Frank Murkowski

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2000, at 9:30 a.m. in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to conduct oversight on the Department of Energy's recent decision to release 30 million barrels of crude oil from the strategic petroleum reserve and the bid process used to award contracts regarding same. For further information, please call Brian Malnak, Deputy Staff Director at (202) 224-8119 or Betty Nevitt, Staff Assistant at (202) 224-0765.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2000, at 3:00 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on potential timber sale contract liability incurred by the government as a result of timber sale contract cancellations. Those who wish to submit written statements should write to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 20510. For further information, please call Mark Rey at (202) 224-6170. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter dated Oct. 11, 2000, to Secretary Richardson from myself be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the amendments be agreed to.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Senator Specter and Senator Rockefeller have amendments at the desk, and I ask for their consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess under the previous order.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, the leader has asked me to announce that, for the information of all Senators, the Senate will begin consideration of the conference report to accompany the Agriculture appropriations bill at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Debate on the conference report will take place all day tomorrow and all day on Tuesday, with a vote scheduled to occur on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Those Senators who intend to make statements on the conference report are encouraged to come to the floor as soon as possible due to the lack of time prior to the vote on Wednesday.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, on behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until the hour of 10 a.m. on Friday, October 13. I further ask consent that on Friday, immediately following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and that the Senate then proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 4461, the Agriculture appropriations bill, as under the previous order.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4850 and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House amendments with a further amendment which is at the desk.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives on the bill (S. 1402) to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase amounts of educational assistance for veterans under the Montgomery GI bill and to enhance programs providing educational benefits under that title, and for other purposes. The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1402) entitled ``An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance programs providing education benefits for veterans, and for other purposes'', do pass with the following amendments: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on the Executive Calendar: Nos. 715 and 716. I finally ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following convention transmitted to the Senate on October 12, 2000, by the President of the United States: International Convention for Suppression of Financing Terrorism (Treaty Document No. 106-49). Further, I ask unanimous consent that the convention be considered as having been read the first time, that it be referred with accompanying papers to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed, and that the President's message be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Senator Helms has an amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 1.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, Senator Lugar has a substitute amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to consideration of H.R. 4788.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, the committee amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the title amendment be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, Senator Smith of New Hampshire has an amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 2883, which is at the desk.