Richard Lugar

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 5, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on active component, reserve component, and civilian personnel programs, in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2005.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 10 a.m., to hear testimony on ``Charities and Charitable Giving: Proposals for Reform''.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development, be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 113, a bill to modify the date as of which certain tribal land of the Lytton Rancheria of California is deemed to be held in trust.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. on ``Oversight of the USA PATRIOT Act.'' The hearing will take place in the Hart Senate Office Building room 216.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 5, 2005 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 at 10 a.m. for a hearing entitled, ``Monitoring CMS' Vital Signs: Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.''

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subommittee on Surface Transportation/Merchant Marine be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 at 10 a.m. on Highway, Motor Carrier, and Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety, and Transportation of Household Goods in SR-253.

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, we are looking forward to conclusion of this debate and another debate prior to getting into the voting sequence at about 4:30. May I ask the participants, the distinguished Senator from California and the distinguished Senator from Kansas, could there be agreement that the amendment would come to conclusion in 20 minutes of time and that this be apportioned 10 minutes to the distinguished Senator from California and 10 minutes to the distinguished Senator from Kansas? There would be no other speakers and that would conclude the debate. Then we would be able to proceed with an amendment by Senators Craig and Baucus.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask that debate be of 20 minutes duration, that the time be under control of the Senator from California and the Senator from Kansas, and that the Senator from California be able to conclude the debate.

Mr. LUGAR. That would be correct, no second-degree amendments.

Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Chair and the Senators.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senators for this debate. A vote will occur on it at a time in the future, probably in sequence with the 4:30 vote. At this point, I have two points of important business. These are amendments that have been agreed upon. Amendment No. 279

Mr. LUGAR. I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its consideration.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, this amendment strikes section 207. It was scored by the Congressional Budget Office as containing direct spending that needed an offset. While there is some disagreement between the executive branch and Congressional Budget Office on the scoring, if section 207 were not stricken, the legislation would be subject to a budget point of order. I understand the staff of the Budget Committee and the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have come to an agreement, and this amendment removes the threat to the legislation. We know the State Department considers section 207 important. We will do our best to provide these authorities, but we must do so in a way that is budget neutral. For this reason, until a way can be found to resolve the scoring difficulties, we ask unanimous consent that the amendment be adopted.

Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Chair. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Schumer, I send an amendment to the desk. This is an amendment that requires that foreign assistance be withheld from foreign countries that owe parking fines in Washington, DC, or New York City. The amount withheld would be 110 percent of the fines.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I would like to raise a question with the distinguished Senator from Montana. Would the Senator and his colleague, Senator Craig, be prepared to enter into an agreement that the amendment should have 36 minutes of consideration; namely, between now and 4:30, with the time equally divided between opponents and proponents, no second-degree amendments?

Mr. LUGAR. The request is 36 minutes total for the amendment, 18 minutes per side, that concluding at the time of our voting sequence starting at 4:30.

Mr. LUGAR. Yes, with no second degree.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent an amendment numbered 273, previously agreed to, be modified with language that is at the desk.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that following the vote at 4:45 on the resolution regarding Pope John Paul II, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Boxer amendment; provided further that there be 2 minutes of debate equally divided between the votes.

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