Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. No. 112 was cleared. We showed that to you. It was the one modified by your subcommittee.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I now offer a series of amendments, and after I name them I will ask that they be considered en bloc: Amendment No. 112 offered by Senator Bunning and Senator Santorum--these are modifications at the desk that have been cleared on both sides-- amendment No. 6 by Senator Coleman; amendment No. 83 by Senator Reid; amendment No. 85 by Senator Reid; amendment No. 131 by Senators Harkin, Durbin, and Landrieu; amendment No. 136 by Senator Mikulski and others; amendment No. 144 by Senator Santorum; amendment No. 156 by Senator Domenici; amendment No. 172 by Senators Landrieu and Snowe; amendment No. 150 by Senator Murkowski and myself; amendment No. 199 by Senators Durbin and Hutchison; amendment No. 186, which is a sense-of-the-Senate resolution by Senator Bond; amendment No. 142 by Senator Reid; amendment No. 178 by Senator Nelson of Florida; amendment No. 57 by Senator McCain--that is the Korea sense-of-the-Senate resolution-- amendment No. 167 by Senator Byrd; amendment No. 166 by Senator Byrd-- that is the China commission--and amendment No. 188 by Senator Dodd. To my knowledge, we have no objections to any of those.

Mr. STEVENS. I have not said that. The Senator has that right. But I am offering modified amendments before we take up the Senator's amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. I think I misspoke. I think Senator Stabenow wishes to have a sense-of-the-Senate regarding conferees. Am I correct?

Mr. STEVENS. After the Senator's amendment is presented, we will have a vote in relation to that. I will probably move to table it. We, then, will have a series of amendments from the agriculture subcommittee and from the interior subcommittee that have been worked out. Following that, Senator Stabenow wishes to offer a sense-of-the-Senate resolution and speak briefly. We will then go to third reading. We have, I believe, two Members who wish to speak briefly before third reading. If Senators will stay with us, we will probably have about 45 minutes to an hour of time ahead of us. Does the Senator from Nevada have any comment about that?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I wish to present to the Senate a series of amendments that have been modified since they have been introduced. After that, the Senator from New Jersey has an amendment to offer on which there will be a 15-minute time limitation equally divided. I ask unanimous consent that there be 15 minutes equally divided on the amendment of the Senator from New Jersey with no other amendments in order.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. OK.

Mr. STEVENS. As what?

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

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that the order with respect to the Mikulski amendment be vitiated and that Senator Thomas be recognized to offer a perfecting second-degree amendment regarding public-private competition; provided further that there be a 20-minute period for debate equally divided between Senators Thomas and Mikulski prior to a vote in relation to the second-degree amendment. I further ask that following that debate time, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Thomas amendment. I further ask consent that if the second-degree amendment is agreed to, Senator Mikulski be recognized in order to offer a further second-degree perfecting amendment, provided there be 20 minutes for debate equally divided between Senators Thomas and Mikulski prior to the vote in relation to that amendment; finally, if the Thomas second-degree amendment is not agreed to, the Senate proceed immediately to vote in relation to the Mikulski first-degree amendment and, notwithstanding the drafting of the Mikulski amendment, if it were adopted, the first-degree amendment would be subject to further amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that the order----

Mr. STEVENS. I ask that that unanimous consent request be withdrawn and I be permitted to offer a different one.

Mr. STEVENS. I am afraid I didn't read the whole unanimous consent.

Mr. STEVENS. Let me ask unanimous consent that we proceed to Senator Mikulski's amendment and that it be in order to offer, if a second- degree amendment is agreed to, it be in order for her to offer a further second-degree perfecting amendment, and that there be 20 minutes equally divided between Senators Thomas and Mikulski prior to a vote in relation to this amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. The third amendment was the amendment of Senator Mikulski. I inquire if there is a modification at the desk?

Mr. STEVENS. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for agreement on the amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask that we bring up Bingaman amendment No. 138. We previously discussed this amendment. Does the Senator wish to say anything?

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, it would be my intention to attempt to adopt the Bingaman amendment without a recorded vote. We will see how that happens. May we proceed with the Cantwell vote now? Amendment No. 108

Mr. STEVENS. Following that, there are two other amendments that would be the pending business?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, what is the regular order?