dakota has proposed. We believe we can do it in a much more thoughtful and appropriate way with the following amendment.