Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 114, which was also reported by the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. One final comment on that. The record will show the Senate is working on an appropriate resolution. We will have one, I am sure, early next week.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have to object at this time, not that I will object to it in the end. The Senate will go on record on this matter, but we just saw the language 15 minutes ago. I have already initiated a process to have it reviewed by the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the chairman of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, and other interested Senators, to make sure they are comfortable with the language, because it does go beyond just the resolution we see underway now concerning Kosovo and the withdrawal of the Serbian troops and, hopefully, the return of the Kosovars. It also goes into some language with regard to what should happen in Kosovo now and also language with regard to President Milosevic. All I am saying is we want to review the language and make sure all interested Senators are aware of it. We will be glad to work with Senator Reid, Senator Daschle, and others to have a statement by the Senate on this matter, as we usually do when there are events such as this. I do want to go ahead and say for the Record, as others have, that the Senate is, I am sure, and I personally am very pleased an agreement appears to have been worked out and appears to be going forward. Earlier I was able to discuss this matter with the President. It does appear that the Serbian troops are beginning to be withdrawn and the bombing will be halted. This should lead to a process where the Kosovars can return to their homeland. That is good news. I think we all should express our appreciation for the leadership that has occurred in this area, and also for the good and outstanding work done by our troops. That is the thrust of what is in this resolution. So I think we all should acknowledge that. I think there is a sigh of relief that it did not go on further, with great problems facing U.S. men and women in uniform who had to go in as ground troops, or as the weather turned bad. We are all very pleased that this appears to be working out. As the President said to me when we talked earlier today--and I do not want to quote the President, because you do not do that, but the upshot of it was we still have a long way to go. And we do. But we all can hope and pray for the best. So while I will reserve the right to object at this point, we will work with the leadership on both sides of the aisle and develop some language on which the Senate can act.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I further ask consent that at 1 p.m. the Senate begin consideration of the energy and water appropriations bill.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 81, which was reported by the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I now move to proceed to H.R. 1664 and send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I send a cloture motion to the desk to the pending amendment.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I am glad to yield.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that H.R. 1259 be placed on the calendar.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. For the information of all Senators, tomorrow the Senate will not be in session. On Monday, the Senate will consider the energy and water appropriations bill, as was just agreed to, with the first rollcall vote expected to occur at approximately 5:30 on Monday. We will need to work with all Senators to make sure Senators can be present for that vote but, as is usually the case, unless notified otherwise, there will be votes on Monday at approximately 5:30 or sometime shortly thereafter. It is my hope the energy and water appropriations bill can be completed during Monday's session of the Senate. Two cloture motions were filed with respect to the Social Security lockbox issue and the oil, gas, and steel appropriations revolving fund bill. Also, under previous consent, the Y2K bill will be completed on Tuesday. Therefore, a series of votes will occur beginning at 2:15 on Tuesday, June 15.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as the Senate considers S. 96, the Y2K Act, I rise to first praise the bipartisan work of Senator McCain and Senator Wyden. They have worked tirelessly to construct an effective, fair bill that will address the important issue of liability as it relates to the Year 2000--or Y2K. There are enough challenges for America's industry and governments to ensure that they are Y2K compliant. We all know how vexing computer problems can be. This bill is constructive, positive legislation. It allows companies in the information technology industry to focus their limited resources on solving Y2K related problems in computer software by preventing frivolous litigation. Litigation which would divert those limited resources away from solving Y2K programming deficiencies. With only 205 days left until the globe turns the page on the calendar to a new century and a new millennium, the Y2K problem is a crucial matter and must be fixed. Lawsuits are already being filed regarding the Y2K problem, and Congress must act now to ensure that frivolous suits are prevented. Our legal system allows those who have indeed suffered because of the fault of another party to have their grievances adjudicated in court. This bill protects that process. This bill allows plaintiffs to bring suit for Y2K related problems if these problems are not addressed. This bill, however, prevents and places limits on opportunistic and unwarranted suits. Senator McCain and Senator Wyden have worked closely together to address this relevant matter, and I congratulate them for their efforts. Their approach