Richard Lugar

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table is agreed to.

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

Mr. LUGAR. These include an amendment by Senator Warner to strike section 206 of the pending State Department authorization bill relating to security capital cost sharing; an amendment by Senator Frist to commend the people of Colombia on the third anniversary of Plan Colombia; an amendment by Senator Schumer to express the sense of the Senate regarding reports to Congress on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States; and an amendment by Senators Durbin, Mikulski, and Landrieu regarding the Millennium Challenge Act. I ask unanimous consent that these amendments be agreed to en bloc.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Stevens be added as a cosponsor to amendment No. 1185 which establishes a parliamentary exchange program with the People's Republic of China.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I send an amendment authored by Senator Durbin to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I submit to the desk a list of pending amendments.

Mr. LUGAR. I am asking that this be the finite list of amendments. I understand that clerical work is being done as I speak. For the moment----

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

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LUGAR. I ask unanimous consent to make a modification to a previously agreed to amendment that I offered, amendment No. 1158. I send the modification to the desk.

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

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 that the substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to and be considered original text for the purpose of further amendment.

Mr. LUGAR. Yes.

Mr. LUGAR. That is my understanding.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I will give a short speech as part of the 20 minutes allocated to me at this time. My understanding is, my colleague Senator Bingaman will speak on the AIDS legislation that he has proposed with many cosponsors, and then we will proceed to a rollcall vote on the Bingaman amendment. Let me say at the outset that during our debate today on these authorization bills, we have heard from Senators on very important foreign policy issues. The distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, who just spoke on Liberia, is an excellent example of one who has spent time and effort in analyzing that issue. We heard from the distinguished Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, earlier on with regard to his apprehensions on Iraq. Other Senators likewise have taken this forum. Although that means perhaps our debate has been more extended on the authorization bills, this is a good time for Senators who are focusing on foreign affairs to speak and to enlighten their colleagues and the public in this important body. On the AIDS question, let me simply say that I indicated early on to Senator Bingaman and the sponsors that we would be prepared to accept that amendment. I did so simply because I think it is important, with the President in Africa, that there be clarification, in a bipartisan way, that we support the initiative he has given to the world. It is an extraordinary initiative. It has large impact. Hopefully, it will have good results on the ground with medical services, pharmaceutical products, other practices that are initiated by the various states that may be recipients as well as individual persons. I come to the floor simply to say I hope Senators will support the amendment, that we understand the President has made a very large offer. Now, authorizers and appropriators are going to have to work their way through that situation, along with the White House, in responsible ways for the next 5 years or so. That will take some doing, as most speakers today have pointed out. There has been, at least with some of those who have spoken on the issue, some skepticism about whether the President either understood the enormity of the task, whether he or his staff have in fact asked for the amounts of money that are required to get the job done, to follow the plan. And, in fact, some have suggested even a photo op followed by a lack of activity and followthrough that would be disastrous both to the credibility of the proposal as well as to the recipients. My own view is that our President, George Bush, is very sincere about this project. I say that from personal conversations with the President and the opportunity to work with him. The occupant of the Chair, as a distinguished member of the Foreign Relations Committee, is well aware that our committee took up the AIDS legislation issue. Senator Biden and I, in a bipartisan way, formulated, with the aid of many Senators on both sides of the aisle on our committee, an initiative that we believed was most appropriate in following through on that. In due course, colleagues in the House of Representatives, led by Henry Hyde of Illinois and others, formulated a piece of legislation that was a strong piece of legislation, in our judgment. It was the hope of the President and the leadership of the Senate that we could all turn to, in unity with our colleagues in the House, and pass an AIDS bill prior to the President going to the G-8 to lay before the European states and Japan and others the full benefits that would come to the world if they were willing to sign up likewise and work with us and follow our leadership. And in a very late night session, the Chair will recall, we did pass that legislation. The President promptly signed it in the early days of the following week, as soon as it reached his desk, and proceeded to Europe with that initiative. He proceeds to Africa with that initiative now. It is very meaningful, as he visits in countries, even as we speak, that have a very high incidence of AIDS. It is important with the President in Africa on the ground speaking to this issue that we speak in one voice likewise. This is why I will propose to Senators that we in fact support the amendment. I am advised my colleague from Pennsylvania would like to have a few minutes. I am prepared to yield to him. I have 20 minutes. How much time would the Senator desire?

Mr. LUGAR. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LUGAR. I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania.

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 Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., in open session to consider the nominations of Thomas W. O'Connell to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for special operations and low intensity conflict; and Paul M. Longsworth to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration.

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 Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The Accuracy of Credit Report Information and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.''

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 Thursday, July 10 at 10 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the reasons behind the high price of natural gas, its affect on the economy and to consider potential solutions.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open Executive Session during the session on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 2 p.m., to review and make recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Children and Families be authorized to meet for a hearing on CSBG Reauthorization during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 3 p.m.