Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator from Vermont. I know he is committed to getting this legislation completed. There are very few bills that I have seen that have such broad bipartisan support as this one does. It is costing millions of dollars to comply with the ridiculous delays from FDA, and the American people are being deprived of medicines and devices that should be approved much quicker. Some of them are just impossible to explain. I hope that we can complete action this week. I appreciate the efforts and the leadership of the Senator from Vermont.

Mr. LOTT. We will talk about it for a little while. But at 10 o'clock we will advise Members whether we are going to have a vote, or when we are deferring it to. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT. No. There was no unanimous-consent agreement.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this morning we are scheduled to have 30 minutes of debate prior to a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment to S. 830, the FDA reform bill. This is the second cloture vote we have had to have on this very important bipartisan legislation to reform the Food and Drug Administration so that medicines and medical devices can get to the American people in a responsible and reasonable period of time so that they don't have worse health conditions, or even death in many instances. We are scheduled to have a rollcall vote at 10 a.m. this morning on cloture, if it is required. And we had hoped to go ahead and do that and then go back to the Interior appropriations bill and complete that, and then come back to FDA. We have a Senator that has an illness this morning who would like very much to be able to make this vote. So we are contacting all of the managers of the legislation that is pending this morning, including the Interior appropriations committee, to see if we can maybe take some additional time this morning on Interior appropriations. If we can get that worked out, we may delay that 10 o'clock vote until either say 11:15 or 12:15 in an effort that I know all Members would want to make to accommodate this Senator who is anxious not to miss the vote. So we will ask our colleagues on both sides to cooperate as we try to use this time for constructive debate and see then exactly what time we could expect these votes to occur. Under the consent agreement that we entered into last week, Members have until 10 a.m. today to file second-degree amendments to the FDA reform bill. After the disposition of that cloture vote and/or the FDA reform bill, depending on what we can work out, then we will resume consideration of H.R. 2107, the Interior appropriations bill. Senators can expect additional votes throughout the day either on the FDA reform package or on the Interior appropriations bill. I will ask the managers of the FDA bill to work with us on this and cooperate with us so that we can have some orderly consideration of both the FDA and the Interior appropriations bill. Hopefully we will go to Interior after we invoke cloture again on FDA reform, then allow Senators that are interested to continue to work together, and then see if we can get an agreement to complete action on FDA reform in a reasonable time this week. Does the Senator from Vermont want me to yield at this point?

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I join my colleague to express my sadness at the loss of our friend and Thad's administrative assistant, Wiley Carter. I extend my sympathy to Senator Cochran and his staff, and certainly to the family and all the many friends that Wiley Carter had in Mississippi. Senator Cochran did a wonderful job of talking about his indomitable spirit. He was a lovable guy, a great pleasure to be around. He was a friend of mine. And on many occasions when I needed advice and counsel, I can remember seeking out Wiley Carter. He did always have good spirits. I have never seen anybody who actually enjoyed Government and politics, which is the art of Government, any more than Wiley Carter. He was dedicated to maintaining an America in which we want our children to grow up. I am not the only person to note that more Wileys would serve us all well. In the initial part of his 40-year career, Wiley worked for the State's economic development department, the Mississippi Democratic Party, former Lt. Gov. Carroll Gartin and former U.S. Representative John Bell Williams of Mississippi. But it was during his 23-year stint as Senator Cochran's administrative assistant that people throughout Mississippi knew him best. Wiley spent much of that time criss-crossing our State, listening to its citizens, and working on Thad's behalf to carry out their mission. People trusted Wiley. They were comfortable sharing their concerns with him, and they knew that their words would go straight to Thad's ear. Thad and I were not the only ones who counted on Wiley's knowledge. Very few people knew more about Mississippi politics than Wiley, and in past years, few young political hopefuls in our State have considered a run for office without first consulting him. He also provided advice and perspective for many who had been around for quite a while, and he did it with his infectious smile and sense of humor. His wit always seemed to put political life in perspective. While running Senator Cochran's Senate race, Wiley quipped, ``In a campaign, if you haven't heard a good rumor by noon, you better start one.'' Needless to say, Wiley knew how to have fun in serious situations, and he always got the job done. Wiley's outstanding work and invaluable knowledge were not the only