has gained support from a substantial number of our colleagues--from both sides of the aisle. I would also like to recognize the efforts of Senator Hatch and the Judiciary Committee. They too have brought additional attention and clarity to the issue of Y2K liability problems. Senator Bennett and the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem have also been invaluable in educating the Senate. Although his task force does not have legislative authority, he has explored all facets of the public policy dilemma. The Special Committee has continued to investigate this matter and provide education on preparations for the new century. Yes, there were three separate efforts from three different vantage points to ensure that the Senate gets to a solution rapidly. The participating Senators have brought expertise and legitimate concerns from their various roles and responsibilities within the Senate. All of our colleagues will benefit from their collective efforts. I am delighted that, without further delay, the full Senate can now begin consideration of S. 96--the result of the diligent efforts of many. I am proud to be a cosponsor and urge all Senators to support a solution that ensures America's continued prosperity. Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I commend Senator Daschle for his comments about Senator Stevens. He is about to cast his 12,000th vote. Senator Daschle observed the interesting array of Ted Stevens' tie. My favorite one is the Tasmanian devil. When he comes in with that tie on, you know an appropriations bill is fixing to be moved through the Senate. But he has been a great Member of the Senate. He is a great friend. He is a credit to his State of Alaska. He has had an unbelievable career, including being a Flying Tiger, the 14th Air Force, in World War II. He is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School. He has overcome that. He was a solicitor at the Interior Department under the Eisenhower administration, and he certainly was a powerful advocate for Alaska statehood. He served in the Alaska House of Representatives. He was appointed to the Senate in 1968, and he has been elected five times since. My greatest experience with the distinguished Senator from Alaska was when he served as the whip of the majority in the Senate, and I was the whip for the minority in the House. Unlike what most people think, where there is this natural difficulty between the House and the Senate, he was never anything but helpful to me personally. He helped the two institutions work together. Because of his leadership, we addressed a number of important problems for the legislative activities and the security of the U.S. Capitol Building. His wife Catherine and six children are here, a wonderful assemblage of people. Catherine does a great job at keeping Senator Stevens on the straight and narrow. She is a wonderful lady. We thank her for the sacrifice she makes in allowing Senator Stevens to be here, sometimes through late nights, to allow him to accumulate these 12,000 votes. On behalf of the Senate, I extend our appreciation and thanks to Senator Stevens, a great Senator from Alaska, for what he has done for his State and for our Nation. (Applause, Senators rising.)

Mr. LOTT. 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.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the professional dedication, vision, and public service of Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Severs who is leaving the Air Force Legislative Liaison Office for assignment as the program manager for the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser Program at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It is a privilege for me to recognize the many outstanding achievements he has provided for the Senate, the Air Force, and our great Nation. Lieutenant Colonel Severs has served our country with distinction for nearly 14 years. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1985, he embarked on his Air Force Career with a training assignment at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. He subsequently completed tours of duty at McClellan Air Force Base, California; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Los Angeles Air Force Base, California; and back again to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In each of his Air Force assignments, Lieutenant Colonel Severs' performance has been outstanding. Lieutenant Colonel Severs began his tour on Capitol Hill as a legislative fellow assigned to the office of my esteemed colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Jim Inhofe. During this assignment, he worked on the fiscal year 1998 Defense authorization bill. After his assignment with Senator Inhofe, Lieutenant Colonel Severs was reassigned to the Air Force Office of Legislative Liaison in the Pentagon. Initially, he was responsible for acquisition and logistics issues and was responsible for preparing the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for posture testimony. He was then selected to be the Executive Officer to the Director of Air Force Legislative Liaison followed shortly thereafter by his reassignment as Deputy Chief of the Air Force Senate Liaison Office. Lieutenant Colonel Severs has earned the respect and trust of many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. His professional abilities and expertise enabled him to foster excellent working relationships that have served the Air Force and the Senate exceptionally well. As a liaison officer in the Senate, Lieutenant Colonel Severs has provided members and staff with informative and timely support regarding Air Force plans, programs, and constituent casework. His efforts have contributed greatly to maintaining the best trained, best equipped, and best prepared Air Force in the world. Mr. President, Jeff Severs, his wife, Gay, and children, Hugh and Brooke, have made many sacrifices during his 14-year Air Force career. He continues to serve with a dedication and enthusiasm seen only in our Nation's best and brightest. He is a great credit to the Air Force and the country, and his efforts on behalf of members and staff of the Senate will be greatly missed. As he now departs for new challenges at Eglin Air Force Base, I call upon my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize his service to the Senate and wish him well in his new assignment.