John McCain

Mr. McCAIN

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

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, finally, on behalf of Senator Lieberman, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCAIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, this amendment has to do with the management of the programs and the terms of employment. It has been discussed by both sides. I ask for its adoption.

Mr. McCAIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

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

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I understand the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. McConnell, is on his way over to speak on the pending amendment. I ask that we return to the pending amendment. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I announce on behalf of Senator Hollings and myself we are now down to just a couple or three amendments. If there are Senators who have amendments, we would like for them to come to the Chamber and offer them because I think we are about ready to wrap up. I understand there may be at least two amendments on this side but we would like to get them considered and disposed of. It would be very helpful if we could move from this legislation to the antiterrorism legislation.

Mr. McCAIN. I am glad to yield.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, on behalf of the Senator from Georgia, Mr. Cleland, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, for the information of my colleagues, this amendment provides for the appointment of an advisory board which would make recommendations concerning the best way to ensure the best technology is available to increase security, especially at airports, but also at other vital installations around the country. It is a good amendment. I urge its adoption.

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

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Carnahan for her amendment. I congratulate her and express my appreciation for her efforts on behalf of employees of the airlines who have suffered directly as a result of Federal action. I am sympathetic to the needs of the displaced workers who she and so many of our colleagues want to address. I say this to the Senator: I believe this issue has to be addressed. There are people who, as a result of Federal action, were put out of work. That is a fact. I cannot support this amendment. For one reason, Senator Hollings and I made a commitment; and we made that commitment because, if we allow one amendment that is not germane to this bill, then there is no reason why we should not allow numerous others, which is the same reason why I will oppose any other amendment, including the Murkowski-Smith amendment. But I hope we can work together. I think Senator Carnahan's amendment needs to be narrowed dramatically. I think it can be addressed to specific individuals who have been affected by Federal action. I believe in the Senator's amendment there are some employees who are not directly impacted who would receive help that may not be necessary. I also submit that both the airlines and the employees needed to be helped. We did give financial assistance to the airlines, and we do need to move forward. I know the chairman shares my views that we need to move forward on that issue. I agree that we still need to provide assistance to workers who have been laid off as a result of these attacks. The appropriate amount, nature, and recipients of Federal assistance for the unemployed is a difficult and inevitably contentious issue. Last night Senator Gramm criticized the Carnahan amendment for being unfairly narrow because it only helps certain industry sectors where workers have been laid off as a result of the September 11 attacks and does not address hotel workers, restaurant workers, transportation service workers, travel agents, and many others whose layoffs can be attributed to terrorist actions. I do not agree with that comment. I understand that the benefits provided under the expanded trade adjustment assistance model are over and above traditional unemployment assistance available to other displaced employees. In addition to concerns about the scope of the amendment--which may be overinclusive in some respects and underinclusive in others--I think there are very significant practical problems that render the amendment fundamentally unworkable. The Carnahan amendment charges the Department of Labor with paying 100 percent of eligible workers' COBRA premiums and suggests these premiums be made directly to insurance providers. I understand, however, that Labor simply has no mechanism in place for doing this. Determining COBRA eligibility; verifying the amounts that are owed to insurers on behalf of tens of thousands of workers; to whom it is owed; and how it is to be paid is not something that can be turned around overnight. If the intention is to provide laid off workers with benefits in the near term, the Carnahan COBRA compensation mechanism does not seem very workable to me. But having addressed some of the concerns I have with it, let me reiterate again, however, that I agree with what Senator Carnahan and others are doing in trying to provide assistance to workers who have been laid off as a result of the terrorist attacks. I look forward to working with her and others. I say to Senator Carnahan, no matter how this amendment is taken care of--and I believe that the required 60 votes will not be obtained by the sponsor of the amendment--the issue is not going away. I know that Senator Hollings and I are committed to working with the Senator. We have taken care of the shareholders and the airline executives and the airlines themselves. Now we need to take care of the unfortunate victims of this terrorist attack. I hope Senator Carnahan recognizes that it is not out of a lack of sympathy, but we simply have to move forward because the safety and security of Americans on airliners is the most important and paramount factor, and the reason why this legislation is on the floor, as we speak--safety and security. That is why this amendment has to be rejected at this time, in my opinion. I yield the floor.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Domenici, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment in order to address some amendments that have been agreed to on both sides.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, this is an important amendment. It deserves a couple minutes of explanation. One of the difficulties we have had in the past is we passed legislation and authorized certain activities, and then we forgot about them as a Congress. We do not pay enough attention to the performance of the bureaucracies that we either create or designate to carry out certain programs. Senator Thompson's amendment is basically results-based management. It is going to require reporting. It is going to require performance reports. It is going to require performance plans. It is going to establish a system for measuring staff performance, management accountability for meeting performance goals, compensation, the Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security, et cetera. It is comprehensive performance-based management and results-based management. I believe it is an important amendment in making sure this legislation is accountable to the American people as well as the Congress. I urge its adoption.

Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Senator from Nevada. If it is agreeable, in about 20 minutes--it is now 25 after 3--we will move that no further amendments be considered. That gives Senators 20 minutes to come over and propose their amendments.

Mr. McCAIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, the amendment is going to give pilots the same preference as law enforcement officers to be air marshals. I think it is a good amendment. I think many of our pilots, including those who are required to retire at age 60, would make excellent air marshals. This amendment would give them the same preference as law enforcements officers. I think it is a good amendment. I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I believe we have one Jeffords amendment to which we have agreed. I send it to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCAIN. And that then the Senate will move to third reading and final passage.

Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following disposition of the Warner amendment no further amendments be considered, and that we go to third reading and final passage.