Orrin Hatch

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I will only take a moment, because the distinguished Senator from Minnesota wishes to make a statement on the other side of the issue. I thank my colleague from Nevada for an excellent set of remarks. He is a tremendous leader on this issue, the principal cosponsor of this amendment on the Democratic side of the aisle. I thank him for all the work he has done and the excellent remarks that he has made. It means an awful lot to all of us.

Mr. HATCH. I think we see some hope for the Kennedy family.

Mr. HATCH. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I compliment the distinguished Senator from Nebraska for his maiden speech on the floor of the Senate on the balanced budget amendment. He did a very good job. He made a lot of very important points. I hope everybody in this country will pay attention to him. This is a fellow who has sacrificed for his country. He was a war hero. He has been much decorated. He decided he wanted to run for the U.S. Senate so he could make a difference, and he made a real difference here today. I personally commend him for it and thank him for it.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as you can see, this is a very important amendment. This is a very important debate. This particular debate is going to determine whether this country is going to go ahead with a fiscally responsible Government or whether it isn't. And, frankly, I think it is time that we do vote on this and that we do what is right for our country. We are waiting for a couple of Senators who would like to come and speak to this. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HATCH. We are only doing it to accommodate our friends on the other side who have a dinner. I would like to get the remarks in, and I particularly want to listen to these two Senators. I yield to the Senator from Nebraska.

Mr. HATCH. I wanted to make it clear. We will finish here about 5:30 today, I understand, and certainly we want to have both of these Senators give their speech.

Mr. HATCH. Senator Bryan would like to go after Senator Hagel, if there is not another opponent who wishes to speak.

Mr. HATCH. Let me amend my unanimous consent.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, Senator Thurmond, who has worked on the balanced budget amendment for all this time that he has been in this body, the imminent President pro tempore of this body, who deserves so much credit for even getting it up for us to vote on it, has asked that one of our new Senators from Nebraska be given the opportunity to take his place at this point. He wanted to defer to the distinguished Senator from Nebraska who will be giving his maiden speech on the balanced budget amendment in the Senate. I am proud of him for doing so. It is an honor to all of us that Senator Thurmond would do this. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the distinguished Senator from Nebraska proceed with his remarks, and then I ask unanimous consent that the distinguished Senator from Nevada be allowed to proceed.

Mr. HATCH. I will clear the way.

Mr. HATCH. Let us let everybody say what they want to say about this on both sides, and at a reasonable time we would like to----

Mr. HATCH. I will be happy to do it.

Mr. HATCH. I will.

Mr. HATCH. Sure. That would be fine with me.

Mr. HATCH

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Clear Air, Wetlands, Private Property and Nuclear Safety, be granted permission to conduct a hearing Wednesday, February 5, at 9:30 a.m., hearing room SD-406, on ozone and particulate matter standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the courts of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, be authorized to meet during a session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 5, 1997, at 2 p.m., in Senate Dirksen room 226, on ``conserving judicial resources: considering the appropriate allocation of judgeships in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.''

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 5, 1997, at 10 a.m. to hold an open hearing on intelligence matters.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to receive testimony from committee chairman and ranking members on their committee funding resolutions for 1997 and 1998 on Tuesday, February 4, Wednesday, February 5, and Thursday, February 6, all at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be permitted to meet Wednesday, February 5, 1997, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room SH-215, to conduct a markup to extend the airport and airway trust fund excise taxes.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 5, 1997, for purposes of conducting a full committee hearing which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to consider S. 104, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on February 5, 1997, at 10 a.m. on pending committee business.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 5, 1997, to conduct a hearing on the following nominee: Janet Louise Yellen, of California, to be Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, 1997, to receive testimony on the nomination of Federico F. Pena to be Secretary of Energy.