Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator for his comments. This area of our two States is growing rapidly and I agree that a new, bistate industrial park would be of great benefit to both Mississippi and Tennessee. It is my hope that this proposed economic development project will mean a major increase in the number of jobs and level of prosperity for this region of the country. I have been working on this proposal for an industrial park for a number of years and I am pleased that this essential, in fact critical, next step of the process is taking place now. I know that both you and I will keep a close watch on the progress of this proposed industrial park and I thank you for bringing it up on the floor.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be considered read a third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2265 and, further, that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the bill appear at the appropriate place in the Record. The bill (H.R. 2265) was read the third time and passed.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3025, which is at the desk.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 283, S. 758.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives on the bill (H.R. 1604) to provide for the division, use, and distribution of judgment funds of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan pursuant to dockets numbered 19-E, 58, 368, and 18-R before the Indian Claims Commission. Resolved, That the House agree to the amendments of the Senate numbered 1-60, 62 and 63 to the bill (H.R. 1604) entitled ``An Act to provide for the division, use, and distribution of judgment funds of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan pursuant to dockets numbered 18-E, 58, 364, and 18-R before the Indian Claims Commission.''. Resolved, That the House disagree to the amendment of Senate numbered 61 to the above-entitled bill.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I move that the Senate recede from its amendment No. 61.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1271.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 271, S. 1371.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, before I proceed to some closing bills and Executive Calendar, I would like to consult with the Democratic leader. So I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I extend my congratulations to the Senator from New Hampshire for his work on this very important appropriations bill. I should note it is the 13th and final appropriations conference report, the last one across the line, but a big one and an important one--Commerce, State, and Justice and related agencies. It also became a vehicle for a number of Senators to attempt to address problems, as it was the last conference report to go through the Congress. It was quite a struggle, but an important one. I commend the Senator from New Hampshire for his good work. I should also note the cooperation he received from the ranking member, the Senator from South Carolina. I thank the Senator for his work. I am glad we had our colleagues from the other side of the Capitol also work with us on this effort, which was a very interesting experience.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I now call up Senate joint resolution 39, which is at the desk.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise today to address the status of the Ocean Shipping bill and the implementation of the OECD Shipbuilding Agreement in the Senate. These are very important bills which are badly needed to reform America's maritime industry. A number of my Senate colleagues joined me in working very hard this year, in a bipartisan way, to get these two bills done. The legislation and amendments reflected a balance among the concerns of all affected parties. However, I must report that a few Senators have held up each bill. This minority of Senators wants more than most of us believe is do-able. Given the waning hours of this session, the Senate will not be able to consider and pass either of these bills this year. I am deeply disappointed. Mr. President, maritime issues are very important to me. I grew up in the port town of Pascagoula. I still live there. My father worked in the shipyard. I have spent my entire adult life working on maritime issues. So I am very concerned by the Senate's inaction on these two pieces of legislation. The Ocean Shipping Act is D.I.W.--``dead in the water'', at least for this year. The incremental Shipping Act reforms have been stopped because some want to inject new issues into the legislation. Issues that should be resolved at the labor-management negotiating table. Issues not directly related to making America's container ships more competitive in the international marketplace. Mr. President, the bill's sponsors have made it clear on several occasions that we are not trying to undo or inject the Senate into the collective-bargaining process for port labor agreements. These concerns can and should be addressed in a fair and even-handed manner at the bargaining table. Despite my efforts to work through this issue this past weekend, some Senators on the other side of the aisle have chosen to stop the Ocean Shipping Reform bill. Mr. President, the Ocean Shipping Reform bill is necessary. Mr. President, the Ocean Shipping Reform bill helps U.S. exporters in every State of this nation compete with their foreign competitors. Without Ocean Shipping Reform, the Senate keeps 50 states D.I.W. for a small organized group. Mr. President, the Ocean Shipping Reform bill helps America's container ships and exporters. When we take up this bill early next