Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator for not to exceed 5 minutes because we want to get to the Wellstone amendment as soon as possible.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Arkansas be recognized for 2 minutes, and following that, the Senator from Ohio be recognized for not to exceed 5 minutes.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I believe the Senator from Minnesota now has an amendment that is on the list.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, will the Senator agree to some sort of a time agreement?

Mr. STEVENS. Let's get this straight. The Senator wants 30 minutes total on the amendment equally divided.

Mr. STEVENS. I am not sure there will be. I have to reserve some time in case there is someone on this side.

Mr. STEVENS. Is the Senator prepared to withdraw the other three amendments?

Mr. STEVENS. I am not prepared to agree that some Senator will not come in with a second-degree amendment. I will not present a second- degree amendment myself. I would like the Senator, if he would agree, to withdraw the other three amendments--the Senator has 30 minutes--and 10 minutes in case we need it.

Mr. STEVENS. I can't do that. I will have to object. Mr. President, I cannot accept that. I have not read the amendment myself. I will do that now. Several Senators addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS. I have the floor. I would like to work this out.

Mr. STEVENS. This is a modification of the amendment sent to the desk. I am trying to figure out if there would be a second-degree amendment to it. I am informed that it is modified and that we would not have a second-degree amendment. And I am prepared to agree to the Senator's suggestion of 30 minutes for him. I still want to reserve 10 minutes on this side in case someone wants to speak on it to answer the Senator. I do not intend to do that. But I then ask unanimous consent that the Senator be recognized to call up amendment No. 2128, as modified, and that he have 30 minutes, and we reserve 10 minutes on this side. My advice to the Senator would be to yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Vermont.

Mr. STEVENS. What happens? The Senator gets 5 minutes. The Senator from Minnesota gets 30 minutes.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent the Senators from New Mexico now have each 5 minutes to report a sad event to the Senate.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. The Senator from Wyoming has an amendment. I would like him, at this time, to offer it and ask for its consideration so we can set it aside and bring it up after the Wellstone amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator send his amendment to the desk and ask for its consideration? We will take it up after the amendment of Mr. Wellstone, which is the next amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent this amendment be considered immediately after the amendment presented by the Senator from Minnesota, for which there is a time agreement already.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I welcome that opportunity. I want to say Senators ought to be on notice we will get to the Enzi amendment sooner, and I thank the Senator.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I see the Senator from Minnesota has finished his comments on his amendment. I have had no request for time. So if the Senator is prepared to vote, I am prepared to yield back the time allocated to our side. I so yield back the time.

Mr. STEVENS. The Senator said we will have a voice vote on this amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, it is my understanding that the next order of business will be the amendment of the Senator from Wyoming. I ask unanimous consent that that be the pending business.

Mr. STEVENS. Is it possible, Mr. President--I know the Senator from Wyoming is for the amendment and I understand the Senator from Hawaii is opposed to the amendment. Can we have a time agreement on the amendment?

Mr. STEVENS. Seventy minutes equally divided. I say to the Senator, that is agreeable, but we have a time already set for the vote on the Helms amendment. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. If we enter into a time agreement, what happens to the vote at 6:30?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we enter into such an agreement, 70 minutes equally divided on this amendment and no second-degree amendments be in order to this amendment.