Patrick Leahy

Mr. LEAHY

Mr. LEAHY. I yield back the remainder of my time.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the Vitter amendment.

Mr. LEAHY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2773

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I would yield back time on this. Again, I will always protect any Senator to have the right to vote for whatever reason they want to hold up the Senate at this time of the night, but this one is something everybody is going to vote for, and it could have easily been a voice vote. But if we want to waste time at this time of the night and have a rollcall vote, of course that is a Senator's absolute right, to waste as much time as they may want.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, of all programs to cut funding for, it would be hard to think of anything more shortsighted than to cut funding for the Global Environment Facility. Unless, I guess, you are among the dwindling few who still believes global warming is a hoax, that the pollution of the Earth's rivers and sources of drinking water is of no concern, that the destruction of the remaining areas of tropical forests and endangered species does not matter, and that we don't need the ozone layer. Because that is what the GEF works to protect or prevent, and the United States has been a leader in the GEF and the President has requested the funding in the bill for it.

Mr. LEAHY. I yield back my time.

Mr. LEAHY. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I yield back.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2704

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I would hope people would vote against this amendment. It would completely prohibit the World Bank from supporting programs to combat malaria. We have $1 billion in this bill for the U.S. contribution to the World Bank--money the United States has pledged and President Bush has requested. Malaria kills a million children a year and infects half a billion people, 95 percent of whom are in Africa. We should do everything we can to combat malaria. I agree with the administration on this request. I agree with President Bush, who has stated throughout the world his support for these antimalaria matters. I would hope that all people, all Senators of good will and good conscience, would vote no on this amendment.

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

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

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

Mr. LEAHY

Mr. LEAHY. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I commend Senator Gregg for his opening statement. I associate myself especially with his comments and concern related to corruption at the World Bank and the U.N. and in our assistance programs in Iraq. We have serious and nonpartisan concerns. These go across the spectrum in this body. We intend to address them. I commend the Senator from New Hampshire for raising them in his statement. We are trying very much to work out amendments. I hope we can go to third reading.

Mr. LEAHY. In saying that, I am reminded of that wonderful part in Henry IV--I am sure the Chair remembers this very well--with Glendower and Hotspur, when Glendower says: I can call spirits from the frothy depths, or something to that effect. And Hotspur says: Well, so can I, so can any man, but will they come when you call them. The Senator from New Hampshire and I can call them from the depths, but we would just like to have them come when we call them. Staffs are working with a number of people. As soon as we have a finite list of amendments, we are going to go through them. I would hope we can wrap up. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, the distinguished Senator from New Jersey and the distinguished Senator from Florida have been working together on an amendment actually that is part of an overall package that the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire and I are working on with them, and I think we are prepared to move forward on that part of the legislation now. Both of the distinguished Senators are on the floor. Once that is disposed of, we have a few other odds and ends, and I would hope--I have heard there may be some other amendments, and I hope we get to them right away so that maybe we can go to third reading within the next hour or so. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from New Mexico be recognized for up to 10 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, reserving the right to object, and I shall not, the Senator from Kansas wishes to speak about the amendments now, and there is going to be an amendment or two by Senator Boxer. I hope the Senator will work with us--and the Senator from California, too--to give their speeches, have the amendments discussed, but before the votes start, we can work out a sequence of votes in a relatively short period of time. It is my understanding that comports with the thinking of the Senator from Kansas. He can speak as long as he wants because he has the floor. Does that comport with his thinking?

Mr. LEAHY. I wonder if we might begin with the amendment that says: On page 308, beginning line 18, strike ``health:'' And all that follows through page 309, line 4, and insert ``health.'' Can we deal with that first and then go to the next one? If that was the request, I have no objection. Amendment No. 2708

Mr. LEAHY. Will the Senator from Kansas suggest the absence of a quorum without yielding the floor?

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

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I understand the Senator from Kansas has the floor, and I ask if he will yield to me to propose a unanimous consent request.