Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I really had hoped that we could find a way to consider Senator Thompson's amendment, or bill, as a separate issue. I worked throughout the month of July to do that. I even tried as late as yesterday to have it considered separately. But I was told that there would be an objection to taking it up. Then we would have to file cloture under a motion to proceed, and it would take days. If it took all that time, it actually could have displaced the China PNTR bill. So I think that Senator Thompson has no option but to offer his amendment on China PNTR. It is a very serious matter. Chinese nuclear weapon proliferation is something about which we have to be concerned. And I am convinced it continues to this day. We need a way to monitor it. And there should be a way to impose sanctions if that continues. So that issue will come up on this bill and we will have to see how it works out. I think this is going to be the toughest issue we have to face on China PNTR. There is opposition by some for other reasons, but this is one that will test the will of the Senate, I believe, in getting the work completed.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, at 12 noon the Senate will resume debate on the China trade bill, with a Byrd amendment to be debated until 1 p.m. At 1 p.m., Senator Thompson will be recognized to offer his amendment regarding the China nonproliferation issue. Debate on that amendment is expected to consume most of the day; however, other amendments may be offered during Monday's session. Those Senators who have amendments are encouraged to work with the bill managers on a time to offer the amendments. Also, it is hoped that the Senate can complete action on this important trade legislation by early next week, or certainly by the end of next week. Then we will be able to move on to other issues.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to proceed.

Mr. LOTT. It will be 10 after 6.

Mr. LOTT. If I do have the floor, I yield to Senator Domenici.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in view of the time that we have taken, I ask unanimous consent the time before we go to energy and water be extended to 6:15 so Senator Smith can offer his amendments and lay them aside as he had been promised he would be able to do.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could speak briefly about the schedule, I have been talking with Senator Reid and Senator Daschle and the managers of this legislation. We are making progress on the amendments. We have had a good debate throughout the week. We are going to keep pushing ahead until we get through the amendments. I had committed not to file cloture before next Tuesday, but it would be my intention to file cloture next Tuesday, if necessary, to get this legislation completed. I think everybody is working hard and doing a good job. Tonight, at 6 o'clock we will go back to the energy and water appropriations bill. I know Senator Domenici and Senator Reid are prepared to work on that tonight. Our intent is to push ahead. Hopefully, we will get Senators' amendments considered and disposed of quickly. The intent is to stay and get it done tonight. I believe Senator Domenici and Senator Reid have indicated that is what they intend to do and we will certainly support their efforts. I ask unanimous consent that following the vote in relation to the Hollings amendment, Senator Smith of New Hampshire be recognized to offer his amendment to H.R. 4444, and at 6 o'clock p.m. the amendment be immediately laid aside and the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 4733, the energy and water appropriations bill under the previous order.

Mr. LOTT. We have the Senator locked in. We will delay. Let me just ask unanimous consent, then, that we delay going on the energy and water bill for 10 minutes. It will be 10 after 6. Is that the correct time?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have a couple of unanimous consent requests that I will offer at this time and hopefully it will not take too long to consider these and we can go ahead and stay on schedule. I ask unanimous consent that no later than the close of business on Tuesday, September 26, the majority leader be recognized to turn to calendar 527, which is S. 2340, regarding the Amateur Sports Integrity Act, and immediately following the reporting by the clerk, the committee amendments be immediately agreed to, and the majority leader then be recognized to send a cloture motion to the desk to the bill. Under rule XXII, the cloture vote would occur 1 hour after the Senate convenes following the ascertainment of a quorum on Thursday, September 28. I also ask consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, if the cloture is invoked, the bill be considered under the following agreement: That there be 2 hours for debate on the bill to be equally divided in the usual form; that there be up to two relevant amendments in order for Senator Reid of Nevada and Senator Brownback of Kansas or their designees, that they be subject to relevant second-degree amendments; that no motions to recommit or commit be in order. I further ask consent that following the disposition of the above- listed amendments, and the use or yielding back of time, the bill be advanced to third reading and passage occur, all without intervening action or debate.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe there was an objection heard. I ask consent that the Senator from Kansas be recognized for 1 minute so he can respond on this issue, since it is an issue in which he has been very much involved.

Mr. LOTT. I amend my request for that.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have another unanimous consent request. First, let me say there has been a lot of discussion about the support and the need for a lockbox on Social Security and Medicare. I certainly agree. We have tried to get that put in place in the Senate. We have not been successful. So I am going to ask consent that we get an agreement to do that. I remind my colleagues, it was passed in the House overwhelmingly, 46-12, to do that with regard to Social Security and Medicare. We have attempted to do it. We tried to invoke cloture in June of 1999, which failed basically along party lines. I think maybe there has been a lot of movement in this direction, so I think we ought to try to set this up before we go out. I ask unanimous consent it be in order for the majority leader, after notification of the minority leader, to turn to Calendar No. 152, H.R. 1259, regarding the Social Security and Medicare lockbox, and following the reporting of the bill by the clerk, all remaining amendments to the bill be germane to the subject contained in H.R. 1259.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I object to that.

