Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent the Senate begin consideration of the reconciliation bill, which is the Tax Relief Act, and that the first 3 hours of debate be equally divided in the usual form for purposes of opening statements only.

Mr. LOTT. I ask also unanimous consent that the next Democratic first-degree amendments be in the following order: Senator Kennedy, Senator Bingaman, Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, and Senator Lautenberg.

Mr. LOTT. Therefore, the next vote in regard to the Democratic alternative is scheduled to occur at approximately 6:30 or 6:35 this evening. It will be the last vote of the evening. The lockbox issue and the Baucus amendment will be debated this evening, with those three votes occurring in the stacked sequence at 9:30 on Thursday morning. As a reminder to Members, a late session is expected Thursday, and votes are expected to occur on Friday, since it appears it may not be possible to finish Thursday night. I reiterate my commitment that if we find a way to finish the votes on this issue Thursday night, we will not have a session on Friday. If that is not possible, we will go into session Friday and continue voting as is necessary in order to complete this reconciliation tax relief bill. I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Abraham be recognized to offer the next amendment regarding the Social Security lockbox, and immediately following the reporting by the clerk, the amendment be temporarily laid aside and Senators Baucus or Conrad be recognized to offer a lockbox amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that the amendments be debated concurrently for a total of 2 hours to be equally divided between Senators Abraham and Baucus, or their designees, and following the conclusion or yielding back of time, the amendments be laid aside. I further ask unanimous consent that following the debates just described, Senator Daschle, or his designee, be recognized to offer an amendment, and following that debate the Senate proceed to a period of morning business. I further ask unanimous consent that no other amendments be in order prior to the stacked votes and the votes begin in the stacked sequence at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday in the order in which they are offered, with 2 minutes of debate prior to each vote. Finally, I ask unanimous consent that following those votes, there be 10 hours remaining for the consideration of the bill and Senator Gramm be immediately recognized to offer his amendment.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I raise a point of order that section 1502 of the bill violates the Budget Act.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Before I go to the next unanimous consent request, I again express my appreciation for the patience and for the cooperation of Senator Smith in working through this process. Personally, I believe very strongly that we need to have a good juvenile justice bill, which includes a lot of very important provisions with regard to how we try juveniles who commit crime, how we incarcerate them, how we deal with school security, including metal detectors. It also has programs included for alcohol and drug abuse, and it has some values provisions in it. The House has passed a good bill which did not include the gun provisions. I hope this will be a juvenile justice bill when it comes back from conference. I do think the right thing to do is to go to conference. I appreciate cooperation in making that happen.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to help state and local governments more effectively finance the cost of essential services such as schools, streets, and water and sewer systems. By easing tax law restrictions on the refinancing of certain bonds, this proposal would allow local jurisdictions to take advantage of favorable market interest rates. Financing the essential projects of our communities is primarily a state and local government responsibility. Federal tax laws should make it easier--not more difficult--for them to lessen the burden of taxes and other governmental charges on our citizens. The proposal would adjust tax law restrictions on the refinancing of certain bonds issued to provide services such as government-owned schools, hospitals, streets and water and sewer systems. Under current tax rules, most state and local governments may undertake an advance refunding of bonded indebtedness only one time and are thus unable to take full advantage of periods when market interest rates are low. This legislation would allow every state and local government an additional opportunity to refinance bonded indebtedness issued to finance essential governmental projects. Furthermore, this legislation would give state and local governments flexibility skin to that of a homeowner who refinances a mortgage to reduce monthly payments and thereby increase income. The federal government should not expect state and local governments to shoulder the burden of financing local infrastructure, and then deny them the flexibility to handle their own affairs in the most efficient and cost- effective manner. The change will help continue shifting power and control to local government where it belongs. