Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. As soon as Senator Hatch comes and speaks, maybe we can move to vote. Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.

Mr. GREGG. I would like to do that, but I believe Senator Hatch wishes to speak on it. It is represented he is headed in this direction. This is his jurisdiction and your jurisdiction.

Mr. GREGG. You are absolutely right. We are working on an extensive list of amendments. We have it down to very few. My hope is that within the next hour we can get an agreement on which amendments still have to go forward. Hopefully, there will be virtually none, and then we can go to final passage. That is the game plan.

Mr. GREGG. I withhold for the Senator from Vermont.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I have 10 minutes on this amendment available and note that what we hope to do is stack the vote on this amendment with a couple other votes later in the evening. I reserve the 10 minutes because Senator Hatch has asked to speak to this amendment, and I will allocate him that time. I make a point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. GREGG. Regular order.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, regular order.

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

Mr. GREGG. I yield back my time.

Mr. GREGG. If the Senator is willing to yield back, I am willing to yield back.

Mr. GREGG. That is correct. We will have a vote on the amendment of the Senator from New Jersey and then the Senator from Wyoming. I rise in opposition to this amendment for a number of reasons. With forward funding of an initiative, the $25 million for advanced appropriations next year, it makes it extremely difficult for the committee to function. When the President presented his budget, he had included a large amount of funding which this committee did not accept because we did not want to put ourselves in that sort of a bind. Independent of the equities of the argument relative to the initiative which was voted on once before in a form not exactly like this but similar to this on the Treasury-Postal bill, I believe very strongly this would set a very poor precedent if we began appropriating in the future on bills for this year. It would avoid the entire budgetary process, which requires offsets. That is our fiscal discipline. Without offsets, we will have no fiscal discipline. Arguably, we could appropriate all of next year's budget on almost any subject that Members wish and create significant problems. I don't support the amendment. I believe the amendment is inappropriate.

Mr. GREGG. I would like to talk to the Senator about his amendment. I am hopeful that we can work it out and that we won't have to have a vote on it. Maybe we can talk about it while this debate is going on and work something out.

Mr. GREGG. At that point we are back to the regular order, which is that Senator Hollings is recognized for 10 minutes and I am recognized for 10 minutes. Then we have a vote on the majority leader's point of order. However, I expect that there will be further action on the bill at that point and we will get into an amendment process.

Mr. GREGG. It actually means that Senator Lautenberg has 30 minutes on his amendment equally divided, Senator Enzi has 30 minutes on his amendment equally divided, and we go to a vote on those two amendments.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I am going to propound two unanimous consent requests. One deals with Senator Lautenberg's amendment and one with Senator Enzi's amendment. The plan is as follows: I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for Senator Lautenberg to offer an amendment regarding alcohol and there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided prior to the vote on or in relation to the amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that no amendments be in order to the amendment prior to the vote. I further ask unanimous consent that the previous consent relating to the pending Gregg amendment remain status quo to recur immediately following the Lautenberg vote. I further ask unanimous consent that it be in order for Senator Enzi to offer an amendment regarding the FCC accounting principles and there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided prior to the vote on or in relation to the amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that no amendments be in order prior to the vote. I further ask unanimous consent that the previous consent relating to the pending Gregg amendment remain status quo to reoccur immediately following the vote on the Enzi amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that the Enzi amendment and the Lautenberg amendment be voted on en bloc at the end of the Enzi debate time.

Mr. GREGG. The Senator's amendment is already in the queue.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I am sorry. It would be fine if the Senator from Texas wanted to speak on the bill.

Mr. GREGG. If the Senator from Texas wouldn't mind suspending, I believe the majority leader has some points he wishes to raise.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, was that a unanimous consent request?

Mr. GREGG. I also commend the Senator from Maine. This is a serious problem, not only in Maine but across the border in New Hampshire where we have the same concern about area codes. So I congratulate her on this sense-of-the-Senate amendment and strongly support it. I believe we can accept it. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG

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

Mr. GREGG. That is correct. Mr. President, I yield to my colleague and cosponsor of the amendment, the Senator from Illinois.

Mr. GREGG. I agree with the Senator from Iowa. While the committee was unable to provide new funding as the administration requested, nothing in the bill or the report language prohibits the Department from using generally appropriated funds, including funds from the Fees and Expenses of Witnesses Account, to pursue this litigation if the Department concludes such litigation has merit under existing law.

Mr. GREGG. I ask unanimous consent that the time be reserved for the parties presently assigned to it, and I make a point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I understand we are back on the pending underlying Gregg amendment, and that the Senator from South Carolina has time.