reasons he was well loved by Mississippians. Many benefited from his tireless work as an ambassador for his beloved Mississippi State University. Wiley was a servant of the people, and he was one of them. He is best described as the kind of person who never met a stranger or knew an enemy. He reached out to individuals at all levels, and his friendliness was contagious. Quite simply, everyone liked Wiley. I understand that the church in Jackson couldn't hold all those who showed up yesterday to pay tribute and show appreciation for Wiley. To anyone whose life he touched, this is no surprise. There is not a story that can be told or a memory brought to mind about Wiley that wouldn't bring a smile to the faces of those who knew him, which is a tribute in itself to his character. Wiley will be sorely missed, but more importantly, he will be fondly remembered. I am sure all my colleagues in the Senate join me in extending condolences to the members of his family, to his friend Senator Cochran, and to the many others who loved him. I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, further reserving the right to object, we are moving at this time to accommodate one of our Senators who has a health problem right now. It does disrupt the whole schedule. We have work we need to do on Interior appropriations. If we delay it further and then come back to it and have to go off it at 12:15, it just confuses and complicates the whole process. We have asked the managers of the Interior appropriations bill--now we have interrupted them--to come to the floor. They are scheduled to be on the floor. I know the Senator from Iowa is working to try and get an amendment included. I feel confident that will be done at some point. At this time, I have to object to the expansion of the unanimous consent request that was offered by the Senator from Massachusetts and support the request that was made by the Senator from Vermont.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, just so we will be clear what we have agreed to, Senator Gorton and the other manager of the bill will be here to, again, further debate amendments on the Interior appropriations bill. They have been good partners on this appropriations bill and have worked out some of the areas where there have been disagreements, but there will be amendments and, I presume, votes throughout the day on a number of issues, including the National Endowment for the Arts issue, perhaps on some mining issues. I understand perhaps the Senator from Arkansas has an amendment. But we need to make progress on the Interior appropriations bill because we hope to finish it tonight or tomorrow and then go to FDA at some point. I hope we can work out a reasonable agreement where we can complete the debate on the Food and Drug Administration reform bill, and we hope to then pretty quickly, either late this week or early next week, go to the District of Columbia appropriations bill. That would be the 13th and last appropriations bill that we would have to deal with this session, and then we could focus the rest of next week and the next week on adopting conference reports to the appropriations bills. We will need to move them very quickly. It will be my intent to try and hold time and focus on getting those conference reports agreed to. I appreciate the cooperation of all Senators as we try to accommodate one of our most beloved Senators who has a problem this morning, and we will begin with the Interior appropriations momentarily. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, we have the opportunity this week, I believe, to complete action on the Interior appropriations bill and on the Food and Drug Administration reform package. There has been a lot of work done on FDA, and I believe a consensus is evolving. Hopefully, within a day or day and a half, we could complete action on that bill this week. And if time permits, we will also take up the D.C. appropriations bill which would be the last of the 13 appropriations bills the Senate needs to pass. Today, though, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 2107, the Interior appropriations bill. As announced earlier, there will be no rollcall votes today. Any votes ordered on amendments to this bill, H.R. 2107, will be set aside to occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the minority leader. Presumably, that would be in the morning, hopefully even early in the morning. The Senate will be able, hopefully, to conclude debate on the Interior bill by Tuesday. We have one of our most outstanding chairmen who is managing this bill. I think this one is going to be a handful for him, but they have worked out a number of issues. I feel like we will be able to get an early resolution and complete action on the Interior appropriations bill. Members are encouraged to contact the managers of the bill to schedule floor action on any possible amendments. I hope Members will not wait until sometime Tuesday afternoon or late Tuesday night, or whenever, when it is convenient for them to drop by if they have any amendments. If you have a good amendment, you get more attention, you get a better chance to have it properly considered and even get a vote if you show up early for work and offer your amendment. As Members are aware, then, there will only be one appropriations bill left, and we will take it up later on this week or the D.C. appropriations bill will come up perhaps early next week. We need Members' cooperation in scheduling floor action, and we will attempt to conclude action on both these bills this week. We will notify the Members when rollcall votes are agreed to. Under rule XXII, all first-degree amendments to S. 830, that is the FDA reform bill, must be filed by 1 p.m. today. I want to remind Members of that deadline. I thank my colleagues for their attention, and I wish the chairman and manager of the bill, the great Senator from the State of Washington, good luck in completing his work. I yield the floor, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk and ask the clerk to report.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this will be just very brief. I know you have your statements. Senator Kennedy has another event at 3 or 4 that he may attend. I have a conflict with other events, too. Cloture Motion

