Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this language was added to the bill in committee. It did not arise out of the original mark. I opposed the addition of this language because I agree with the Senator from Oklahoma. I have a lot of confidence in the Coast Guard. In fact, within this agency, the Coast Guard is clearly one of the best run, most efficient and most professional groups in our entire Government. The Coast Guard has come to the conclusion they don't need the system, that it is ancillary to the basic needs of navigation. It is a lot like maintaining a black-and-white television when everybody has gone to color--or high definition now. Hand-held GPSs are like little telephones. You can carry them anywhere. The accuracy and instantaneous locating of those devices is extraordinary, especially compared to LORAN. There is no need to keep this black-and-white technology. We should phase it out. The Coast Guard has come up with a plan for doing that. We can save some money, and with that money we can put it into other things the Coast Guard does need. I support the amendment. There are other Members who wish to speak. I don't think we should go to a vote until we have given people the time to come and put their 2 cents in. I support the amendment.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I could not agree more. As far as the million dollars, I am happy to reallocate it toward this activity. This is a huge amount, but I don't think it should be understated how much effort is being made to try to figure out how much in the way of funds has been either mishandled, fraudulently handled, wasted, and the first cut just on the individual side is $1.8 billion. As a result of Katrina, the number is going to be much higher when they get into the public area of rebuilding roads, schools, and hospitals. However, the Department is trying, and certainly the inspector general of the Department is trying very hard. He has a very highly structured task force--a series of them--to try to manage these dollars. The results are not too complete. We are starting to get hard information, but dollars have been wasted, and it is inexcusable. If this technical accounting process is something that should be followed, I have no problem with proceeding in this way. I don't want to imply that this is going to resolve the problem. The problem is much bigger than this. The issue is whether the inspector general can get his arms around everything that has happened down there. You are not only dealing necessarily with the Federal folks who are giving us the issues; there are a lot of local and State issues about how Federal money is being spent here that is very questionable. Unfortunately, people took advantage of the American taxpayers' compassion for folks who have been devastated in that part of the country. Some people saw that as an opportunity to take advantage of the American taxpayers. We are very creative people sometimes in that area, and unfortunately it happened. There is a genuine effort to try to make sure the money is spent effectively, and there is an equally genuine effort by the inspector general to follow up on money that has not been spent correctly. So I welcome this effort as part of the fight to make sure tax dollars are spent effectively. I ask that the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. I believe that amendment has been agreed to and disposed of.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. Has it been reported yet?

Mr. GREGG. I ask unanimous consent that it be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, if the Senator will withhold, I would suggest that we move on to another amendment. Senator Biden is here, he could proceed with his amendment, and during that time Senators could perhaps work something out.

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, rather than suggesting a quorum, I will protect the Senator's position. Does the Senator have a modification to his amendment? Amendment No. 4585, as Modified

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, is that amendment pending?

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment offered by the Senator from Delaware be set aside and the amendment which has just been modified be pending.

Mr. GREGG. Unless there is objection, I ask unanimous consent that amendment be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. I thank the Senator. Amendment No. 4553 Madam President, is the regular order the admendment proposed by the Senator from Delaware?

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

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from North Dakota be recognized for up to 10 minutes as in morning business, and upon completion of his statement the Senator from Louisiana be recognized to offer an amendment.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask for the regular order with respect to the Biden amendment.

Mr. GREGG. I will raise a point of order against the pending amendment. The amendment would cause the bill to violate section 302 of the Budget Act.

Mr. GREGG. I have four amendments--by Senators Lautenberg, Salazar, Kerry, and Feingold--all of which have been cleared on the other side. I ask unanimous consent they be considered en bloc and agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I support the Senator's amendment. I understand there may be some Members who wish to speak to it, so I suggest we lay it aside and move on to the amendment of the Senator from Montana.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I advise Members and their staff who are listening that we have put out a request for anybody who wishes to address the amendment from Senator Byrd to get in touch with us, and if they have an objection to get in touch with us. Otherwise, at 3 o'clock, I intend to move to accept that amendment--just so people are aware of that, unless we hear an objection. The Senators from Montana are working on making sure the language of this pending amendment--I understand Senators Burns and Baucus from Montana are working to make sure the amendment is correctly drafted. Once they work out the correct drafting of the amendment, then I would expect we would accept that amendment also. Pending that, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I call up Senator Byrd's amendment No. 4614.

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