Arlen Specter

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. I object.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, as much as I have always favored the social services block grant program, the funding level in this bill is established as a matter of priority. If we want to add to education $2.3 billion, significant additions to the National Institutes of Health, and crafting some 300 programs, this is the level which is appropriate. The States can transfer up to 5 percent of their temporary assistance to needy families in this program through these block grants, which amounts to $16.5 billion. Mr. President, $825 million are available there. At the close of the first quarter of fiscal year 1999 States had $4.22 billion, so it can be made up. People may not want to consider the tobacco funds, but the States have about $203 billion which has been given to them, where the argument was it should have come to the Federal Government to support these block grant programs. If we are to pass this bill, if we are to get 51 votes, $91.7 billion, we can't add additional funds with this amendment.

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

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, it is with reluctance, again, that I am compelled to oppose the Reid amendment. I like public broadcasting, but this bill has been crafted with some 300 programs. Public broadcasting is getting a $10 million increase. This is in the face of some very substantial problems which were raised with public broadcasting on the sale of lists to political organizations. Public broadcasting is very important, and with tight budget constraints, I think $350 million is an adequate allocation. I must say, as the Senator from Nevada mentioned ``Sesame Street,'' again, it is a family matter. My three granddaughters are mad about ``Sesame Street.'' On goes the television, and their behavior is a model. This budget can only stretch so far. It is crafted for more than 300 programs. The better course is to take the $10 million increase, and $350 million is sufficient. Parliamentary inquiry: Is there a tabling motion pending?

Mr. SPECTER. Has all time elapsed for Senator Dodd?

Mr. SPECTER. Yes.

Mr. SPECTER. I incorporate that into the unanimous consent request.

Mr. SPECTER. Fine.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, before proceeding to the discussion of the amendment on the merits, I would like to announce to my colleagues we will shortly begin voting on four stacked votes: the Reid amendment, Graham amendment, Dodd amendment, and the Coverdell second-degree amendment to the Enzi amendment. I ask unanimous consent we begin voting on these matters at 5:10.

Mr. SPECTER. The unanimous consent agreement gave him 10 minutes total. Since that time, Senator Jeffords has spoken and Senator Dodd has spoken.

Mr. SPECTER. The Senator from Connecticut has 10 minutes remaining?

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent a time agreement be entered into, with 10 additional minutes for the proponents of the amendment, and 15 minutes for myself and whomever I designate.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, in listening to the arguments by the Senator from Florida I can understand his interest in adding funds to what the committee mark is. I have no disagreement with the importance of the funds which are at issue. I am constrained to oppose the amendment because in constructing this overall bill for $91.7 billion, in collaboration with the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, we have juggled some 300 programs. If we are going to add a very substantial amount of additional funding to education, which we have some $2.3 billion over last year, and if we are to add $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health, and to have an initiative against juvenile violence, it is a matter of the allocation of priorities. The comment has been made about the use of the tobacco funds. Those are very substantial sums of money, some $203 billion over a number of years. I fought on the Senate floor to try to bring some of those tobacco funds to the Federal Government so we would have more moneys available. It is an obvious suggestion, when the States are the recipients of so much of that funding, that some of it be used where other Federal funds had been made available. This is another illustration, along with the request for additional funds for after school, $200 million more, or for class size, for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting--all of those are items which, under normal circumstances, I would say are very good programs, they are very good approaches, we would like to see them. But when it comes to assessing priorities, it is my sense, after working through very carefully with staff and then with the Democratic staff, the full subcommittee and the full committee, that this is an appropriate assessment of priorities. Therefore, even though I have sympathy for what the Senator from Florida has had to say and think these are good programs, on a priority basis I have to oppose this amendment. I yield the floor.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask consent to yield back the time on the Enzi amendment and ask that the amendment be laid aside.

Mr. SPECTER. Might I suggest an hour for the Senator's position and a half hour for this side or perhaps even an hour and a half for the Senator's position and a half hour for this side. I am anxious to try to get some parameters so we know what to do with the remainder of the amendments and voting.

Mr. SPECTER. I think that is miraculous. I hardly understand much of what I just read, although it was carefully drafted and I am sure will provide a roadmap to the future. I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed to the amendment offered by the Senator from Florida, Mr. Graham. I inquire of Senator Graham if he will be prepared to enter into a time agreement.

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

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

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, would it be in order to entertain a request for a consent agreement? Talk to your colleagues to see if we could fix a time. We have a great number of other amendments pending. We want to move to the Graham of Florida amendment, Senator Dodd has an amendment, and we have amendments here. If we could make an agreement to 30 more minutes.

Mr. SPECTER. I am trying to find out what is happening with the time.

Mr. SPECTER. May I yield to the Senator from Wyoming for a brief statement as to his amendment? He has already stated a willingness to have 30 minutes equally divided. Let's see if we can get a time agreement.

Mr. SPECTER. Parliamentary inquiry as to how many more speakers the Senator anticipates on his side.

Mr. SPECTER. Is the remaining time between now and 5:10 on my side?

Mr. SPECTER. And the other time has been yielded back?

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. On the four Republicans who voted against the tax bill?