Orrin Hatch

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, the next amendment is that of Senator Byrd.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, before I relinquish the floor to Senator Feinstein, let me say that I think States need the ability to take action on their own to enforce their State liquor laws. Senator Byrd's amendment provides States with a Federal court forum to enjoin violations of their alcohol laws, denying violators the ability to hide behind a jurisdictional curtain. Mr. President, this is a summary of the Byrd amendment: First, it permits the chief law enforcement officer of a state to seek an injunction in federal court to prevent the violation of any of its laws regulating the importation or transportation of alcohol; Second, allows for venue for the suit where the defendant resides and were the violations occur; Third, no injunctions issued without prior notice to the opposing party; Fourth, requires that injunctions be specific as to the parties, the conduct and the rationale underlying the issuance of the injunction; Fifth, allows for quick consideration of the application for an injunction; conserves court resources by avoiding redundant proceedings; and Sixth, mandates a bench trial. Having said that, I probably will support both the Byrd amendment and the next amendment by the distinguished Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein.

Mr. HATCH. If I could ask the distinguished Senator from California-- I certainly support this amendment; I believe everyone understands that--why don't we just yield back the time?

Mr. HATCH. May I ask the distinguished Senator from California, since everybody understands this, why don't we yield back the time?

Mr. HATCH. Will the Senator yield for a comment?

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, this next amendment is the Hatch-Feinstein amendment. It is an amendment to give enhanced authority to combat gang violence. In addition to combating gang violence, this also is an amendment that bans bombmaking information on the Internet or information on the Internet with intent to injure. I described this rather fully in my opening remarks earlier in the day. I give the rest of my time to the distinguished Senator from California.

Mr. HATCH. We yield back the time.

Mr. HATCH. The Senator will have 2\1/2\ minutes and the other side will have 2\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. HATCH. We are going to vote in a stacked sequence.

Mr. HATCH. Why don't we ask for the yeas and nays. I ask unanimous consent that the yeas and nays be ordered on all five amendments.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday the Senate resume the following amendments previously debated to the pending juvenile justice bill: No. 357, No. 358, No. 360, and No. 361, with 10 minutes equally divided for additional debate prior to the vote on or in relation to these amendments. I further ask following disposition of debate on each amendment, the amendment be laid aside and at the hour of 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Senate proceed to vote on or in relation to the amendments in the order in which they were offered, with 2 minutes prior to each vote for explanation.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I move to table the Wellstone amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I made a mistake in the sequence. Number 358 should follow immediately after No. 357, so I ask unanimous consent that that be so.

Mr. HATCH. The time limit of 5 minutes equally divided.

Mr. HATCH. The first amendment coming up will be Senator Wellstone's on domestic violence for 2\1/2\ minutes. Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.

Mr. HATCH. I hope we can move to these two amendments. We have 5 minutes to debate them. Amendment No. 359

Mr. HATCH. No time limit. It will be the last of the amendments in the order we are listing them. I ask unanimous consent that that be so.

Mr. HATCH. We are hoping we can set aside basically the other controversial, but not seriously controversial, amendments to be stacked tomorrow at some time, in accordance with the wishes of the majority and minority leaders, and they will proceed in the same way these have. But we understand on No. 355 there is not a time limit.

