Nancy Kassebaum

Mrs. KASSEBAUM

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I yield back any remaining time I may have.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I would just like to say that we must take into account both discretionary and mandatory spending. When you do that, HIV/AIDS receives $5.4 billion, cancer receives $15 billion, and heart disease receives $34 billion. I believe it is very important for us to take into consideration both the discretionary and the mandatory spending. I think that when we assess total Federal spending, it gives a more accurate picture. The funds for support services, for patients with cancer and heart disease come largely through mandatory spending. This fact is not represented by the chart shown by the Senator from North Carolina. I yield whatever time is left to the Senator from Massachusetts.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Mr. KENNEDY addressed the Chair.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, if I may just say this. I believe we have 10 minutes equally divided.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, this is a funding equity measure. If I may comment for a moment as one who opposes this amendment. What it would do would be to prohibit discretionary spending for AIDS and HIV activities in excess of discretionary spending for cancer activities. Mr. President, I yield to the Democratic leader.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Parliamentary inquiry, we are on amendment No. 1857; is that correct?

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, in light of the preceding vote on the funding equity issue, I am very appreciative of the Senator from North Carolina who said he would not object to our voice voting No. 1860, which is an amendment of mine which provides that Federal spending for AIDS and HIV activities may not exceed spending for cancer activities, taking into account both discretionary and entitlement spending, and I ask for the approval of that amendment.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I suggest there are three more votes that we will have. There will be two amendments that I will offer and then final passage. I will speak briefly on the two amendments that I have offered. I do not know if the Senator from North Carolina would like to respond. Amendments Nos. 1858 and 1860

Mrs. KASSEBAUM

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. That is correct. Health officials in Kansas tell me that the dental needs of persons with HIV disease differ from those of people without chronic diseases--while many Americans visit the dentist primarily for preventive care, I understand that some patients with AIDS experience mouth lesions and pain so devastating that they see their dentist more often than their physician.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. The Senator is correct.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I, too, am appreciative of being able to work this out. We will put this legislation on the committee markup calendar for next week. I am a cosponsor of the legislation that has been introduced by the Senator from New Hampshire. I know that Senator Gregg has some very strong and very constructive views on FDA reform, as many Members do. We are working toward a comprehensive approach including the specifics of the export policy. I think this is a very positive direction for Members to go. I appreciate all parties concerned, including Senator Kennedy and the other members of the Labor Committee, for being willing to put, this legislation on the markup calendar. Mr. President, we are trying to confirm that all Members are notified that the vote schedule will probably be a bit earlier than we had anticipated, since the FDA amendment has been worked out. I think we are trying to arrange for 10 o'clock, but this has not yet been finalized.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all remaining votes in the voting sequence be limited to 10 minutes in length.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, it is my understanding that we are prepared to begin the voting on the amendments. And as was agreed to last night in the consent agreement, we will take them in the order as we listed them last night. The first will be an amendment of Senator Helms, No. 1854. This amendment prohibits the use of funds under the act for the direct or indirect promotion of homosexuality or intravenous drug use. The yeas and nays were ordered.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I ask for the yeas and nays on both amendment No. 1860 and amendment No. 1858 when they fall in the proper order of our voting this morning.

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

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I appreciate the statement and the cosponsorship of the Ryan White CARE Act. Senator Jeffords, a member of the Labor and Human Resources Committee, has been a thoughtful contributor to the Committe in crafting this legislation. Amendment No. 1860 (Purpose: To limit amounts expended for AIDS or HIV activities from exceeding amounts expended for cancer)

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Florida, Senator Mack, be added as an original cosponsor of amendment numbered 1859 to S. 641, and that he also be added as a cosponsor to S. 641, the Ryan White CARE Act.

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

Mrs. KASSEBAUM. I certainly appreciate the comments of the distinguished Senator. As you know, in the health professions bill which cleared the Committee on Labor and Human Resources earlier this year, we consolidated this program with others. This would allow the Secretary to determine if AIDS dental training programs are really needed. I understand the Senator from Utah's concerns, but, this is an issue which I will reexamine in the context of the health professions bill.