Richard Shelby

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I am aware of this issue due to the diligence of the Michigan Senators, and I understand the concerns they have regarding Coast Guard's proposal. I have seen the amendment filed by colleagues from Michigan to ensure the continued search and rescue coverage from the Muskegon Air Station during the high-traffic summer season. While I would be concerned if the closure of this facility would cause a degradation of search and rescue capability, it is not possible at this point to incorporate such legislative directives to the Coast Guard given the large number of other legislative initiatives regarding Coast Guard facilities that have been presented to the Subcommittee.

Mr. SHELBY. I thank the Senators from Illinois for drawing attention to these projects. I agree that both the Stevenson Expressway and Wacker Drive rehabilitation projects are eligible for federal discretionary funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the approach adopted in the Senate bill.

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

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, these amendments have been cleared by both sides; therefore, I urge their immediate adoption.

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

Mr. SHELBY. Yes, I would join the Appropriations Chairman.

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

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, this managers' amendment has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. Mr. President, I urge adoption of the amendment.

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

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I have a few observations. My friend, the distinguished Senator from Texas, makes a lot of sense a lot of times. I agree with him most of the time. I especially agree with him on this. We certainly don't want the Government running the airlines. We want the airlines to be as responsive as they can be to the public, which is their customer. That is all of us. We have benefited. As the Senator from Louisiana said in her remarks, we have benefited immensely from the deregulation of the airlines. We want to keep it that way. I want to deregulate just about everything I can think of, or see, or feel, because I think there is a benefit. The Senator from Texas is absolutely right. There is something in private enterprise and a contract, and we should respect that. We have to respect that. But I hope the airlines are getting the message that we are getting from the public that there is a lot of unrest out there. Maybe it is lack of communication with the public. But if I buy a ticket and if it is a special ticket, I know it is a special ticket. That is a contract. I know that if I don't use it, I guess I will lose it. I certainly can't skip around on it. Maybe that is a communications problem with whoever is purchasing it. But whatever we do, let's not ever have the Government running any business, especially the airlines.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, September 17, the Senate proceed to the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2587, the D.C. appropriations bill, and it be considered as follows: The report be considered as read, and there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form. I further ask consent that following that debate the Senate proceed to a vote on the adoption of the conference report with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SHELBY

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

Mr. SHELBY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I want to announce to the Senate--a lot of Senators probably kept up with it over the evening's time--we have made considerable progress on the Transportation appropriations bill, and we are at that point in time--Senator Lautenberg and I and our staffs have been conferring with the majority leader and Democratic leader--if there is anyone who has an amendment they want to offer, they ought to come down and offer it so we can move on. We are nearly to the point-- not quite--where we would like to go to third reading of the bill. So this should serve as a friendly notice that if you have an amendment, come down and pursue it or call us and let us know if you are going to do something else with it later. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Governmental Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services be permitted to meet on Thursday, September 16, 1999, at 2 p.m. for a hearing on the annual report of the Postmaster General.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Governmental Affairs Committee be permitted to meet on Thursday, September 16, 1999, at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing entitled ``Day Trading: An Overview.''

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcomimttee on Public Health, be authorized to meet for a hearing on Children's Health during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 16, 1999, at 10 a.m.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the Subcommittee on Youth Violence of the Committee on the Judiciary requests unanimous consent to conduct a hearing on Thursday, September 16, 1999 beginning at 2 p.m. in Dirksen 226.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 16, 1999, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the Committee on the Judiciary requests unanimous consent to conduct a markup on Thursday, September 16, 1999 beginning at 10 a.m. in room 226 Dirksen.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 16, 1999 at 2 p.m. to hold a closed hearing on intelligence matters.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 16, for purposes of conducting a hearing, Subcommittee on Forests and Public Lands Management hearing which is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on the Administration's Northwest Forest Plan.

Mr. SHELBY

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

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