Arlen Specter

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have one sentence in reply, and that is, we will provide the details as to increasing 8.2 percent instead of the alleged 20.4 percent, but we want to do it at a later point so we can move ahead with amendments. We have two amendments lined up: one from the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Voinovich, and one from the Senator from Louisiana, Ms. Landrieu. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be set aside so we can proceed with the Voinovich amendment.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I suggested a time agreement of 30 minutes equally divided, perhaps 20 minutes equally divided.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the Voinovich amendment, we proceed to the Landrieu amendment.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we have been consulting on the complexities of the bill. If I understand the amendment by the Senator from Ohio, it is that the title XI block grant of $2.7 billion, which is divided for class size and construction, may be used for other purposes at the discretion of the local boards. If they choose not to use it for construction or class size, it could be used at their discretion. He wants to be sure those funds can be used for special education.

Mr. SPECTER. That would be acceptable. It is our purpose that the local boards, having decided they do not want it for the other purposes--construction or reduction in class size--may use it as they decide. We are prepared to accept the Voinovich amendment. We are also anxious to proceed with the bill.

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

Mr. SPECTER. May we have a time agreement on the amendment of the Senator from Louisiana?

Mr. SPECTER. May we have a time agreement of 30 minutes, 20 minutes for the proponents of the measure and 10 minutes for the opponents, if there are opponents?

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the vote on the Kerry amendment be deferred, to be stacked later today at a time to be mutually agreed upon by our respective leaders. I raise a point of order under section 302(f) of the Budget Act, as amended, that the effect of adopting the Kerry amendment provides budget authority in excess of the subcommittee's 302(b) allocations under the fiscal year 2001 concurrent resolution on the budget, and is not in order.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, there is no doubt that the GEAR UP program is a very fine program. It has been in existence for a fairly short period of time. It originated with Congressman Chaka Fattah from Philadelphia, who had the initial idea and took it to the President, who agreed with it. It was put into effect just a few years ago. It started out at a funding level of $120 million. Last year, the President requested an increase, and we came up to some $200 million, and our Senate bill has $225 million in the program. Coincidentally, I happened to attend the President's program where he did one of his Saturday speeches on it. So I know the program thoroughly. In fact, with Congressman Chaka Fattah, I visited a school in west Philadelphia where this program was being used. Regrettably, there is simply not enough money to accommodate all of the programs, which are good programs, which we would like to have. It is not possible to accommodate the program Senator Kerry of Massachusetts offered about technical training, or the Bingaman amendment on an extra $250 million for title I, or the Wellstone amendment of $1.7 billion. We have put substantial money into job training programs. Job Corps is up to more than $650 million, with almost a $20 million increase. We have structured a program on school safety as to violence and a program as to drugs. These are programs we have structured to do the best we can. The Senator from Rhode Island has commented about what Senator Harkin and I have attempted to do in this bill, which is the maximum stretch, as I had said earlier, that can be accommodated on this side of the aisle at $104.5 billion. Regrettably, the money is simply not present. I wish it were. The House has $200 million, which is less than the $225 million we have on the Senate side. We will do our best to maintain that kind of an increase, which would be $25 million, which is as far as we can realistically go. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. President?

Mr. SPECTER. I have 12 and a half minutes out of the 15?

Mr. SPECTER. I have said what I had to say. I will not use all of my time. How much time does the Senator from Rhode Island have left?

Mr. SPECTER. I intend to raise a point of order under section 302(f) of the Budget Act, as amended, that the effect of adopting the Reed amendment would provide budget authority in excess of the subcommittee's 302(b) allocation and therefore it is not in order.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I will just add one thing. I appreciate the sincerity of the comments of the Senator from Rhode Island that this is a more important program. That is what the proponents of all of the amendments have had to say. If the Senator from Rhode Island could find offsets within the budget resolution and tell me and Senator Harkin what programs are less important and have offsets, I would be pleased to entertain that consideration. To add to the budget, it is the same point that has been made repeatedly--that everybody's program is special. And I happen to agree with them; they are all special programs. But if you made it more special than something already in the program and have an offset, we would not raise the rule. I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the Reed amendment be stacked to occur later today at a time to be agreed upon by the leaders.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I yield back all time if the Senator from Rhode Island is prepared to do the same.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, it is now relevant to raise the point of order under section 302(f) of the Budget Act that the amendment would exceed the subcommittee's 302(b) allocation and therefore it is not in order.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry: Is there any pending business at the moment?

Mr. SPECTER. Is that the amendment by the Senator from Minnesota?

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I believe we were scheduled to vote at 3:30 on four amendments. So I inquire of my colleague from Minnesota how long he will be on this matter.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time on the Wellstone amendment be divided with 7 minutes for Senator Wellstone and 3 minutes for this Senator.

Mr. SPECTER. I withdraw my request and suggest that we proceed.

Mr. SPECTER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on European Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 28, 2000, at 2 p.m., to hold a hearing.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 28, 2000, at 9 a.m. to hold a hearing.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, June 28 at 2 p.m., in SD226.