Mr. LOTT. But I hope the minority leader would consider working together to see if we could get a vote on the Social Security/Medicare lockbox itself. Perhaps he would like to have an alternative proposal in that area. I think we can work it out where there would be alternative proposals on Social Security/Medicare lockbox, if you have a different idea about how to do it. I don't think we ought to get into other issues at this point. Let's make it clear whether we want to have the Social Security/ Medicare lockbox or not. I would be glad to talk with the Democratic leader about seeing if we can at least set it up. There will be other bills where I am sure the prescription drug matter is going to come up, is going to be debated, and it is going to be voted on. There is a lot of talk out across the land about the lockbox and how there is one or should be one. I think we ought to go ahead and complete that action, and I will work with the Senator on that.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I understand there are a number of bills at the desk due for their second reading. I ask unanimous consent that the bills be considered read a second time and placed on the calendar en bloc.

Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I thank the Chair.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, first, I would like to welcome all of my colleagues and our staff back from the August period when we had time to be with our families and our friends and our constituents. We are inspired by the Chaplain's prayer and ready, I am sure, for a lot of good work. As I have visited with some of my colleagues already, I see that they look mighty rested and ready for a busy legislative period, and I think they are probably going to need to be. We still have to complete action on five appropriations measures, as well as conference reports as they become available. In addition, there are a number of other legislative matters we hope to finish as we move toward the adjournment period of the Congress. We have some bills we hope to take up freestanding in the Senate, and, of course, we have some conference reports other than appropriations bills on which we will be working. So we have a lot of work we are going to need to consider. Today, the Senate will have a period of morning business prior to the 12:30 p.m. recess for weekly party conferences and meetings. When the Senate reconvenes at 2:15 p.m., it will begin postcloture debate on the motion to proceed to the China PNTR legislation. Those Senators who wish to make statements are encouraged to notify the bill managers. Hopefully, a lot of Senators who wish to speak on the China trade issue will take advantage of the time today, and we will go to as late as possibly 6 p.m., although we may be prepared to go a little bit earlier than that if our colleagues have made their statements and we can get agreement to do that. But at least at 6 p.m. the Senate will begin consideration of the energy and water appropriations bill with amendments in order. As a reminder, we will be considering these two bills on a dual track throughout the week with the motion to proceed to the China trade bill being considered during the day and the appropriations bill or bills being considered at night. So votes could still occur if we move toward the time when we could need to have a vote today, but certainly during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and possibly Friday morning we will be having votes on the appropriations amendments that are offered at night or on China PNTR when amendments become available. So there will be long days, but we will do our best to keep Senators advised after communicating with the leadership on both sides of the aisle what the schedule will be. I hope we can make good progress and complete this appropriations bill and move to another one later on this week or early next week.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, let me modify my request to put Senator Baucus in the order after Senator Dorgan, to be followed by Senators Roth, Moynihan, and Hollings.

Mr. LOTT. I further ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5, 2000, the Senate temporarily lay aside the China PNTR motion to proceed and begin consideration of the energy and water appropriations bill, and the consideration of these two measures continue throughout the week of September 4, 2000.

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that just prior to the vote, the following Senators be recognized for the following times: Baucus for 5 minutes, Hollings for 5 minutes, Moynihan for 5 minutes, and Roth for 5 minutes. I further ask unanimous consent that the allotted morning business times ordered earlier today commence immediately following the rollcall vote, and the yet designated Republican slot be allocated to Senator Bob Smith for up to 40 minutes.

Mr. LOTT. We certainly can have time for statements after the vote. Even if the time that was included in the agreement was used, it would only be 20 minutes. We would be ready to begin voting at 4:15 or 4:20. We will have morning business time or we can arrange for Senators who wish to speak to speak right after the vote. I would be glad to accommodate that.

Mr. LOTT. The Senator is talking about having all of the statements made after the vote instead of before the vote.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in just a moment we will hear the maiden speech of the new junior Senator from Georgia. First, I want to say he is certainly going to have an excellent senior Senator from Georgia with whom to work. I hope he will follow Senator Cleland's admonition to ``go for the max'' every day. We extend our congratulations and our hearty welcome to the new junior Senator from Georgia, Mr. Zell Miller. We spoke briefly, and he knows we have heavy hearts still for our friend, Senator Paul Coverdell, but we appreciate the way in which he has approached this position already. He is one of our colleagues. He is a Senator. We welcome him, and we commit to him to work with him on behalf of the people of Georgia and the United States. Congratulations and welcome.