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize and say farewell to my longtime staff member, Fielding Bradford Robinson, Jr., who is departing my personal office staff and returning to the State of Mississippi, after more than ten years of outstanding service here in Washington. Throughout his career, Brad Robinson has served with great distinction, and it is my privilege to recognize his many accomplishments and to commend him for the superb service he has provided to me and to my home state of Mississippi. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Brad graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1982, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration. At Ole Miss, Brad was an officer of the Associated Student Body and a member of the Delta Psi Fraternity, St. Anthony Hall. He began his association with politics as Page Captain in the Mississippi House of Representatives. After logging countless miles as a pollster associated with CBS News, Brad went to work as a staff assistant to the legendary United States Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi. At that time, Senator Stennis was President Pro-Tempore of the Senate and Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Following the retirement of Senator Stennis, Brad signed on as a staff member for freshman Congressman Larkin Smith, my friend and successor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tragically, Congressman Smith died in a plane crash only months after taking office. In 1989, Brad returned to the United States Senate and began work as a member of my personal staff. On Thursday, August 5th, 1999, Brad will conclude over ten years of faithful service in my office. During these years, Brad has proven to be one of my most loyal and dedicated staff members. As a special legislative assistant and as my deputy director of projects, Brad has tirelessly worked for the best interests of our Nation and the State of Mississippi. Over the years, working on Mississippi project interests has brought Brad into contact with virtually every city, county, and state agency in Mississippi; every federal agency and department; and every committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well. Brad has pursued virtually every type of public infrastructure project conceivable, helping Mississippians build and improve utility systems, industrial parks, highways, bridges, railroads, airports and water ports. Using formal training from Ole Miss as a public planner, Brad labored closely with local engineers, and with the Army Corps of Engineers, to champion life saving flood control projects in the Mississippi Delta Region, the Jackson Metropolitan Area of Central Mississippi, and in the Forrest and Harrison County areas of South Mississippi. From the Director of the Mississippi Rural Water Association to water system operators throughout Mississippi, Brad is known as a dependable source of information and positive government action. Port directors along the Mississippi River, the Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, have come to rely on Brad's expertise and network of contacts, on everything from dredging projects, to trade and empowerment zone designations. Working behind the scenes to encourage top flight companies such as Southwest Airlines to expand into Mississippi, has also been a talent in which Brad has excelled. He is known by airport directors throughout our state as a man they know personally, who seemingly always is there to help with extending or repairing a runway, or improving navigation and weather instrument capability. Railroads, too, came to know Brad as an honest broker who stood for economic progress that also safeguarded and improved public safety. His multi-modal expertise, made Brad a natural asset to my staff during the legislative process that culminated in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), as well as later during the legislative development of the Transportation Efficiency Act of the Twenty-first Century (TEA-21). Among his many successes, Brad played a key role in encouraging the establishment of an environmentally friendly power generating facility in our state, which will efficiently and cleanly make use of vast alternative fuel supplies of lignite or low-grade coal. Combining a broad general knowledge with a keen appreciation for business, science, and technical development, and a deep respect for conservation and history, Brad has become a favorite of both business and development concerns, as well as leaders in historic and natural preservation. Brad was instrumental in historic preservation efforts for the Natchez Trace and the Natchez National Historic Park, as well as efforts to establish a Campaign of Vicksburg National Historic Trail, and a new visitors center for the Corinth, Mississippi Battlefield and Cemetery. Working both with community activists and public officials, Brad helped further these causes as well as many other historic and environmental projects such as rebuilding the Fort Massachusetts lighthouse on Ship Island, and restoring natural levels of water flow along the Lower Pearl River. Like many effective staff members on Capitol Hill, Brad is the kind of person who never meets a stranger. A true southern gentleman, his Christian values and honest work ethic have endeared Brad to his colleagues and constituents in addition to earning their respect and trust. His flexible yet focused demeanor enables him to handle