Jesse Helms

Mr. HELMS

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, we are within striking distance of a final disposition of this bill tomorrow. We hope to get an agreement for the Feingold and Sarbanes amendment and a vote on final passage tomorrow morning. In the meantime, after the majority leader has his report to us, we will begin debate on the amendment by the distinguished Senator, Mr. Feingold. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS. Will the Senator yield?

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

Mr. HELMS. This amendment, as modified, preserves one of the key Foreign Service reforms in the bill. The bill currently requires that any disciplinary action taken against a member of the Foreign Service be included in a Foreign Service member's file for at least one successful tenure or promotion. Current practice requires that such actions remain in a personnel file for only 2 years. The current requirement has enabled some Foreign Service members to game the system and receive a promotion once the disciplinary action has been removed from the file. For example, the committee was recently asked to review the promotion of an individual who had failed to attain promotion by two review boards while the disciplinary action remained a part of his file. After 2 years, when the action was removed from his file, he immediately received promotion. The Foreign Service, like the military, is intended to be an up or out system. In the military, disciplinary actions stay with an officer's file for his entire career. The current provision in the bill seems to me to be a reasonable reform that would ensure a Foreign Service promotion board can make an informed decision. I accept the reasonable compromise offered by Senator Sarbanes that ensures this requirement applies only to more severe disciplinary actions. Madam President, have the yeas and nays been ordered?

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. HELMS. I suggest we vote.

Mr. HELMS. I thank the Senator. How much time remains before the vote?

Mr. HELMS. I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished Senator.

Mr. HELMS. That sounds fair.

Mr. HELMS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, for the record, I will offer a progress report on where we stand on the State Department reauthorization bill. Since we began last Friday and over the weekend, the staff has worked together with other staff, and as we now stand, there remain just three amendments yet to be offered by Senators Wellstone, Feingold, and Sarbanes. The Sarbanes amendment is in addition to the one that is scheduled for a vote at 5:30 this afternoon. I encourage all three Senators to utilize this time so we can put this bill to bed and send it over to the House. I believe the Senator from Minnesota desires some time. Madam President, how much time does the Senator desire?

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, if the Senator will conclude in 7 minutes, I have no objection at all, but I want to keep the time available for Senators who will talk on the bill. I have no objection.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I just discussed this with the Senator. I need to know, if he will advise me, how long he intends to speak at this time.

Mr. HELMS. Will the Senator be willing to send his amendment to the desk and count the time he has used against it?

Mr. HELMS. I am not trying to direct the Senator. I just want the clock to start running.

Mr. HELMS. That is before modification; is that correct?

Mr. HELMS. Let me inquire, is the modification that I understand has been agreed to--do both sides agree to it? I know our side does, but I would not want to do anything against the wish of Senator Sarbanes. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, the majority leader desires, and I want to accommodate him in this, that this amendment be the rollcalled amendment at 5:30. I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent there be no further amendment to the pending amendment.

Mr. HELMS. Madam President, what is the pending business?

Mr. HELMS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. 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.

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I submit for the Record a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate for S. 886, the pending legislation. The estimate was not available at the time the committee report was filed. I ask unanimous consent that this CBO cost estimate be printed in the Record.