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be allowed to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 1997 at 9 a.m. in SD- 106 to examine the broad implications of the recently proposed tobacco settlement.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, for purposes of conducting a subcommittee hearing which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony reviewing the Commemorative Works Act and the administrative and public process involved in the site selection of the World War II Memorial and the recently announced Air Force Memorial.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Governmental Affairs Committee Special Investigation to meet on Thursday, September 11, at 10 a.m. for a hearing on campaign financing issues.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, for purposes of conducting a full committee hearing which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on S. 660, a bill to provide for the continuation of higher education through the conveyance of certain lands in the State of Alaska to the University of Alaska, and for other purposes, and S. 1092, a bill to provide for a transfer of land interests in order to facilitate surface transportation between the cities of Cold Bay, AK, and King Cove, AK, and for other purposes.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 1997, at 10 a.m. to hold a hearing.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be permitted to meet Thursday, September 11, 1997 beginning at 10 a.m. in room SH-215, to conduct a markup on several trade bills.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. That is correct.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe we are ready to proceed to the next vote.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the remaining two votes in this sequence be limited to 10 minutes in length.

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information then of all Senators, that is three judicial nominations that have been cleared on both sides of the aisle, although recorded votes will be required, and then two U.S. attorneys that have been on the calendar for some time, U.S. Attorney Sharon Zealey of Ohio and U.S. Attorney James Hurd of the Virgin Islands. We also have two nominees for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that we are able to confirm. With these nominations moving forward, I think it is very positive for the Senate. I want the Senators to be aware that there will be three back-to-back votes beginning at 2 p.m. today. Also, I am very pleased we are going to be able to get clearance for all committees to meet during the afternoon hours and the rest of this morning. I believe, Mr. President, we will momentarily be prepared to go to opening statements with regard to the Food and Drug Administration reform. Senator Jeffords and Senator Kennedy are here ready to proceed. Mr. President, with regard to the comments made by Senator Harkin, the fundamental difference in his position and our position with regard to education funds is that we just believe that the people at the local level and people at the State level want good education in their schools. I am a big advocate of vocational education, but I just happen to believe that if the State of Mississippi had more discretion in how those funds are to be used, they probably would put more money in vocational education in our State and less money in some of the programs they are mandated to do by the Federal Government. We want good vocational education. We want safe schools. The difference is we just think that parents and teachers at the local level would do a better job of deciding how to educate their children than dictates from Washington, DC, and the Federal bureaucracy. It has not worked. We spent billions of dollars on education, and the test scores and the quality of education and the safety of the schools and parental involvement has gone down, down, down, down. It is time we try something else to really improve education in America. That is what we are trying to do. I yield the floor, Mr. President.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that at the hour of 2 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to a vote on Executive Calendar No. 234, the nomination of Joseph Bataillon, to be immediately followed by a vote on Calendar No. 236, Christopher Droney, to be immediately followed by a vote on Calendar No. 237, Janet Hall. I ask unanimous consent that there be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, prior to each of the above votes. I further ask unanimous consent that immediately following those votes, Calendar Nos. 238, 239, 245 and 247 be confirmed. I finally ask unanimous consent that following these confirmations, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the nominations appear at the appropriate place in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then return to legislative session.