numerous projects without losing sight of the people with whom he works. For all of the many public projects Brad assisted over the years, he always made time to help individual citizens with their problems. On one occasion, while assisting a constituent with her tax problem, Brad learned of an unintended result that affected similarly situated citizens across our Nation. Brad got to work, helped form a bipartisan coalition, and succeeded in helping amend the tax code to reflect the original intent of Congress. Brad also has contributed to the quality of life here on Capitol Hill through volunteering his time and leadership for such non-profit organizations as the Mississippi Society, the Ole Miss Alumni Association, and the Taste of the South annual charity ball. He even met his lovely wife, Mary Ellen, while she served on the staff of Senator Strom Thurmond. Brad and Mary Ellen will make their new home in Gulfport, Mississippi, and are expecting their first child in October. Upon leaving my staff, Brad will serve as Executive Director of the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission where he will play a significant role in helping to establish high speed rail passenger service from Houston, Texas, to Jacksonville, Florida, and from the Gulf Coast to Atlanta. On behalf of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I wish Brad all of the best in his new career. I wish for Brad, and his growing family, that they experience all of the opportunity, excitement and adventure of the American Dream as they enter this new chapter of their lives and in all of their future endeavors. Brad, my most sincere congratulations on a job well done.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 1654, the NASA Authorization Act for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002. Many of my colleagues and their staff's have worked hard on this legislation. This is a good bill. It ensures NASA is authorized at the appropriate level to continue its role in Space Flight and Exploration, Earth and Space Science, assembly and operations on the International Space Station, and Aeronautical Research. Over the last decade, the U.S. commercial space launch industry has lost its technological advantage and now holds only 30 percent of the worldwide space launch market. As a result, sensitive U.S. technology is often launched into space by either Chinese, Russian or French rockets, increasing the risk of unwarranted U.S. technology transfer to foreign nations. The delayed development of modern, less expensive launch systems in this country needs to be rectified. This high cost of space transportation has greatly curtailed U.S. efforts in space research, science and exploration. This bill includes important provisions to address this issue which I would like to highlight. Mr. President, NASA is currently conducting research programs, such as the X-33, X-34 and X-37, that could result in important technological advancements applicable to future reusable launch vehicles and reductions in space transportation costs. In addition, there are existing hardware and engine systems, that if evaluated, could make an immediate contribution to reducing the cost of access to space by a factor of 10. The information gained from these evaluations can be incorporated into design plans for the Spaceliner 100 series of vehicles and ultimately reduce the cost of access to space by a factor of one hundred. In the Commerce Committee, I amended the Senate NASA bill to add $150M for Fiscal Year 2000 to accelerate these future space launch programs by one year. Accelerating the efforts that gain us cheaper access to space will help the U.S. recapture the space launch business and save on future launch costs. American companies would not have to look overseas for cheaper launches, thereby minimizing our technology exposure to foreign governments. Also, I am pleased to see the portion of the Earth Science budget supporting NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing effort is sustained. These programs, managed by the NASA Stennis Space Center's Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office in Mississippi, are contributing to the birth and growth of a new international industry. Wall Street has predicted this industry will grow to the $10 billion level by 2010. NASA Stennis personnel working together with the private sector, university researchers and other Federal agencies are already producing viable commercial products. New efforts are underway to coordinate the potential impact of these commercial products with the Department of Transportation. I have been told by DOT officials that remote sensing technology infused in the right way to DOT's planning efforts could result in significant savings in highway planning and construction. That is a very good potential payback for a small investment in the commercialization of remote sensing technology. Mr. President, this is a good bill. I hope that the Senate's differences with the House can be resolved quickly so that the bill can be presented to the President for signature.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT. That sounds like a good idea.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could inquire of the Senator, is the Senator saying that the administration supports the introduction of Grizzly bears into Idaho and the other State?