Mr. HATCH. No.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 19. I further ask that on Wednesday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I really appreciate the majority leader and his patience and forbearance, because this bill is now in its sixth day. That is more than we give to most bills in the Senate, unless they are just hotly contested. This is one that should not be hotly contested. Everybody ought to be for this bill. Mr. President, yesterday I read a quote from a recent New York Times editorial, and I would like to read it again, prior to the time for Senator Helms. This is from the New York Times editorial: In the past it was not hard to be struck by the way time seemed to roll over a tragedy like a school shooting, by the disparity between the enduring grief of parents who lost children in places like Paducah and Jonesboro and the swift distraction of the rest of us. This time, perhaps, things may be different. The Littleton shootings have forced upon the nation a feeling that many parents know all too well--that of inhabiting the very culture they are trying to protect their children from. . . . The urge to do something about youth violence is very strong . . . but it will require an urge to do many things, and to do them with considerable ingenuity and dedication, before symptomatic violence of the kind that occurred in Littleton begins to seem truly improbable, not just as unlikely as the last shooting. That was the New York Times, May 11, 1999. While I may not agree with the Times on everything, I doubt I could have described any better the task we have taken on. This issue is a complex problem and one which requires dedication, a spirit of cooperation, and an agreed upon set of objectives. I believe that spirit of cooperation has been lacking somewhat as this is the sixth day we are on this bill and, as of this morning, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle still had over 25 amendments. Now, my friend from Vermont has indicated that he is working to try and get those cut down. I hope he is successful. I have spent several days urging Republicans not to offer their amendments--most have been agreeable--in the hopes that my colleagues on the other side would reciprocate. I spent the weekend here, and my staff was here working around the clock. We heard nothing from the other side during that time. Indeed, we were told by them that staff would not be coming in to meet with us at that time. Now, perhaps they were trying to work on the Democrat amendments. Certainly, the distinguished Senator from Vermont says that is what he was doing. But frankly, we were prepared to work and cut these matters down and get this whole matter completed. In fairness, we have been given some suggested changes to the underlying bill. We were given those suggestions late yesterday. I would be willing to accept a number of them if it meant we could pass this bill by a date certain. As well, staff has been working to clear several amendments as part of a managers' package of amendments, which I hope Senator Leahy and I can do. Still, we have been given no commitment, assurances, or even a hint that my colleagues will agree to a vote on a time or date certain. This bill is too important to be treated this way. The problem of juvenile crime and the victims of juvenile crime deserve better. We should pass this bill, but there are a number on the other side who want to pull this bill down. You hear a lot of posturing about the gun lobby, which is complete nonsense. Let's just review the facts. The President's gun package was framed as essentially containing the following elements: Gun show loopholes; permanent Brady; one gun a month; juvenile Brady; juvenile possession of assault weapons, increase the age to 21; child access to guns, liability; safety locks; increase penalties for guns to juveniles; firearms tracing; youth crime gun initiative; gun kingpins penalties; and a clip ban. More than half of the President's so-called ``plan'' has been acted on by the Senate or is contained in a pending amendment. In other words, we have agreed to a unanimous consent agreement limiting amendments which allows for the remaining elements of the President's plan to be offered. So the question is, Where is the President on this issue? Republicans want to let this plan be voted on, but his allies in the Senate do not appear eager to move forward. I hope they will. I believe my colleague from Vermont when he says that, given some time and through the caucuses today, we probably can get this resolved, or at least he hopes we can. I do also. We have to get it resolved. We are not trying to avoid the gun issue. I think some are concerned how this bill, with its reforms of the entertainment industry, will be received by their friends in Hollywood. That is something I think really bothers some on the other side. It bothers me, too. But we are doing some things that really are valuable, really viable, really worthwhile, and really allow for voluntary compliance and an approach that really will work in the best interests of the entertainment industry. Given the seriousness of this problem, and the number of warning signs that future tragedies may be imminent--we are announcing them daily--we cannot afford to filibuster this bill through amendment. We should not play politics with this bill. Instead, we should come together and pass this bill. I am certainly hopeful that that is what we are going to get done either today or tomorrow. I think the majority leader has been more than accommodating on this. He has indicated that he can only give so much time to this because there are so many other pending bills. The distinguished Senator from Vermont and I both know that we have to bring up the bankruptcy bill, the Satellite Home Viewer Act, in addition to all these very important issues that involve the national defense and our people who are serving in the Balkan crisis, and, of course, the supplemental appropriations bill. We only have a limited time in which to do it. So it is good that we get together today and get this matter resolved. I don't think we could have had a more cooperative majority leader, under the circumstances. We stand ready, willing, and able to work with our colleagues on the other side to try to narrow these amendments and, of course, work with them to try to get some of these problems solved that they think are so serious. I might add that a number of these gun amendments were already in the bill; juvenile Brady is a prime example. We had that already in the bill. You would think, from the President's remarks, that it wasn't part of our bill. We have worked on this bill for 2 years. I want it to be bipartisan; I want our Democratic colleagues to be part of this; I want them to feel good after it is all done. We have made every effort to try to accommodate them. But to have this thing go on for another day or two is basically not right, under the circumstances. So I hope we can get together, and I hope we will work together and get our staffs together, and I hope we will resolve this either today or tomorrow. I yield the floor.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and immediately resume debate on the juvenile justice bill. New amendments to that legislation can be offered until 12:20 p.m. during tomorrow's session. At 12:20 p.m., the Senate will begin debate on amendments Nos. 357, 358, 360, and 361, which were previously offered to the bill. Senators can expect a stacked series of four votes to begin at 1 p.m. I encourage my colleagues to offer their amendments tomorrow morning so that we can finish this important legislation in a timely manner.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.