Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, today the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 1 p.m. Following morning business, the Senate will begin consideration of the energy and water appropriations bill with amendments expected to be offered throughout the day. Votes were scheduled to occur at 5:30 p.m. However, we expect to reach an agreement, hopefully within the next few minutes, requiring Senators to file amendments to the energy and water appropriations bill by 5 o'clock today. Assuming that is agreed to, then there would be no votes today. As a reminder, a series of votes will occur on Tuesday beginning at 2:15 p.m., and the first votes in the series will be on the completion of the Y2K legislation, to be followed by cloture votes on the Social Security lockbox issue and the oil, gas, and steel appropriations bill. So we will have three votes at 2:15, and we may even have additional votes at that time because we could have amendments that will have to be voted on with regard to the energy and water appropriations bill and even, hopefully, final passage. For the remainder of the week, we expect to complete the energy and water appropriations bill no later than the close of business Tuesday. Today, I will file cloture on the House-passed Social Security lockbox bill, with that cloture vote occurring on Wednesday. We also expect to continue with the appropriations bills process when they become available, hopefully disposing of all that would be available to us. That could include the military construction appropriations bill, legislative branch, transportation, and State-Justice-Commerce. I realize we can't do all those this week, but we will work with the Democratic leadership to see if we can maybe do one or more of those bills in a short period of time. We also have entered into an agreement with regard to State Department authorization, with a limited amount of time and, I presume, a limited number of amendments. We will try to find an opportunity to do that this week. Perhaps Friday morning we could take up that bill and complete action on it by noon, and that would be the final vote of the week. Therefore, I think Members should be aware now votes will occur on Friday. This will be a very busy week with votes occurring every day, and we probably will go into the evening at least on Thursday. But it will depend on how things proceed. Let me take a moment now to express, frankly, my disappointment in the Senate at the number of Senators who have indicated they will not be here or would not be here for a vote late this afternoon. Senator Daschle and I have discussed the dates on Mondays or Fridays when we knew we would not have votes. We have advised Members of that. That was true last month, and we have indicated a couple dates here in the next month or so. But unless we say there will not be votes, Members should expect to have votes occur sometime after 5 o'clock on Mondays and up until 12 o'clock on Fridays. Because of the large number of Senators who were not going to be able to be here this afternoon, we have decided to defer the votes until tomorrow. But that inconveniences other Senators, some of whom came all the way back across the country to be ready to vote at 5 o'clock, only to find that because of the number of Senators who say they are not coming back, we are not going to have a vote. So I am very disappointed in that. I have to assume some of the responsibility because we could go ahead and say we are going to vote at 5:30. But I do have to take into consideration that we do have a large number of Senators who would not be present for a vote. So I am taking this opportunity to publicly admonish the Senate as a whole. Last week, I had Senators who said, well, we shouldn't vote on Tuesday morning. I had some Senators say we can't be here at Thursday noon. If it continues at this pace, we will have votes stacked in sequence on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, which would suit me fine, but I don't think it is a very good way to do business. I do intend to have votes on Fridays so we can complete our work. It is not that I necessarily want them; it is because we have to have them in order to complete our work. So I hope Senators will plan on being here on Mondays and Fridays because we do assure them that there will be no votes before 5 and no votes after 12. But I was very disappointed in what the whip check looked like for today.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I understand the Senator's desire, and I want to talk with the Senator about how he wished to proceed on this issue this week. However, I do not yield for the purpose of laying down an amendment at this time.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, if no previous cloture motions are invoked, this cloture vote will occur on Wednesday of this week, 1 hour after the Senate convenes, unless changed by consent. All Senators will be notified as to the exact time of the cloture vote. Call of the Roll In the meantime, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, did the Senator have a reservation or a comment?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now turn to Calendar No. 152, H.R. 1259, regarding the Social Security lockbox issue.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk to the pending bill.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today, I want to pay tribute to The Macon Beacon, a newspaper in Macon, MS, on the occasion of its sesquicentennial celebration. This is a special event for Mississippi and for the city of Macon. Media exists to report what actually happens locally, nationally and globally. For 150 years, the Beacon has been reporting facts relevant to the lives of Noxubee County residents. The Beacon reached the Sesquicentennial milestone because it is a reliable source of information for its community. I want to tell my colleagues a brief history of this historic yet vibrant newspaper. The Macon Beacon paper was founded in July 1849, for the people of Noxubee County, Mississippi. The county was established only 16 years before in 1833. The Beacon is the third oldest newspaper in Mississippi. It even has the distinction of being Noxubee County's oldest continuous business. This demonstrates the Macon Beacon's continued importance to the people of Noxubee County. E.W. and Henry C. Ferris founded The Macon Beacon in 1849 and it remained in the Ferris family for the next 123 years. Its editorship passed down through the Ferris family from Henry to his son, Phillip, and then to his son Douglas. Douglas recruited a cousin, Brooke Ferris, to continue the family's leadership in the business. This is an amazing and honorable family legacy. In 1972, upon Mr. Brooke Ferris's retirement, Mr. Jim Robbins purchased The Macon Beacon. The Robbins family of Macon, Mississippi, continued to publish the newspaper until 1993. Then Mr. Scott Boyd bought it and he continues to publish The Macon Beacon today. The First Amendment to the Constitution indicates the importance of a free and vigilant press to our democratic republic. The Macon Beacon has lived up to these expectations by faithfully reporting community events for 150 years. The Macon Beacon has survived and flourished through three major wars, including the War Between the States, and the Great Depression. Each edition of The Beacon is eagerly awaited by the newspaper's 3,100 subscribers, more than a fourth of the county's population. In the words of its founding editor, Mr. Henry C. Ferris, The Macon Beacon is ``a semi-public institution dedicated to the service of the people.'' I want to congratulate The Macon Beacon on the celebration of 150 years of dedicated service to Noxubee County.