Rick Santorum

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2029 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and any statements be placed in the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 201 submitted earlier today by Senator Specter and Senator Kerrey.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I now ask for its second reading, and I object to my own request on behalf of Senators on the Democratic side of the aisle.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I understand S. 1500, introduced today by Senator Brown, is at the desk and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the conference report be deemed agreed to; that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; and that a statement on behalf of Senator Specter be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the conference report accompanying H.R. 1655, the intelligence authorization bill.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for the transaction of morning business.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the committee who has done an absolutely superb job with this piece of legislation in shepherding it through the conference. It has been a pleasure to work with him in the time we have worked on the welfare bill since he has become chairman. For the benefit of the staff here, I am going to do the wrap-up and then proceed with my remarks after the wrap-up.

Mr. SANTORUM. If I can say to the Senator from Massachusetts that the 5-year number is correct, $8 billion over 5 years in the Senate-passed bill, but $10 billion over 7 years in the conference report. The Senator is correct it is not $8 billion in 5 years; it is $7.8 billion. So you trade off in a sense $200 million in the first 5 years for an additional $1 billion in the final 2 years, which many would see as a pretty good trade-off and an increase in the overall allocation of $1 billion. So I do not think it is fair to say that it is a decrease in chapter funding when you are spending $1 billion over a year covered by the bill.

Mr. SANTORUM. I would like to ask a question of the Senator from Massachusetts. The Senator from Massachusetts made the statement that child care funding under this bill is rolled back, has declined. I would just refer him to--he said we had a premium on speed, and I think in this case the premium on speed has been to our detriment because I am not sure the Senator has the most current figures on child care. Let me review for the Senator what is in the bill. Like the Senate bill that passed, there is a $1 billion per year block grant to the States, identical to what we passed here. There is a difference in the mandatory child care category. We in the Senate- passed bill spent $10 billion over 7 years for child care. In the conference report it is $11 billion, $1 billion more than the Senate bill overall. And in addition, it is over $1.8 billion more than the current CBO baseline. So it is more than the Senate bill, and it is substantially more than what would be under current law.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I inquire of the Chair if the Senate has received from the House House Joint Resolution 134?

Mr. SANTORUM. I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request on behalf of Senators on the Democratic side of the aisle.

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask the joint resolution be read for the first time.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order, following the remarks of the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. At 10:15 a.m. the Senate will begin 30 minutes for closing debate on the veto message to be followed by 30 minutes for closing debate on the welfare conference report. Two back-to-back votes will occur beginning at 11:15 on both issues. Following the two back- to-back votes, the Senate will begin the START II treaty. The Senate could also be asked to consider available appropriations bills, other conference reports, and other items due for action. Rollcall votes are therefore expected throughout the session of the Senate on Friday.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it stand in adjournment until the hour of 10:15 a.m. on Friday, December 22, that following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be dispensed with, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 275, House Joint Resolution 69.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I send an amendment to the desk in behalf of Senators Kennedy and D'Amato, and I ask for its consideration.

Mr. SANTORUM. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 280, S. 1228.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be deemed read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 290, H.R. 1253.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be deemed read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be immediately discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2547, and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SANTORUM

Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its consideration.