Jim Jeffords

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. I believe this amendment is acceptable to both sides. I ask the Senator from Massachusetts.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I thank the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Go ahead.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday the Senate resume consideration of the Murray amendment No. 378 and there be 120 minutes equally divided in the usual form. I further ask unanimous consent that at 2:20 on Tuesday the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the amendment and no amendments be in order to the amendment and there be 5 minutes equally divided for closing remarks prior to the vote.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, with regard to the Sessions amendment, I ask unanimous consent that the previously agreed to Sessions amendment No. 600 be modified to be drafted to the pending substitute. This is a technical change. It does not change any of the amendment's legislative language.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I understand that S. 872, introduced earlier today by Senators McCain, Edwards, and Kennedy, is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. JEFFORDS. I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 37, S. 39.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute be agreed to, the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 38, S. 166.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute be agreed to, the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 39, S. Res. 63.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until the hour of 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15. I further ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then resume consideration of the Murray amendment as under the previous order.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, further, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess from the hours of 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for the weekly policy conferences to meet.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, the Senate will resume consideration of the Murray amendment regarding class size at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Under the previous order, there will be up to 2 hours for debate on the amendment with a vote scheduled to occur at 2:20 p.m. following the policy luncheons. There are numerous amendments currently pending, and further amendments will be offered during tomorrow's session. Therefore, votes are expected throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. 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. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 40, H.R. 802.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, first I must congratulate the chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Domenici, for his hard work on the budget. It is a thankless task that earns the Senator few if any points with his New Mexico constituents. Unfortunately, I am greatly troubled by certain elements in this budget, and will vote against the fiscal year 2002 budget resolution conference report now before the Senate. In approving this budget, Congress is missing a significant opportunity to address some of our nation's most critical needs. Key among these needs is education. A nation that does not invest in its people, that does not provide its citizens with an excellent education, that does not ensure that its children can read, and that does not train them for eventual entry into the workforce, is acting irresponsibly. We must grant the American people a tax cut. We must pay down the debt. We must protect social security. But we must not ignore a most critical responsibility, to provide a free and adequate education to every child in America. I was proud to play a key role in making the tax cut contained in this budget more responsible. I have the greatest respect for my centrist colleagues who joined me in striking this agreement. But I cannot support a budget that puts large tax cuts and unlimited defense spending ahead of educating our nation's children. By voting against this budget agreement today, I am committing to the nation that I will continue my efforts to bring more resources to our schools and children to improve education. I can not hide my disappointment that the Congress once again will not fulfill its pledge to fully fund special education. This year, I tried and failed to have language included in the budget that would have made the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, mandatory spending. When I first arrived in Congress, one of the very first bills that I had the privilege of working on was the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. As a freshman Member of Congress, I was proud to sponsor that legislation and to be named as a member of the House and Senate conference committee along with then Vermont Senator Bob Stafford. At that time, despite a clear constitutional obligation to education all children, regardless of disability, thousands of students with disabilities were denied access to a public education. Passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act offered financial incentives to states to fulfill this existing obligation. Recognizing that the costs associated with educating these children was more than many school districts could bear alone, the Federal government pledged to pay 40 percent of the additional costs of educating these students. The budget resolution that is before the Senate continues to make a mockery of this pledge. However, I will work with members of the Senate Appropriations and Finance Committees both to increase annual spending for IDEA and convert the program into mandatory spending. Additionally, the budget sets overall discretionary education spending at a level below what was passed in the Senate and below what is needed for our children and the future of our country. The budget resolution allows up to $1.35 trillion in tax cuts over eleven years. While I agree some level of tax cuts are warranted, I continue to be troubled with making surplus assumptions ten years into the future. The level of tax cuts called for in this resolution gives the Congress little leeway should projected surpluses not materialize. While the budget resolution sets the overall level of tax cuts that will be considered by the Congress this year under reconciliation rules, I intend to be an aggressive advocate for children when the tax bill is debated in the Finance Committee. I also will strongly advocate that the Congress not attempt this year to exceed $1.35 trillion in tax cuts by writing additional tax bills. We can and should enact all of this year's tax cuts within a ceiling of $1.35 trillion. We dare not risk a return to the era of deficits, especially with the coming retirement of millions of baby boomers and the burden that this will place on the Social Security and Medicare systems. On the positive side, I am pleased that this resolution protects Social Security. Not one penny of the Social Security surplus is touched. Second, it balances the budget every year without using the Social Security surplus. Thirdly, this resolution retires the national debt held by the public--about $2 trillion over the next ten years. I should add that it has been a pleasure these past weeks to work with a bipartisan group of centrist Senators who believe that tax relief is warranted, but not at the expense of education, veterans health, job training, child care, environmental and other important discretionary programs. This budget, like all budgets passed by Congress, is an expression of political intent, priorities, and a starting point for bargaining. Much work remains to be done to pass the 13 appropriations bills that actually fund the Federal Government. In areas where I disagree with the budget resolution, I plan to work hard with appropriators to adjust spending levels and turn this budget into reality.

Mr. JEFFORDS

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield so I can propound a unanimous consent request regarding the Senator's amendment?

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to the Wellstone amendment No. 403, the time between now and 1:45 p.m. today be evenly divided in the usual form, with no second- degree amendments in order. I further ask unanimous consent that the vote occur in relation to the Wellstone amendment at 1:45 p.m. today.