John McCain

Mr. McCAIN

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

Mr. McCAIN. The Senator from Alaska asked to join in the colloquy and he was welcome to join the colloquy. If he chooses not to stay in the colloquy, then please do not remain in the colloquy.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, after conversation with the managers, I believe we have other issues to address. I think everybody is familiar with this issue. If it is agreeable to the managers, perhaps we could have an agreement. How much time does the Senator from Connecticut want?

Mr. McCAIN. Two minutes?

Mr. McCAIN. Five minutes. The Senator from Pennsylvania wants 5 minutes; the Senator from Missouri, 5 minutes; and I be allowed 5 minutes.

Mr. McCAIN. The Senator from Nevada, 5 minutes?

Mr. McCAIN. The Senator from Nevada, 10 minutes, and that followed by a rollcall vote?

Mr. McCAIN. Yes. Part of that unanimous consent request is that I be the last speaker, for 5 minutes.

Mr. McCAIN. For the benefit of Members, Mr. President, would you repeat the terms of the unanimous consent agreement?

Mr. McCAIN. Sure.

Mr. McCAIN. I don't object, Mr. President. I wish the Senator from Kentucky had asked for time during the normal unanimous consent agreement. I don't object.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, what is the regular order?

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I want to quote from the 9/11 Commission report so we can put this into the perspective that I think this amendment deserves: Of all of the recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important. So long as oversight is governed by current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need. The underlying resolution, as amended, leaves the vast majority of homeland security jurisdiction in committees other than the new homeland security committee. TSA and the Coast Guard stay in Commerce. By the way, the Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security. The revenue functions of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement stay in Finance. The revenue functions of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services stay in Judiciary. It goes on and on. Screeners are responsible for security. The Coast Guard's primary responsibility is our Nation's security. I wish they could return primarily to their old line of work. So what do we end up with? We end up with a homeland security committee with jurisdiction over less than 38 percent of the Department's budget and fewer than 8 percent of the Department's employees. TSA employs 51,000 people. Those remain under the Commerce Committee. Not only that, but it is clear that what we have done here is essentially nothing. What we ought to do, perhaps, is just say we failed. I am not going to rant and rave anymore about how unfortunate it is that the Appropriations Committee is able to, as they have in the past, fund programs that the Intelligence Committee has thoroughly scrutinized and say should be canceled, at a cost of billions of dollars. I think we all know what the job of the Transportation Security Administration is. It is security. It is fighting the war on terrorism. Where should it be? It should, obviously, be under our new committee on homeland security and governmental affairs. So I won't bring up an amendment on the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard should be also under this committee because it is under the Department of Homeland Security. It is just logical. So as I say to my colleagues, if this amendment fails, why don't we just call it a day and say it is business as usual. We have had great success on executive reorganization and I am proud of the work the committee has done. Unfortunately, we have failed to act in any significant manner as far as the reorganization of the Senate is concerned, and that was recognized by the 9/11 Commission. I yield the remainder of my time, and I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.

Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Bayh not be added as a cosponsor.

Mr. McCAIN. Yes, Senator Lott. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCAIN. It puts the Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Lautenberg, prior to you rather than after you.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, may I be recognized before the Senator from Mississippi? I think it is appropriate for the Senator from Alaska to speak, as the main opponent of the amendment, before I speak, which would be after the Senator from New Jersey. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Alaska be allowed to speak prior to me speaking, which would then wrap it up, since the Senator from Alaska is the primary opponent of the amendment and I am the sponsor of the amendment.

Mr. McCAIN. If the Senator will yield for a question, it is my memory, if my memory serves me correctly, after 9/11, the first major step that we took was the creation of what agency? The Transportation Security Administration? Is that true?

Mr. McCAIN. So what are we doing with the TSA, may I ask the Senator from Maine? Are we moving it into her committee so she has jurisdiction over it?

Mr. McCAIN. Ah, I can hardly believe that. I mean, after all, that is what homeland security is really all about, I thought.

Mr. McCAIN. When is the Senator from New Jersey to speak?

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, what is the order?

Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Chair.

Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent for that agreement. How much time does the Senator from Alaska need? Five minutes as well. Let me repeat: I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Hawaii be allowed 20 minutes; the Senator from Connecticut 5 minutes; the Senator from Mississippi 5 minutes; the Senator from Alaska 5 minutes; if needed, the Senator from Nevada 5 minutes; and the Senator from Arizona for 5 minutes, followed by a rollcall vote.

Mr. McCAIN

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has passed S. 2195, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act, and I commend my colleagues Senators Hatch and Biden for their commitment to this important legislation. While S. 2195 is a positive first step toward protecting the public health, our work is not complete. We must continue to explore ways to improve the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act, DSHEA, which has provided safe harbor for substances like those made illegal by S. 2195. We must make it more difficult for dietary supplement manufacturers to place harmful substances into the stream of commerce, and require that such manufacturers report to the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, adverse health events suffered by consumers when using their products. We must also demand that best practices for the manufacture of dietary supplements be developed by the FDA and followed by the supplement industry to ensure the efficacy and safety of these products.