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I take note that we have a new group of pages that are joining us today. We look forward to having their presence and their assistance as we carry out our duties on behalf of the American people. They will be playing an important role in how the Senate conducts itself. We are delighted to have them here and we welcome them aboard. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for testimony in an administrative proceeding before the Merit Systems Protection Board. The appellant alleges that he was terminated from his employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs unlawfully in retaliation for communications that entitle him to protected status as a whistle blower. This resolution would permit Richard Lougee, a caseworker on Senator Judd Gregg's staff, to testify, with representation by the Senate Legal Counsel, by providing an affidavit, and if necessary appearing at a deposition, about his communications with the parties to this matter.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I thank Senator Daschle for his explanation and I appreciate his courtesy. I am very much committed to the concept of making it difficult for Social Security funds to be used for any purpose other than Social Security. I want to get to a direct vote. I know there are other amendments Senator Daschle or others would like to offer, and I will discuss it with him and see if we can't find a way to do that before this week is out. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask consent there be a period for the transition of routine morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I do want to note that for the first time in history, within the last month, the Senate leadership has selected our first woman to be the Senate legal counsel, and she is Pat Bryan. She has served at the Justice Department and at the White House in the past. She is highly capable, and we are delighted to have her joining the Senate in this very important position. But my reason for wanting to comment this morning is to talk a moment about the position and to talk about her predecessor who served as legal counsel. Among the officers of the Senate, one of the least known is the Senate Legal Counsel. There is a reason for that. The Legal Counsel usually works out of the limelight, away from publicity, serving the Senate with a certain anonymity that is appropriate for the very important responsibilities of the office. The Office of the Legal Counsel is, in effect, the Senate's own law firm. Its staff handles any litigation concerning the Senate or its Members acting in their official capacity. The Senate Legal Counsel also advises the Senate, not about legislation, but about legal matters of all sorts. The most recent and most dramatic instance, of course, was the impeachment trial of President Clinton. Throughout that extraordinary experience, our Legal Counsel, Thomas B. Griffith, played a crucial role in shaping our procedures. He assured the legal propriety of everything we did, keeping us, along with the Parliamentarian, true to the Senate's rules and precedents. The meticulousness he brought to our labors was characteristic of Tom's work, as was the unflappable demeanor and unwavering courtesy he showed throughout the impeachment ordeal. With gratitude for Tom's service to the Senate for the last four years, and yet with deep regret at the prospect of losing him, I must report that he will be rejoining his former law firm of Wiley, Rein, and Fielding. It is customary on occasions like this to say that we all wish him well. In this case, that is an understatement. We wish Tom the best, as he deserves, for that is what he has given to the Senate. One example of his dedication should suffice. Tom lives quite a distance away from Washington, considerably outside the Beltway even, in Lovettsville, Virginia. During the weeks of the impeachment proceedings, Tom left his family there and moved closer to the Capitol, to be always available to us here, spending perhaps one day a week with Susan and the children. I want all of them--Chelsea, Megan, Robbie, Erin, Torre, and Tanne-- to know that, during those weeks when they must have sorely missed their dad, he was serving his country in a very important way. That kind of selfless service has always been a part of Tom's life, from his days as a missionary in Zimbabwe with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through his activities with the Federalist Society. His example of integrity and commitment to the highest ideals of the law has brought honor to the Senate. He leaves us now with our affection and our enduring gratitude.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I thank the Chaplain, as always, for his beautiful prayer and for recognizing this is Flag Day, June 14. It is a day in which we should all take a moment to be proud and thankful for the country that we live in because the flag is the symbol of our country, and it is appropriate that we honor it on this day, June 14. (Mrs. HUTCHISON assumed the Chair.)

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 12 noon on Monday, June 14. I further ask unanimous consent that on Monday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and there be a period of morning business until 1 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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 at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, this cloture vote will occur then on Tuesday under rule XXII. Call of the Roll I now ask unanimous consent that the vote occur immediately following the passage vote on the Y2K bill Tuesday, with the mandatory quorum under rule XXII being waived.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now turn to calendar No. 89, S. 557, the budget process bill to which the lockbox issue has been offered as an amendment.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 127, which is at the desk.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I now withdraw the motion to proceed.

Mr. LOTT. For the information of all Senators, this cloture vote will also occur on Tuesday. Call of the Roll I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote occur immediately following the cloture vote on the lockbox issue, if not invoked, on Tuesday. In addition, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today is the last day of work of the present group of pages--the ``youngest Government employees.'' I commend all of the pages and wish them good luck in their future endeavors. I know all Members would want to personally thank them for their hard work. Many days they have worked late into the night, and the next morning they would get up early to go to school. It is not an easy job being a Senate page. Their work here is very important, as we move through our legislative process and quite often move a lot of paper around. They help us an awful lot. I have particularly enjoyed watching this group and seeing them at the door and seeing them in the halls and seeing them led by Senator Thurmond into the dining room for ice cream for one and all. I therefore ask consent that the names of this class of Senate pages be printed in the Record with our heartiest appreciation.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the title, as amended, be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to this resolution be printed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 34, which was reported by the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. 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 this resolution be printed at the appropriate place in the Record.