Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. The Senator was talking about the money we put in in January. That was money that already had been spent in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism. And we included those funds at that time in the omnibus bill. But we turned down the $10 billion for the contingency operation. I didn't like the defense emergency response fund. The Senator from West Virginia didn't like the defense emergency respond fund that just sits out there--a big pot of money which they can take money out of without telling us what they are going to spend it for. We face two different problems: One is that we have a request in the budget for a big pot of money that they are going to spend any way they want when we have always requested that we get money based on how much expenses had actually been incurred in fighting an engagement. Does the Senator disagree with that?

Mr. STEVENS. That is why we support the Senator's request. That is why the Senator's request for the sense-of-the-Senate resolution is imminently sensible. And I would like to follow that procedure. That is not the procedure we followed in the past. This President is following precedence in connection with the way he has, in fact, presented the budget for 2004 and the supplemental request for the war in Iraq. I thank the Senator.

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator yield just for a clarification?

Mr. STEVENS. My staff informs me that the Senator has the numbers turned around. There were $15 billion, of which $4 billion have been used. We are certifying there are $11 billion left now.

Mr. STEVENS. The distinguished Senator from West Virginia still has the floor. If he will let me respond, parenthetically, again, the Senator is correct, if the expenses continued at the rate of the expenditures for the months of June and July--the two 4 weeks just previously--the Senator is correct, the account was $3.9 billion a month for those operations. We do not consider that even today the activities are continuing at the same rate they were in the average per day for the last 4 weeks.

Mr. STEVENS. In addition to that, there is $45 billion in specific service accounts that are in fact going to be used in Iraq. So we are not dealing with something where there is no money provided. There is $45 billion in specific unit accounts where that money will be spent in Iraq. And it is an augmentation because of the Iraqi conditions.

Mr. STEVENS. I am willing to reverse that order. I modify the request and ask that the Senator from Kentucky speak for 5 minutes, and following that the vote on Senator Byrd's amendment, and following that there be a vote that would occur, with a limitation of 10 minutes, on my motion to table the Durbin amendment. Following the Durbin amendment, we will be walking down the hall to go over to a joint session of Congress.

Mr. STEVENS. Right.

Mr. STEVENS. Have the yeas and nays on Senator Byrd's amendment been ordered?

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for the yeas and nays on the Byrd amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of the Defense appropriations bill following the statement of the right honorable Mr. Blair, the Senator from West Virginia be recognized to offer another amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Respectfully, that is sort of asking me the same thing as the contingency question. I am prepared to argue with the Office of Management and Budget and the White House that the procedures should be changed. After the initiation of war Congress should have estimates, as indicated by the Senator's amendment. Therefore, I support it. Whether we will be successful, God knows. This is a 15-minute rollcall vote and will be followed by a 10-minute rollcall vote on the Durbin amendment. I urge Members to vote promptly so we may leave the body at 3:40 p.m. to listen to Mr. Blair.

Mr. STEVENS. I thank the Senator.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until the hour of 5 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for not to exceed 1 minute each to comment on the historic speech we have just heard.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Idaho since his State was mentioned.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, someone told me they thought it was a nice thing to have conservatives applaud a liberal. Do you know, when I listened to Tony Blair, I didn't think about being conservative or liberal. I thought about the fact that here is a man who has had admitted difficulties in his own country but was willing to come on our stage and tell us he believes in American principles and he is willing to be a partner with us. That is a sign of a great man. I think he is a great leader for the world as well as for Great Britain. I hope that people don't think of it as a speech of a liberal or even of a conservative. He was speaking to us as Americans and bringing out the best in us. I really am delighted that we gave him the opportunity to speak to us.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we are awaiting an amendment to be offered. I hope Senators will come and bring their amendments.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield to the Senator from Nevada.

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. STEVENS. Does the Senator have a quote that the President would spend $3 billion?

Mr. STEVENS. I would like to see that. I would be happy to see that quote. I don't want to interrupt the Senator.

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator yield for a moment? Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senator finishes his remarks, I be recognized to make a unanimous consent request.

Mr. STEVENS. Yes. I so modify my unanimous consent request.

Mr. STEVENS. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. STEVENS. Prior to that time commencing on the nominations, I ask unanimous consent, other than the managers' package which is being cleared on both sides, that the only other amendments to the Defense appropriations bill to be in order will be: Senator Byrd's amendment, with Senator Byrd speaking for 20 minutes and 10 minutes for me; Senator Biden's amendment, 10 minutes for Senator Biden and 5 minutes for me; and I ask further that following disposition of those amendments the bill be read for the third time and the Senate proceed to vote on final passage of the bill without further intervening action or debate.