Richard Lugar

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. OK.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, the President of the United States has directed deployment of aircraft with capability of transmitting radio and television signals into Cuba. Thanks to the aircraft, plus Radio and TV Marti, they are reaching parts of the island that were previously unable to receive those signals. That is tremendously important. As oppressive as that regime is, the state exerts extensive censorship. The Cubans are told only what the state wants them to know and are denied the right to obtain accurate information on Cuba and the world. We need to do all we can to open that up. I appreciate the debate. It has offered avenues of constructive criticism of the program, but the program needs to continue. It is vital to our security and, we believe, the future of the Cuban people. I renew my request for the yeas and nays.

Mr. LUGAR. 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. LUGAR. Mr. President, in a moment I want to ask the Chair to recognize Senators Schumer and Graham for an amendment on Chinese currency. Before I ask the Chair to do that, let me simply indicate that the status of our bill is such that amendments that clearly fall in the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee are going to be opposed not only by that committee but by the so-called blue-slip process, which means that our bill might not receive consideration on the floor of the Senate or ultimately on the floor of the House. So leaving aside the substance of whatever may be the merits of an amendment, we are talking about an existential question for this bill itself as to whether it survives or has the hope of doing so. For that reason, I just want to advise Senators why, at the end of about 40 minutes of debate, which I hope will be adequate for an exploration by the proponents of what they wish to do, I will be moving to table, to preserve really, this bill, the bill we are on. At that point I will ask the support of the body to table the Schumer-Graham amendment, whatever might be its merits, on the basis of jurisdiction. We are going to have this problem two or three more times on amendments that have been suggested by Senators. So I make that point now, that will have to be the course of this chairman to preserve at least some hope we will have an authorization bill at all at the end of this process. Having said all that, I am hopeful the Chair might recognize Senators Schumer and Graham for a presentation of their amendment. And after about 40 minutes, we will come to a conclusion.

Mr. LUGAR. Proceed.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, as I indicated at the outset of the debate, as we asked recognition of the Senators who have spoken so eloquently on this amendment, the issue before the Senate is the preservation of the authorization bill itself that we are debating. The issue has been often expressed, but let me mention it again, that the Finance Committee claims jurisdiction of this item. They also have indicated, both on the Senate and House sides, that they will prevent passage of the authorization bill for the State Department and foreign assistance if this item and, for that matter, several others that have been included in prospective amendments are adopted as a part of this bill. I will not debate the merits of the amendment on China. We have had a hearing before our Foreign Relations Committee and delved into what is clearly a very complex and important issue. I do know, however, that even as we had the hearing for our own information and that of the public, we understood the jurisdictional question. We have tried to respect that. Therefore, on this amendment and on others that also are clearly in the jurisdiction of the Finance or of other committees, I feel compelled, for the sake of preserving this bill, to move to table the amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LUGAR. I object.

Mr. LUGAR. I object.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask the Senator from Massachusetts and the Senator from New Jersey would they be in agreement that a 15-minute presentation at this point would be possible, and then they would yield to me? I make this request because we have an existential crisis with the bill. Unless we solve it, we will probably not be continuing. This is serious. I understand you have an important colloquy. If it can be contained in 15 minutes, that would be fine.

Mr. LUGAR. Yes. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed as has been mentioned.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, work continues among a number of Senators who are deeply interested, as I am, in the resolution and the amendment ahead of us. For the moment it appears we ought to give more time to this discussion. So I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LUGAR. I object.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, in a moment I am hopeful the Chair may recognize the distinguished Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Dodd, for 10 minutes in which he will offer an amendment. On our side, we are prepared to accept the amendment. Therefore, we will at least make some progress while the other discussion continues.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, as I indicated at the outset, we are prepared on our side to accept the amendment. Therefore, I urge its adoption.

Mr. LUGAR. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, let me respond briefly to the distinguished Senator from New York. The amendment that was offered by the distinguished Senator from Connecticut, as I indicated before he was on the floor, we were prepared to accept. We presumed there was not Democratic Party opposition to that; there were not members of the committee on the floor. Senator Dodd is a member of the committee, and, therefore, we acted in good faith, as we have to. We are trying very hard to proceed amendment by amendment, depending upon Senators to be on the floor, to be represented by their party officials and by their staffs. So I am hopeful the distinguished Senator from New York and the Senator from Connecticut may be able to agree on a course of action, but from our standpoint, we believe the amendment was offered and accepted legitimately and in due course. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LUGAR. I object.

Mr. LUGAR

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

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 6, 2005. The purpose of this hearing will be to consider the nomination of Charles F. Conner to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for the United States Department of Agriculture.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 6, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Regulatory Reform of the Government-Sponsored Enterprises.''

Mr. LUGAR. 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 Wednesday, April 6, at 10 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is to consider the nomination of David Garman to be Under Secretary of Energy.