year, each Senator will be asked to choose between helping the thousands of workers in his or her State or harming them. Mr. President, the second piece of important maritime legislation I would like to see passed is the implementation of the OECD Shipbuilding Agreement, signed nearly 3 years ago. This legislation, I am disappointed to report, is also D.I.W. Senators on two committees worked very hard this session, in a bipartisan manner, to address the legitimate concerns of our nation's largest shipyards. U.S. participation in this agreement is essential, but it must be based on the firm understanding that the Jones Act and national security requirements regarding vessel construction will not be restricted by other countries. What America desires is a level playing field, without compromising our national security interests. I believe that S. 1216, with the Lott-Breaux amendment, addresses these principles in a good faith effort to resolve the issues identified by Representative Bateman. I would not support any legislation that didn't respect these principles. Let me be clear. I am a Jones Act supporter, period. And I believe the amendment protects the integrity of the Jones Act. But once again, a few Senators have stopped this vital legislation in mid-ocean. Another D.I.W. bill. This minority of Senators wants to include additional exceptions to the OECD Agreement's limitations on commercial vessel construction subsidies and credits. I am concerned that this attempt will scuttle the entire Agreement. This is counter-productive. This would force U.S. shipbuilders back into a subsidy race that the U.S. cannot afford to win. This small minority of Senators are not just stopping this legislation in mid-ocean, but scuttling it--sinking it. And I believe that, no matter how well-meaning they may be, they will eventually jeopardize the very U.S. commercial shipbuilding industry they are trying to protect. Our commercial shipbuilding industry needs a worldwide, level playing field. We need it now. Mr. President, it is time for these few Senators to set aside narrow regional and partisan interests and take up an oar and start rowing with the rest of the Senate. The Senate needs to get the Ocean Shipping and OECD bills moving. I intend to put these bills to a Senate vote early next year. In the meantime, the Senate has left two vital pieces of maritime legislation stranded in the middle of the ocean, for a long winter. D.I.W. Dead in the water. This is not good for America's maritime world. This is not good for America.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to recognize the work of a man who has been a real asset to this institution. He has many fans in this room, both here on the floor of the Senate and up there in the press gallery. His name is Maurice Johnson, Superintendent of the Senate Press Photographers Gallery. He is retiring this year after nearly 30 years. What a perspective--30 years of life in the Senate through a photographer's eye. Maurice has seen the entire range of congressional milestones, celebrations, inaugurations, investigations, and, of course, occasional legislation. He has taken part in sharing those events with the world, helping in many ways to ensure that the media coverage has run smoothly. No one has yet found a corner of the Capitol for which Maurice doesn't know the best angle and lighting. Maurice is a voice for all photographers who cover the Senate day to day. As liaison between the Senators and the photographers, he has been an effective adviser, advocate, and coordinator. He has been most helpful to my staff and to me over the past year and a half as we have adjusted to our leadership role. I thank him for his graciousness always under all circumstances. We should not forget that Maurice is an accomplished photographer himself. He captured history as he covered the administrations of Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. Many of the images that we have from national political campaigns and conventions are Maurice's work. Some assignments must have been less like work than others, though. Photography for him has included the Redskins games or the U.S. Open golf tournament. Sometimes it has been the Miss America pageant. It certainly seems to me he hasn't exactly always had a tough day at the office. It sounds like it has been fun. His talents have been rewarded by a steady stream of awards that have names like ``Best Picture of the Year'' and ``First Prize.'' He has been honored nationally for single photos, for his work in the Senate Photographers Gallery, and for the entire span of his career. At a recent reception in Maurice's honor, the room overflowed with colleagues, friends, and family members who conveyed their affection and high regard for him. Now, as the session draws to a close, I want to take the opportunity to let Maurice know how much we in the Senate appreciate him and his work. I am sure my colleagues join me in thanking him for his many years of dedication. We wish him, his wife Lanny, and their children, Keith and Maureen, well. I yield the floor, Mr. President, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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, I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the bill be considered read a third time and passed, as amended, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 287, S. 927.

Mr. LOTT. Senator Snowe has an amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess until 2 p.m. today.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that passage of S. 1292 be vitiated and the bill be indefinitely postponed.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.