Mr. LOTT. If the pattern continues on that bill as it has on other bills, I think that probably will happen. As I recall, last Thursday night at about 8 o'clock around 43 amendments were accepted en bloc on the State-Justice-Commerce appropriations bill. It is a little tougher when you are talking about tax policy. But I am sure that some probably will be accepted to move forward. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now turn to the House Interior bill, and, immediately following the reporting by the clerk, Senator Gorton be recognized to offer the text of the Senate reported bill, as modified, to strike on page 116, lines 3 through 7; page 129, line 14, through page 132, line 20, as an amendment to the House bill. I further ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the bill, as thus amended, be considered original text for the purpose of further amendment, and that any legislative provision added thereby be subject nevertheless to a point of order under rule XVI.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, are we waiting on Senator Byrd's arrival?

Mr. LOTT. I had been notified that the Senator from California wanted to be on the floor when this unanimous consent request was made.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe we are about ready to make the unanimous consent agreement to proceed with the Interior appropriations bill. We had one further modification. I believe it is being cleared on both sides. I expect there will be no problem, and hopefully we can go forward with that. In that connection, I urge Senators to come to the floor if they have amendments to this Interior appropriations bill so we can make progress and not spend too much time on opening statements or in quorum calls. I am not encouraging amendments. But if a Senator has an amendment that he or she is very serious about, they should come onto the floor and offer it. If that is not done, we will have a vote before too long. So Members should understand that we will have the Interior appropriations bill available and that we are serious about going forward with it. We hope to make good progress on it tonight. Actually, I would like to see us complete the bill in view of the modifications that have already occurred concerning some of the provisions within this Interior appropriations bill. It is a very important bill for our country. It involves, obviously, the parks and lands all over our country that are very important to people of all persuasions, as well as funding for various commissions. I hope that it can be considered quickly. I commend in advance Senator Slade Gorton for the work he has done on this bill, and his ranking Member, Senator Byrd, and Senator Reid, who I know has been very interested in this bill and supports it. When you have Senator Gorton and Senator Byrd prepared to work on an appropriations bill, I suspect that most of its problems have already been resolved, and the Senate should be able to act very quickly on that legislation.

Mr. LOTT. I am glad to yield to Senator Dorgan.

Mr. LOTT. Yes. The reconciliation bill, which provides for the tax relief package, would be next after the Interior appropriations bill. We would like to go to that tonight and begin opening statements. But regardless of what happens with Interior, we will be on the reconciliation bill by 10:30 or quarter to 11 tomorrow morning. We have to have some time in the morning for statements with regard to the juvenile justice bill, which is going to conference. But that should be completed about 10:30 or 10:45.

Mr. LOTT. That would be our intention. Of course, under the rules dealing with reconciliation, you have 20 hours for debate on the tax relief package. Included in that 20 hours would be debate on amendments, although the vote time on amendments would not count against the 20 hours. So it would be our intention to go through the day and into the night on Wednesday and all day Thursday on this subject and into the night. If we finish the bill Thursday night, then it would be our plan at this time for that to be the conclusion for the week. I hope we would have already done the Interior appropriations bill. If we can't get it done because of problems that develop Thursday or, as you know, if amendments are still pending when all time has expired, we go through this very unseemly process on voting during what we call a ``votarama,'' with one vote after another and only a minute or two between the votes to explain what is in them. I hope we won't have that problem this time. But if we can't get it done Thursday night, of course, we would have to go over into Friday. But under the rules, we should be able to finish it not later than Friday and, hopefully, even Thursday night. We had indicated earlier a desire to go to the Agriculture appropriations bill early next week and, hopefully, complete the Agriculture appropriations bill. We then have the option to go back to the reconciliation conference report.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to help state and local governments more effectively finance the cost of essential services such as schools, streets, and water and sewer systems. By easing tax law restrictions on the refinancing of certain bonds, this proposal would allow local jurisdictions to take advantage of favorable market interest rates. Financing the essential projects of our communities is primarily a state and local government responsibility. Federal tax laws should make it easier--not more difficult--for them to lessen the burden of taxes and other governmental charges on our citizens. The proposal would adjust tax law restrictions on the refinancing of certain bonds issued to provide services such as government-owned schools, hospitals, streets and water and sewer systems. Under current tax rules, most state and local governments may undertake an advance refunding of bonded indebtedness only one time and are thus unable to take full advantage of periods when market interest rates are low. This legislation would allow every state and local government an additional opportunity to refinance bonded indebtedness issued to finance essential governmental projects. Furthermore, this legislation would give state and local governments flexibility skin to that of a homeowner who refinances a mortgage to reduce monthly payments and thereby increase income. The federal government should not expect state and local governments to shoulder the burden of financing local infrastructure, and then deny them the flexibility to handle their own affairs in the most efficient and cost- effective manner. The change will help continue shifting power and control to local government where it belongs. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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 that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 165, in memory of Senior Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, submitted earlier by Senators Hatch, Leahy, and others.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could be recognized, we hope to momentarily get an agreement with regard to proceeding with the Interior appropriations bill. We are waiting to hear from the Democratic leader before we enter this agreement. I think we have it worked out. I certainly hope so. If the Senator wishes to proceed as in morning business, I hope he will yield once we get the agreement all squared away.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator for yielding. We are working on a unanimous consent request that we might want to try to get cleared in the next 6 or 7 minutes. So if that should occur, I would ask the Senator to yield me time to do that. But we would do it in such a way where his remarks would not be interrupted. I thank the Senator for yielding to me.