Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I guess if we run off all of that time, it would be tomorrow night or Friday before we could get to general debate on the bill. I hope we will not have to do that. Maybe there is some plan to have language available tonight for some press conference announcing that language tomorrow. Is there some indication that maybe we could go to the general debate in the morning? Do we know? I guess what I am asking is, are we going to have to run off the full 24 or 25 hours?

Mr. LOTT. Could I inquire of Senator Daschle, would it be his recommendation that we set aside education and try to go to other legislation for the balance of this week? I hate for us to let the rest of this evening, tonight, and tomorrow go without making progress on education or any other bill. If he thinks we should consider that, maybe he and I could talk after we leave here.

Mr. LOTT. I confess, what I am trying to do is to put pressure on all parties, not just on the Democratic side or the administration, everybody. Let's come to some sort of agreement one way or the other. Let's get started. I had planned to ask unanimous consent that we would yield back all time and proceed to the bill itself at 6:15, but it is obvious Senator Daschle believes now that he would be in a position to have to object, so I will not go through that exercise. I do emphasize to all that everybody agrees we have a monumental, historic opportunity to get major education reform and increases in funds for education. I hope we can get to the bill itself within the next half a day at a very minimum. With that, I yield the floor.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 now move to proceed to S. 149, and I understand that there are some opening statements that can be made. I hope that we can work through the objections so that we can actually move to the legislation. I move to proceed to the bill at this time.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, there has been a lot of discussion and effort over the past couple of years put into trying to address the export administration issue. I know that Senator Gramm and the ranking Democrats and Senator Sarbanes have worked on this issue. I know there are a number of Senators who have reservations about this whole area and this particular piece of legislation. It is my understanding that the new administration has had input and a number of previous concerns have been addressed. I understand this is an area where we need to be careful to make sure we do it in the right way and that we pay attention to very important security concerns. I think one of the only ways, though, to have those issues properly aired and addressed, and hopefully resolved, is to begin the discussion and see if we can get a final agreement and move on this legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate turn to the consideration of calendar No. 26, S. 149, the export administration bill.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. I now move to proceed to S. 1, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I say to the Senator from Minnesota, there have been many days of negotiation. A lot of progress has been made. Everybody acknowledges that. But this bill should have been taken up in March. Now here we are almost in May and we are still negotiating. If we are going to have everything wrapped up before it ever comes to the floor of the Senate, there would not be much for the Senate to do around here. Ordinarily, you get as much of an agreement as you can, get a bill reported out, and bring it to the floor. Negotiations are not going to end. They are going to continue. But on some of them we are not going to be able to reach an agreement. I say to my colleague, in a State that is trying to improve education, and, again, as a son of a schoolteacher, if just money would solve the problem, we would have a higher quality of education in America than we do today. We have spent well over $130 billion over the past several years for the title I program. I don't want to demean that program. It has done some good and can do more good, if we give a little more flexibility at the local level where the money can be used, where it may be used differently in Minnesota than it would be in Texas, give a little flexibility to make sure you are addressing the needs of those title I children in an appropriate way. But just money is not enough. We have to have some real reforms. Money is part of it. I admit that. The President has asked for more money for the reading program. The President has indicated he supports more funding for title I and for IDEA and for bilingual education. We are making progress. He is moving in the right direction. But I don't know if we can ever come up with enough money in this area or a lot of the other areas to suit every Senator. They can always find some way--it is easy--to say ``give me more.'' One of the reasons we ought to have tax relief is to let the people keep a little bit more of their money to help the children with their needs. That is why I think we ought to double the child tax credit; let the parents get more of the benefit of their money to help their children with their needs. Let them decide if they need a little tutoring, if they need a computer, whatever it may be. One of the reasons parents can't always do what they need for their own children is that they don't get to keep enough of the money they earn. Why in the world would we take from the mouths of labor the bread that they have earned? That is a quote from Thomas Jefferson--a great line. At any rate, some Senators are adamant about objecting to proceeding to the education bill. I think that is a mistake. I think we ought to move forward. I suspect that some of the amendments that would be offered--and maybe the Senator from Minnesota would support and I would oppose--probably will pass. What are they worried about? We can bring this to a satisfactory conclusion that would be good for everybody. This is a win-win-win opportunity. Let's not blow it.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I think it is essential that we go forward with our education reform package. A lot of good work has been done in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Senators on both sides of the aisle--Republican and Democrat--have worked hard. They reported out a bill overwhelmingly from the committee. A great deal of negotiation has gone on since then between members of the committee, the House and Senate, both parties, and the administration. A lot of the reform language has been agreed to, with a lot of understanding about the amount of funds that will be necessary to implement this legislation. But the important thing is that we go forward. I do not think you could ever get every detail worked out and agreed to in advance. It is called the legislative process. You go to the Chamber, you have debate, you have amendments, you have votes, you get a result, and you pass the bill. Over the past couple years, I have quite often been criticized that I would not let the Senate work its will. And now, for a week, the Democrats have been blocking going to the bill, blocking the motion to proceed to the education bill. This is the highest priority for this President, I believe for the Congress, both parties, and for the children. I believe that if we go forward and have a good debate and have amendments that we will get a result that will be good in improving the quality of education in America. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now turn to the consideration of Calendar No. 23, S. 1, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Mr. LOTT. To clarify, does the Senator object to bringing up and going forward with the education bill?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I now withdraw the pending motion to proceed to S. 149.

Mr. LOTT

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

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk to the pending motion to proceed so that we can get under way. I have let the Senate basically mark time now for the last week without achieving any real progress or closing the negotiations. I think it is time we guarantee that we can get on the bill.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I have consulted with Senator Daschle and advised him that I would be filing cloture. This is not a surprise on his part. I know Senator Kennedy was aware of it. I am sorry he was not on the floor because he has been working very hard doing a good job. Under the rules, this vote then would occur on Tuesday. I ask unanimous consent that this cloture vote occur at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and that the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs has received requests from various law enforcement and regulatory agencies, legislative bodies, and court-appointed officers, both here and abroad, for assistance in connection with pending investigations into the use of correspondent banks for money laundering, which has been the subject of recent investigation by the subcommittee. This resolution would authorize the chairman and ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, acting jointly, to provide investigative records, obtained by the subcommittee in the course of its investigations, in response to these requests.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 76, submitted earlier today by Senators Kennedy and Kerry.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from consideration of S. Res. 65 and the Senate then proceed to its consideration.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 26, 2001, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to consider the nominations of Edward C. Aldridge to be Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology; William J. Haynes II be general counsel of the Department of Defense; and Powell A. Moore, to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, and in executive session thereafter.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, April 26, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. on the nomination of Theodore W. Kassinger to be general counsel of the Department of Commerce.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, April 26, 2001, immediately following the nomination hearing, on S. 718--Amateur Sports Integrity Act.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, April 26, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct an oversight hearing. The committee will consider national energy policy with respect to fuel specifications and infrastructure constraints and their impacts on energy supply and price.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, April 26, 2001 to hear testimony on the Tax Code Complexity, New Hope for Fresh Solutions.

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, April 26, 2001 at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing and a business meeting.