Mark Hatfield

Mr. HATFIELD

Mr. HATFIELD. First all, I associate myself with the Senator's comments relating to priorities for children. But, I say to the Senator, there is no rescission relating to any of those subjects in this bill that we now have under consideration. In fact, you will find in this bill that we have restored programs such as the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program that had a rescission. So I think if you go through this bill, this argument, this debate, this issue would be more appropriately raised on a vehicle in which such action is proposed, but not on this vehicle.

Mr. HATFIELD. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. HATFIELD. I yield the floor.

Mr. HATFIELD. Now, Mr. President, I would like to propound a unanimous-consent time agreement for the Wellstone amendment which will be now offered by the Senator from Minnesota, a 20-minute time agreement to be equally divided.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. HATFIELD. I yield the floor. Ms. MIKULSKI addressed the Chair.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on an amendment to be offered by Senator Mikulski, the ranking member, and Senator Bond, the chairman of the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies, that there be 2 hours equally divided.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I submit this amendment on behalf of the Committee on Appropriations, pursuant to a rollcall taken in the committee. This is a substitute for the House bill that we received on this particular subject. Unanimous-Consent Agreement

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

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I understand the thrust of the amendment of the Senator, and I do not think anybody can disagree with the essence of it. It is a sense of the Senate, or a sense of the Congress. Let me also indicate, Mr. President, I think the message that the Senator wants to send to the public is that we have stated an action in this bill, for we have not in this bill rescissions relating to the subject matter of children. Therefore, I think we can say that this is a powerful statement the Congress is sending to the people as well. I want to just indicate two or three items as an example of the focus the Senate Appropriations Committee put on the rescissions. First, the rescissions were basically in the unobligated funds. Second, we were not only concerned about children and young people. We have in this a far, far different document than the rescissions on student aid, as it relates to the elderly and the needs of the elderly and low-income energy assistance. I think this document represents a very powerful statement to the public of this country that we have put a focus upon people's needs, and that we have shown the compassion, the concerns, for people's needs in this particular document. At the same time, we have reduced our spending for this particular fiscal year by $13.5 billion. So I am ready to accept the amendment offered by the Senator as a sense of the Congress and take it to conference. I thank the Senator for his compassion and for his passionate plea on behalf of this. I think it certainly is in concert and certainly represents the work of the Appropriations Committee in focusing upon people's needs--not just children, but the elderly and other people, as well. Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator may have another minute.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. HATFIELD

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 1995, at 10:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on consideration of ratification of the START II Treaty.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 1995, at 2 p.m. to hold a hearing on market reform in New Zealand.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 1995 at 2 p.m. to hold a closed hearing on Intelligence matters.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Labor and Human Resources be authorized to meet for an executive session, during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 1995 at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be permitted to meet Wednesday, March 29, 1995, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-215, to conduct a hearing on welfare reform.

Mr. HATFIELD. 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, March 29, 1995, for purposes of conducting a full committee business meeting which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to consider pending calendar business.

Mr. HATFIELD

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I have to join in terms of expressing my sorrow at the announcement of the Senator from Alabama, Howell Heflin, on his intended retirement. It seems like this is a virus that is catchy here on the floor of the Senate. I have to face that question myself in the same timeframe. I have not quite reached that conclusion. But Senator Heflin has been referred to as an effective member of the Judiciary Committee, Ethics Committee, and any committee he serves on. I have seen him in action here on the floor of the Senate. As a nonlawyer, I have been able to understand some of these legal questions that are debated with greater clarity when Howell Heflin has explained them. So I am grateful for his role as a mentor for us laymen on high and sometimes elusive legal points. I want to talk a few moments about Howell Heflin in another role. We have, on Wednesday morning, a Senate prayer breakfast. It is usually presided over by someone selected by acclamation and/or by the person who is absent that day, that he is selected as the year- ahead chair of this group. Senator Heflin and Senator Stevens started a tradition of cochairing the Senate prayer breakfast. Now, there is one place in the Senate where we leave our masks, our labels--moderate, liberal, conservative, our party identification--at the door. Probably there is no other part of the Senate institution in which people feel so comfortable in being themselves. It is never published. It is not open to the public. It is a very private session of spiritual reflection. Senator Heflin comes from the South. I have come to the conclusion that the people who are the best storytellers, their geographic origins are Southerners and New Englanders--the dry humor of Vermont and the marvelous storytelling capability of Southerners. I remember Howard Baker, who was our majority leader and minority leader at one time. He could make a point so effectively by telling a story. That is true with Senator Heflin as it relates to some biblical truths that we like to discuss. We get into some--not heated discussions--but we get into some repartee in terms of Scripture and of biblical truths. Howell Heflin has that great capability of going to the heart of a matter and making a point with a marvelous sense of humor, at the same time with a very profound conclusion or analysis. Let me illustrate: One day we were talking about a subject I do not even remember. Senator Heflin says, ``Well, that reminds me,'' and he starts out slowly, as we know, in his speech. ``That reminds me of the Sunday school teacher'' down in his southern part of the country who was teaching the children one day at Sunday school about the evils of alcohol and the evils of drink. Whereupon one little student raised his hand and said, ``But, Teacher, Christ turned the water into wine.'' And the teacher said, ``Yes, and I would have thought a lot more of him if he hadn't done it.'' It made a very major impact upon the discussion of that moment. I remember the illustration without remembering the subject. I want to say this is a side of Howell Heflin that I wanted to, at least, thank him and pay tribute to him for having contributed to the spiritual life of this body in the informal sessions that meet. If anyone thinks Senator Heflin and Senator Ted Stevens make an odd couple in leading a spiritual group, that gave it more authenticity. It was not just bipartisan, but we had certainly an interesting combination of personalities and dedication. I want to say to Senator Heflin not only will we miss you, sir, but most especially, too, we will miss Mike.

Mr. HATFIELD

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I thank the ranking member of the committee. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now turn to the consideration of the Byrd amendment, on which there will be 90 minutes of debate with time equally divided in the usual form; further, I ask unanimous consent that there be no second-degree amendments in order.

Mr. HATFIELD. I thank the Chair.

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, may we have order in the Senate?

Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I would like to suggest what the immediate agenda may be for the rest of this day. We have amendments pending, and are ready to be offered by Members. We urge them to be here. I think Senator McCain will be offering the next amendment. We have on our list Senator Kyl, and Senator Pressler, and then we would like to finish today's activity between 7 and 7:30.

Mr. HATFIELD. I would estimate that we would probably wind up today between 7 and 7:30, and earlier, if possible, depending on rollcall possibilities for the amendments that are ready to be offered. I yield the floor. I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Wisconsin.