Richard Lugar

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, the package of amendments that I have sent to the desk has received consideration by the staffs of myself and Senator Biden throughout last evening. They include an amendment by Mr. Biden expressing the sense of Congress relating to violence against women; secondly, an amendment by Mr. Breaux to authorize transportation for the Chief of Protocol; third, an amendment by Mr. Coleman to authorize a comprehensive program of support for victims of torture and for other purposes; fourth, an amendment by Mr. Daschle to require an annual report on Saudi Arabia's cooperation in the war on terrorism; fifth, an amendment by Senator Feinstein to require a report on states that have not cooperated in small arms programs; sixth, an amendment by Mr. Biden to require the reporting of certain information relating to proposed exports and transfers of firearms; seventh, an amendment by Mr. Leahy to provide a report on a strategy to deal with the international coffee crisis; eighth, a chairman's amendment to strike section 2512 relating to amendments to the Arms Control and Disarmament Act; ninth, a chairman's amendment to provide an exception to requirements with respect to bilateral agreements for exemption from certain licensing requirements; tenth, a chairman's amendment to improve provisions on global pathogen surveillance; eleventh, a chairman's amendment to strike section 205 relating to the State Department authorization bill; twelfth, a chairman's amendment to clarify Foreign Service grievance board procedures; thirteenth, a chairman's amendment to modify reporting requirements on U.S. personnel involved in the antinarcotics campaign in Colombia; and finally, fourteenth, a chairman's amendment to strike section 2239 relating to the sense of Congress relating to exports of defense items to the United Kingdom.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise to update the Senate on where we stand on the State Department authorization bill. We were successful in working through many issues yesterday. In fact, we came to a conclusion on three of the most difficult issues that we expected in the bill, the structure of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, support for Iranian democracy, and the Mexico City policy. This morning, by action of the Senate, we have cleared and passed 14 amendments. We have passed about 20 amendments in less than 24 hours. In addition, 15 to 20 amendments that were mentioned as possibilities will either not be offered or will be worked out. This leaves a declining list of foreign policy amendments that we believe we can resolve today. I want to encourage Members to come to the floor to offer their relevant amendments. We are in range of finishing the bill. I thank Senator Biden again for all he has done to advance the Senate's foreign policy agenda. I likewise thank the majority and minority leaders, and Senator Reid especially for his cooperation. Yesterday, it was announced that State Department authorization bills have traditionally taken much longer than 2 days. While that may be true, it does not have to be the case this time. The two bills that comprise most of the substitute amendment were passed out of the Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 19 to 0. Republicans and Democrats have worked together closely on these issues. While we have some differences, the members of our committee are united in our belief that the substitute before us will enhance U.S. national security and is vital to our national interests. The Senate's record this year in moving foreign policy items has been excellent. We have passed a global AIDS bill, the Moscow Treaty, NATO expansion, and other items. The Senate has moved decisively on the Nation's foreign policy business because we recognize as a body that in these perilous times it was our duty to do so. America's national security is at risk and its leaders, entrusted with passing legislation to keep America secure, must continue to do our duty. Today Senators have an opportunity, as always, to be senatorial. I am hopeful that all Senators with an amendment will come to the floor and help us pass this bill quickly and provide our diplomats the tools they need. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, the amendment requires a report on the role of North Korea in trafficking of illegal narcotics. It has the support of both sides. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

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, I have a unanimous consent request. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Bingaman be recognized to offer an amendment related to AIDS, provided that Senator Bingaman be in control of 40 minutes and Senator Lugar be in control of 20 minutes and, following that debate, Senator Reid be recognized to speak for up to 15 minutes as if in morning business; finally, I ask that following that, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Bingaman amendment, with no second degrees in order to the amendment prior to the vote.

Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Chair.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I thank the Senator for his generous comments. I thank him for his amendment and for his cooperation in working to strengthen the MCA, and likewise at the same time indicate our concern about loss of jobs in this country and the environmental damage by the modifiers of ``substantial loss of U.S. jobs,'' and the language already, ``unreasonable or major environmental health, or safety hazard.'' The Senator has made a very good contribution.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, is there an order for a rollcall vote at this time?

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

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I send to the desk a packet of agreed-on amendments.

