Jesse Helms

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum until we can get order.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HELMS. Yes, sir.

Mr. HELMS. I object.

Mr. HELMS. I have to object.

Mr. HELMS. Yes, sir.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HELMS. I ask the Chair if the unanimous consent agreement stated 11:45 a.m.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, to make the Record absolutely clear, what is the pending business now?

Mr. HELMS. I am going to depart from what we agreed to. The distinguished Senator from Vermont needs 3 minutes, he says, for a statement in the form of a eulogy. I yield that time to him.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I believe I am authorized to say there will be no votes after 11:45 a.m. today. At least I will not participate in ordering them.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I am a father. Like everybody else, every daddy wants to get home, except a few who will not give time agreements on their amendments. So we will just have to plow ahead and do the best we can. On behalf of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I offer the foreign relations authorization bill, approving specific State Department activities for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, including funds for payment of some dues arrearages to the United Nations and other international organizations conditioned upon reform of those institutions. In the course of debate, the distinguished Senator from Delaware, Mr. Biden, and I will offer an amendment naming this bill the Admiral James W. Nance Foreign Relations Authorization bill, in memory and in honor of the late chief of staff of the Foreign Relations Committee, Bud Nance. The Foreign Relations Committee approved this bipartisan legislation back in April--I believe on April 21st--by a vote of 17 to 1. This is the first authorization of State Department activity since enactment last October on the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act, which required the consolidation of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and the U.S. Information Agency into the State Department. These were temporary agencies. They were established in the 1950s and were explicitly and emphatically described as temporary agencies. As Ronald Reagan said, there is nothing so near eternal life as a temporary Federal agency. So what we did, we folded two of those into the State Department, their responsibilities, and got rid of them. Both of these temporary agencies were created about a half century ago, and this effort by the Foreign Relations Committee is the first time any body has tried to do away with those nontemporary or temporary agencies. The bill addresses several significant oversight and authorization issues. It proposes to strengthen and preserve the arms control verification functions of the U.S. Government, while addressing other nonproliferation matters as well. The bill authorizes a 5-year $3 billion construction blueprint for upgrading U.S. embassies around the world to provide secure environments for America's personnel overseas. Unlike the funds provided more than a decade ago in the wake of a report by Admiral Inman calling for improved security of U.S. embassies, this bill creates a firewall for funding from other State Department expenditures which will ensure that embassy funds are not raided to pay for other State Department pet projects. The bill makes some reforms to strengthen the Foreign Service. Most Foreign Service officers are supportive of ensuring poor performing members of the Foreign Service are not automatically kept in the Service by statutes manipulated to protect unworthy employees from discharge and/or personnel actions. The changes in the bill will streamline the grievance and disciplinary process stipulated by the Foreign Service Act. The bill augments a coordination and oversight of the U.S. Government's role in assisting parents seeking return of abducted children. These provisions are an outgrowth of the Foreign Relations Committee oversight hearing this past year on the growing problem of international abduction of children in disputes growing out of divorce and separation. It is a real problem, I say to the distinguished occupant of the Chair. Significantly, the bill includes a U.N. reform package which includes payments of arrearages in exchange for--I reiterate for emphasis--in exchange for key reforms of and by the United Nations. I say parenthetically to the distinguished occupant of the Chair that on the day that Kofi Annan was designated to be the Secretary General of the United Nations, I called him and invited him to come to Washington. We worked out a stipulated number of reforms that had to be done before any thought or agreement could be considered regarding the so-called arrearages. He agreed to that. He went back to the United Nations and made some other statements, but we are working that out. Interestingly enough, we are getting some support from the gentleman who probably will be confirmed in a week or so as the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations who strongly favors the reform of the United Nations. He stipulated that to me yesterday. The reform agenda required by this bill, prior to the payment of any U.S. taxpayer dollars, has the full support of the Secretary of State and the distinguished Senator from Delaware, Mr. Biden, and me. These reforms were approved by the Senate during the 105th Congress by a vote of 90-5, but it was vetoed by the President of the United States. I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor. I believe we are going to have to have order, Mr. President.

Mr. HELMS. I am unable to pass judgment on that. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent with respect to the State Department authorization bill, all amendments in order pursuant to the consent agreement of June 10 must be offered and debated during Friday's session of the Senate. I further ask consent that any votes relative to the bill occur in a stacked sequence beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, with 2 minutes for explanation prior to each vote.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, on behalf of the majority leader, I suggest Senators not leave town because there are going to be additional votes today. Having made that announcement, I hope it is clear to all Senators we were willing to offer an agreement, but that failing, we must proceed.

Mr. HELMS. Which is?

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the distinguished Senator, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Biden, is far too generous. Several times in the past year or two, former Secretaries of State, and other past foreign policy officials of this Government, have said that the Foreign Relations Committee is now relevant. I think that is a high compliment to the committee. But it would not have happened if it had not been for Joe Biden. When Joe Biden became--by his choice--the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, when I became chairman, we made a pact that we would work together. I have not enjoyed any other of my services in the Senate more than the cooperation with him. I have just been amazed at how much he has learned about foreign policy since we have been on opposite sides of the committee. I have gotten to know Joe Biden well. He is a good partner, a good Senator, and an expert on foreign policy. And I compliment him.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I know it must appear to the Chair and others that this is sort of a disjointed way to begin consideration of a major bill, but we are trying to work out time agreements. Senators are being very cooperative. I think we are approaching some reconciliation on it; I am not sure. In the meantime, Senator Sarbanes needs to get away for an important appointment. How much time will the Senator need?

Mr. HELMS. Why don't we do that.

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 therein 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.

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I have ascertained that none of the Senators on the other side will be available this afternoon to offer their amendments or to discuss them. Since there is no Member here, or no amendment pending by anybody on this side, I think it would be an exercise in futility to continue to suggest quorum calls.

Mr. HELMS

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

Mr. HELMS

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

Mr. HELMS

Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, at the close of business yesterday, Thursday, June 17, 1999, the federal debt stood at $5,585,233,665,272.21 (Five trillion, five hundred eighty-five billion, two hundred thirty-three million, six hundred sixty-five thousand, two hundred seventy-two dollars and twenty-one cents). One year ago, June 17, 1998, the federal debt stood at $5,491,718,000,000 (Five trillion, four hundred ninety-one billion, seven hundred eighteen million dollars). Five years ago, June 17, 1994, the federal debt stood at $4,491,908,000,000 (Four trillion, four hundred ninety-one billion, nine hundred eight million dollars) which reflects a debt increase of 1,093,325,665,272.21 (One trillion, ninety-three billion, three hundred twenty five million, six hundred sixty-five thousand, two hundred seventy dollars and twenty-one cents) during the past 5 years.