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote scheduled to occur with respect to S. 96, the Y2K liability bill, on Wednesday, be vitiated, and following the conclusion of the defense appropriations bill the Senate resume S. 96. I further ask that following the reporting of the bill by the clerk, all pending floor amendments and motions be withdrawn, and Senator McCain be immediately recognized to modify the pending committee substitute with the text of S. 1138 and all remaining amendments in order to S. 96 be relevant to the Y2K issue. Finally, I ask consent that there be 12 first-degree amendments in order for each side of the aisle, with relevant second-degree amendments, and one additional first-degree amendment in order for each leader under the same terms as outlined above. This has been discussed with the Democratic leader and cleared on both sides of the aisle. I thank the Senator from Oregon, Mr. Wyden, for his help on this very important issue.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I congratulate the bill managers. The Senator from Alaska and the Senator from Hawaii always do a magnificent job. This is not a world record for them, but it certainly is a very fine accomplishment. I am very pleased that we have passed this Department of Defense appropriations bill in such good order. I congratulate the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Lott amendment (No. 394), as modified, passed the Senate on Thursday, May 27, 1999. The text of the Lott amendment, as modified, was printed in that day's Record. I ask unanimous consent that the Lott amendment, as modified and passed by the full Senate, be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in light of this agreement, then we will continue. The managers have some work they need to do with regard to some amendments that are still pending. During this 60 minutes of debate, I hope that can be resolved. We are expecting that final passage on the Department of Defense authorization bill would occur this evening, hopefully before 8 o'clock. If we can make it any sooner than that, certainly we will try to, but 8 o'clock is still our goal. Just one final point. I must say, I do not like having to pull aside this amendment. I thought we should have full debate, that it was a very important amendment and we should have had a vote on it. But we will have an opportunity. This is an issue that is important. It does go to the fundamental question of security at our energy and nuclear labs. But I think this Department of Defense authorization bill is the best defense authorization bill we have had in several years. A lot of good work has been done and I thought it would not have been wise to leave tonight without this Department of Defense authorization bill being completed. I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I offer this amendment to clarify the applicability of the Cargo Preference Act to the acquisition streamlining authority found in section 805 of S. 1059. Section 805 creates a new pilot acquisition program for commercial services, one of which is ``transportation, travel and relocation services.'' Although cargo preference or preference waivers are not mentioned, this pilot program could potentially be used to permit waivers of cargo preference law found in 10 U.S.C. 2631. In the absence of cargo preferences, DOD would have to acquire an immense organic fleet and use very scarce uniformed manpower at enormous cost of more than $800 million per year. This would dwarf any acquisition reform savings. This amendment would ensure the waivers of 10 U.S.C. 2631 for commercial service contracts are not authorized under this pilot program.

Mr. LOTT. I inquire of the assistant Democratic leader, is the Senator objecting because he does not want a direct vote on the amendment No. 446, or is there some other problem with that request?

Mr. LOTT. I ask consent that a vote occur on or in relation to this amendment with the same parameters as outlined above, but the vote occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader after consultation with the Democratic leader.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have a unanimous consent request that I will propound at this time. I do think the issue which has been before the Senate is a very important issue. I have shown my interest and my concern regarding security and more reports with regard to China, satellite technology, and security of our labs. We have added a significant amount of language into this bill. I also think an important part of making sure we have secure labs in the future and that the administration is handled properly will involve reorganization at the Department of Energy. Obviously, what is now in place is not working. But this is not about organization; this is about security. I ask unanimous consent that there be 1 hour for debate to be equally divided on amendment No. 446, the amendment by Senators Kyl, Domenici, and others; following that time, the Senate proceed to vote on or in relation to the amendment, with no amendments in order prior to the vote. I might add before the Chair rules, this agreement is the same type of agreement that we have been reaching for dozens of amendments throughout the consideration of the DOD bill.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I object, Mr. President, to further proceeding on this matter at this time.