Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 3214 be withdrawn.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, in about 15 minutes we will be voting on a series of amendments, and I wish to comment now on one of them, the Ensign amendment No. 3295. I want my colleagues to know I oppose the Ensign amendment No. 3295. What the Senator from Nevada is proposing is to reduce the NASA funding in this bill by $150 million and to put it into something called the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Again, we are pitting good ideas against each other. That is why you have to really rely upon the chairman and ranking member, who kind of strike a balance with this bill. In the CJS bill, we did want to fund the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. We know how important it is because it reimbursed the States for detaining illegal immigrants. This is a priority for this subcommittee, and we provided $400 million to do that. We are very aware that State budgets are stretched thin, that they should not bear the cost of paying the bill for detaining illegal immigrants. We do not want to create another unfunded Federal mandate there. So working with my colleague on the other side of the aisle, we made sure there was $400 million in it. Now, we acknowledge that the Senator from Nevada would like to increase it. We would like to increase it as well. But already the President is threatening a veto because we restored the funding for the COPS Program. Now, the cut to NASA is not a benign cut. It would be a devastating blow to NASA. It would be a major setback to the exploration programs and a devastating blow to the science programs. It would harm our effort to do very important things, one of which is a key priority for funding the next-generation shuttle. The shuttle, as we now know it, will retire in 2010. It is getting older, it has fewer flights that it can continue, and we need to be returning to space with a new vehicle. It is the No. 1 priority, on a bipartisan basis, for Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison, Richard Shelby, Bill Nelson, and Barbara Mikulski, who kind have been the space Senators here. Also, it is the No. 1 priority for the administration, and it is the No. 1 priority for the director of NASA that we need not delay in getting ready for that vehicle that returns us to space. From 2010, for another 3 to 5 years, we will have no access in space. We are going to rely on the kindness of allies to go back. We cannot lose time or ground. Our national security and our national honor depend upon it. Also, this would have a tremendous impact on the state of science, which goes to major efforts in terms of better understanding our planet Earth, where we do suspect intelligent life, and also the impact of climate changes. It is wonderful that we win the Nobel Prize on climate change--and we support our former colleague, Vice President Gore--but we have to keep winning those. Remember, the Nobel Prize not only went to Gore but to the scientists studying this. Regardless how you feel about the climate crisis, I think we need sound science and sensible solutions. So please, while we are looking at how are we going to pay the bills for the detention of illegal aliens in State facilities, don't penalize NASA. That would be an incredible setback to national security, to national honor, to national innovation, and a key administration priority. So I hope that when the Ensign amendment No. 3295 comes up for a vote, my colleagues will join me in tabling this amendment. I cannot say enough about the cooperation of Senator Shelby and his staff and about finding a balance in this bill, because we had so many competing needs, and in each one we tried to strike the balance. We had the will, but we didn't quite have the wallet to do what we needed to do. But we certainly have made significant progress and went well beyond downpayments in meeting our responsibility. I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at 3:15 p.m. in order to conduct a hearing entitled ``Improving Financial and Business Management at the Department of Defense.''

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I yield to the Senator from New Jersey, an outspoken opponent of this amendment, such time as he may consume, reserving for myself the last 5 minutes of my time for my own closing argument.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent the amendment be modified with the modification at the desk.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, we are working very well, here again on a bipartisan basis. I thank Senator Shelby and his staff for the way we are working. We have been able to look at a variety of amendments colleagues have offered, and we are ready to accept them. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the pending amendment be laid aside.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

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

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment also has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I would further like to say to the Senator from New Mexico, in keeping with what my colleague from Alabama said, we would like to finish this bill before the caucuses tomorrow. So I will discuss this with the Senator from Alabama, but it would be our intention to see how much we can get cleared and then have some stacked votes tomorrow morning. So if the Senator from New Mexico could let us know by tomorrow morning--say, 9:30--whether he has been able to reach an accommodation--or this evening--we will be here and would welcome that.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I now call up amendment No. 3309 offered by myself and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3318

Ms. MIKULSKI. The Senator has our word on that.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3318 by Senator Coburn of Oklahoma and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

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

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3310

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I call up amendment 3310 for myself and Senator Collins.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 3273 by Senator Shelby and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3273