Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2nd, there be 2 hours of debate equally divided between the opponents and proponents of the nuclear waste legislation. I further ask unanimous consent that the vote occur on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to that bill at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I further ask that following morning business the Senate resume consideration of the Durbin amendment, No. 2438, pending to the tobacco legislation.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I know I speak for the entire Senate in expressing to the family of Senator Barry Goldwater our sympathy for their loss and for our country's loss as well. On Wednesday, many of us in the Senate will attend his funeral in his beloved Arizona. The Senate Sergeant at Arms is making arrangements for those who wish to join in this last tribute to our former colleague. All Senate offices will be informed about those details soon. In fact, I believe that information has gone out and we do expect a large number of Senators to join in going to the funeral services in Arizona. The Senate will not be in session on Wednesday in honor of this great Senator and leader from Arizona. If Barry were here with us today, I think he would tell us in his characteristically blunt manner not to be too solemn about this occasion. After all, he was an extremely fortunate man and he felt that way and said so himself many times. He was blessed with length of days and devotion of family and friends. In fact, as I looked over the details of the services, I noted that he will be carried by his grandsons as poll bearers. I know that would have been really special to him. He loved his work. He loved the people he represented. He spoke his mind. In many ways, he owed nobody, but he loved everybody. He was a winner, not just in the sense of winning elections--with one rather major exception--but in the most important sense of having his ideas vindicated by the course of history. In his one losing election, the Presidential race of 1964, he was subject to more falsehoods, in my opinion, than any candidate should ever have to bear. In losing with honor, he did more than encourage others to stand up for their beliefs. I was one of those young people that was fresh out of college and working for my alma mater, the University of Mississippi, and casting my first vote ever in a Presidential election for Barry Goldwater in my hometown of Pascagoula, MS, and watching the election returns that night from Pensacola, FL. I remember how I had been inspired by what he had to say. I think that was the moment I decided I would spend a good portion of my life involved in trying to be a representative of the people in Government. Along with then-Governor Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater energized the grassroots of American politics, fostered the growth of modern conservatism, and thereby transformed the Republican Party and the Nation. His statement of political faith--a slight book called ``The Conscience of a Conservative''--continues to challenge and inspire readers. I have my little paperback version of ``The Conscience of a Conservative'' that I keep in a small library in my hometown. There are many Members of Congress today who treasure their well-worn copies of that volume, as well they might, for it remains an eloquent manifesto of the cause of liberty. The conservative movement has had many heroes, but Barry Goldwater remains preeminent, even though he came to disagree with conservatives on some issue. That disagreement has belatedly won him some new admirers, even some liberals who fail to see the difference between his reasoning and theirs. The difference is that they tend to downplay personal responsibility. Senator Barry Goldwater, on the other hand, demanded it. He expected individuals to live with the consequences of their decisions. It was his sense of responsibility that brought Barry Goldwater into Government and empowered his fight against big Government. It was personal responsibility that he preached to his fellow Americans. In 1964 many were unwilling to listen. Today, three decades later, his message is heard and echoed from think tanks to pulpits, from classrooms to the Congress. He gave so much to the country he loved so much. So many years of service in government, so strong a voice for national security against the threat of communism, and so passionate a confidence in the ability of average men and women to do extraordinary things. But surely his greatest gift was preparing the way for a rebirth of the conservative ideas and values which make freedom possible. That long ago won him an honored place in the hearts of his fellow believers, and it now ensures for him an honored place in the history of America.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination on the Executive Calendar: Number 600. I further ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I think the easiest thing to do to resolve this problem is for you all to go meet, stop talking about it, get what you need, and then we can go ahead.

Mr. LOTT. If I could respond.

Mr. LOTT. This applies to the Senator from Rhode Island. While the appropriators are meeting and having a chance to review the documents, I think this would be a good time for the managers to begin to talk about and explain what is in the bill, what the policies may be, answer questions of Senators. We can begin the process right now. I believe Senator Daschle thinks that would be a wise move. I believe that would be the thing to do at this point. I yield the floor. Mr. CHAFEE addressed the Chair.