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

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared on both sides. I ask unanimous consent that it be passed.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote and move to lay that motion on the table.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I send an amendment on behalf of Senator Dorgan to the desk.

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

Mr. LUGAR. The amendment has been agreed to on both sides.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, it is clear, especially in the aftermath of the war in Iraq, that we have to redouble our efforts to improve perceptions about America in the Islamic world. Addressing this urgent priority should be high on the State Department's public diplomacy agenda. We have heard reports that the program is off to an excellent start. Despite the many cultural and political obstacles, recruiting for the first year has proceeded successfully. Substantial applicant pools appeared even in countries where difficulty in attracting applicants was expected. Students are currently being recruited in 12 countries: Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Syria, and in West Bank/Gaza as well. Six additional countries--Algeria, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia--will be added to the program next year. From an applicant pool of 3,000 in Indonesia, 20 have been selected. In Turkey, 200 students applied and 20 were chosen. Over 300 applications have been received in Jordan. Gender distribution varies by country, but we expected that as many as 40 percent of the program participants will be female.

Mr. LUGAR. Absolutely. It is vital that once this program gets underway, it proceed with adequate funding to continue its outreach and education efforts. This funding will allow for program growth by expanding participation to other priority countries and by increasing access from the large applicant pools we expect from countries who are already participating. Most importantly, sustainable funding will allow the program to set realistic growth benchmarks, conduct meaningful evaluation of outcomes, and add program improvements. There are no better representatives of American values than Americans themselves, and student exchange programs are no effective means of reaching out of the next generation of leaders. I look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that this program will receive strong continued support.

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

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judicary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. in SDG 226. I. Continuation of S. 1125, Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2003 (``The FAIR Act'') markup. II. Nominations: William H. Pryor, Jr., to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit; Allyson K. Duncan to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Robert C. Brack to be United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico; Samuel Der- Yeghiayan to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Louise W. Flanagan to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Lonny R. Suko to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; Earl Leroy Yeakel III to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas; Karen P. Tandy to be Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Department of Justice; Christopher A. Wray to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice; Michael J. Garcia to be Assistant Secretary, United States Department of Homeland Security; and Jack Landman Goldsmith III to be Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department of Justice. III. Bills: S.J. Res. 1, A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims [Kyl, Chambliss, Cornyn, Craig, DeWine, Feinstein, Graham, Grassley]; S. 1280, A bill to amend the Protect Act to clarify the liability of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [Hatch, Biden]; S. Res. 140, A resolution designating the week of August 10, 2003, as ``National Health Center Week'' [Campbell, Biden, Durbin, Grassley]; S. 764, The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2003; Proposed Free Trade Agreement with Chile; Proposed Free Trade Agreements with Singapore.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a Markup of the SBA Reauthorization Bill on Thursday, July 10, 2003, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, for a hearing to consider pending legislation regarding VA-provided benefits programs. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2:30 p.m. Bills Relating to Veterans' Disability Compensation Benefits: S. 257, the proposed ``Veterans Benefits and Pensions Protection Act of 2003''; S. 517, the proposed ``Francis W. Agnes Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1131, the proposed ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003''. S. 1133, the proposed ``Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1188, the proposed ``Veterans' Survivor Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1213, the proposed ``Filipino Veterans' Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1239, the proposed ``Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act of 2003''; and S. 1281, the proposed ``Veterans Information and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2003''. Bills Relating to Veterans' Benefits: S. 249, to provide that remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran after age 55 shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse; S. 938, to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date; and S. 1132, the proposed ``Veterans' Survivors Benefits Enhancements Act of 2003''. Bill Proposing to Amend The Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act; S. 792, the proposed ``Servicemembers Civil Relief Act''; S. 806, the proposed ``Deployed Service Members Financial Security and Education Act of 2003''; and S. 1136, the proposed ``Servicemembers Civil Relief Act''. Bills Relating to Other Matters: S. 978, the proposed ``Veterans Housing Fairness Act of 2003''; S. 1124, the proposed ``Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1199, the proposed ``Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1282, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish national cemeteries for geographically underserved populations of veterans; and S. 1630, to amend section 7105 of title 38, United States Code, to clarify the requirements for notices of disagreement for appellate review of Department of Veterans Affairs activities.

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 Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.