Mr. LOTT. Let me say, because I know everyone is interested in this, this is a critical moment on a very important bill. The managers of the ISTEA II legislation have labored late into the night and all morning trying to make sure Members are aware of what is in the bill. I think they have done a good job. It might not be perfect in anybody's eyes, but we need to get it done. We need to get it done this afternoon. There will be an opportunity for Members to express themselves, but I believe for all concerned the wise thing to do is to go to this bill as soon as we can, have a limited debate, and vote. It won't be easier on Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. It won't be easier in a week or a month. I think we need to complete this legislation. We will work on both sides, as we have all along, to make sure that Members are satisfied with what we try to do.

Mr. LOTT. I am happy to yield.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, we have the managers here on the floor that have worked on this legislation who are prepared to begin to discuss the legislation, to answer questions, and be prepared to go to a vote when the Senators are ready to do that. I don't know the physical location. I presume that will be available.

Mr. LOTT. And Senator Warner. We would like you to get together and look at the numbers and the language and I believe you will be happy.

Mr. LOTT. I have been here 25 years as a Member of the House and Senate and 4 years before that as a staff member. I have never seen a highway bill that was done any differently than this. Maybe this one is even a little better. I was getting calls at my home last night until 11:30. Senators were involved, Congressmen--negotiations going on right downstairs. There have been staff members and Senators and Congressmen coming in and out of there. I know the Senator from Alaska, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, has seen the computer runs previously.

Mr. LOTT. I would like you to meet Senator Chafee.

Mr. LOTT. In response to the Senator from Alaska, I understand that he wants to see what is in it. I think he will like what he sees in it, both for him and his constituency and the country as a whole. This is over a $200 billion bill that is needed in this country for safe, decent roads, bridges, and mass transit. We have drug it out for weeks and months and it is time to act. Now, does every Senator deserve a right and an opportunity to see the formula and see how each State does and look at what it means for the Appropriations Committee and every committee? Yes, let's do it. Let's do it now. You will have an opportunity to look at this, and others should. But it is time that we get serious and get it done in a reasonable time in the best interest of America. My father died on a narrow, two-lane road that wasn't safe and I am not going to stand any longer for us having inadequate roads and bridges in this country and for money to be sometimes spent in other places. I am bending a little bit here, but I think everybody in this Chamber knows I tried to listen to everybody's needs, concerns on both sides, on tough legislation this week and this year. I am sympathetic. I wanted to look at the numbers. I have. I haven't seen the report. I don't know whether it is perfect. But it has been a laborious, tough, involvement and it is time that we bring it to a conclusion. Help me do that.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 373, S. Res. 188.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I would like to say to all Senators, with regard to the week we are coming back. I have been discussing this with Senator Daschle. When we complete this infrastructure transportation bill, ISTEA II, and dispose of that, that will be the last vote or action of this week, other than doing some Executive Calendar matters we are trying to clear. The next vote will not occur until Tuesday when we come back. That would be June 2. But when we return on Monday, June 1, we will continue to debate the tobacco bill, and the pending issue is the Durbin amendment. Of course, there are other amendments that are pending. We will be talking back and forth over the next week as to exactly how the process will go forward. On that Tuesday, the 2nd, the Senate will conduct a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the nuclear waste bill, which I will put in place in the next few minutes, as well as amendment votes relative to the tobacco legislation. I do want to emphasize, the nuclear waste issue we intend to double track. That is one where we can take an action and then come off of that and go, then, to other legislation, the tobacco legislation. And it will take a period of days to get through the process we have to go on, on nuclear waste. But that is not intended to take the place of either the tobacco bill or the Department of Defense authorization bill. It will be double tracking as we go forward. So I expect the Senate will be considering the tobacco bill and the nuclear waste bill during the first week in June. If problems arise with regard to either one of those, the other issue that we have already done some work on, and we want to go back to at the first opportunity, would be the Department of Defense authorization bill. We need to get that completed so we can then go to the appropriations side of the defense bill. I know that first week back will be a busy one because we have a lot of important work to do. We will be in session on Monday, but we will not have recorded votes on that Monday. Senator Daschle, did you want to comment or ask a question on that?

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I renew my request that the Senate now proceed to the ISTEA conference report notwithstanding the receipt of the papers, and the reading be considered as dispensed with.

Mr. LOTT. Is there objection?

Mr. LOTT. Thank you. I thank the Senator for yielding.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I now withdraw the motion.

Mr. LOTT. In light of the objection, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 312 and send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now turn to consideration of Calendar No. 312, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act.