Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Subsection 702(b) also exempts overflights in Alaska from the provisions of Title VII of S. 2279. Is that the Committee's intent?

Mr. STEVENS. The effect of subsection 702(b) then, is to expressly prohibit the federal government's prohibition and regulation of overflights over national park land and tribal land in Alaska, if there were lands or waters in Alaska that would otherwise qualify as such land in the absence of this exemption.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask that the chairman of the authorizing committee for the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Senator Murkowski, to comment on section 702(b) and the operation of section 1110(a) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

Mr. STEVENS

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of House Joint Resolution 128, the continuing resolution. I further ask that the joint resolution be read a third time and be passed and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask that H.J. Res. 128 be spread on the Record.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Alaska. I come to the floor to congratulate him and the other members of his committee for the action they are taking tonight to recognize the continuing support of the Congress for the determination by the people of Puerto Rico of what their future status should be. The first resolution dealing with Alaska was introduced in the Congress in 1913. Final action on statehood for Alaska took place in 1958. We became a State in 1959, as Senator Murkowski said. It is a long process to seek to change the political status of a portion of the United States, and Puerto Rico is a portion of our country. Its people really deserve the opportunity to express themselves on what their future should be. So my congratulations to everyone for moving this resolution forward. I hope the day will come when I am still in the Senate that we can vote on statehood for Puerto Rico. Mr. TORRICELLI addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that at 7 p.m., the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 279 regarding Puerto Rico, submitted earlier today by Senators Torricelli, D'Amato and Murkowski. I further ask there be 50 minutes for debate on the resolution equally divided between the majority and minority sides, with 10 minutes of the minority time under the control of Senator Sarbanes. I further ask that upon the conclusion or yielding back of the time, the resolution and preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that no amendment be in order to the resolution or the preamble.

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3597

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, very clearly, this is a matter of the image of the United States in the total global economics of today. If we retreat from the vote that we achieved last spring, I think we will send a terrible message to the world at a time when we should be viewed as a leader in trying to restore the economies of the world. So I hope this Senate will vote once again to support, providing the additional funding for the IMF that it needs, and that we will insist that we achieve the agreement of the House on this provision that is in the bill. This is not the time for us to change our minds. This is a time to show the strong will of the Senate, that the United States remains clear in its objectives to assure that there are mechanisms to deal with international crises such as so many of our global trading partners face today. I thank the Senator from Nebraska for his leadership. As a matter of fact, I thank all of those who come from the Agriculture Committee; they have been very forthright and direct in supporting the proper position on the IMF. I thank the Chair and the Senator from Nebraska. Exhibit 1 Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC, September 1, 1998. Hon. Trent Lott, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Leader: As the 105th Congress returns to complete its business in the few weeks remaining before adjournment, I am writing to urge once again that Congress immediately consider and pass the Administration's request for $18 billion in critical funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since late last year, we have been urging action on this priority legislation. Events over the last eight months--not to mention the last few days and weeks--underscore the impact on the U.S. economy of developments abroad, including in Asia and Russia. We simply cannot afford any further delay in providing the IMF with the resources it requires to help contain the threat of further financial and political instability around the world. Let me be clear, the fundamentals of the American economy remain sound, with continuing good prospects for strong growth with low inflation, but recent developments testify clearly to the impact of global uncertainty on U.S. financial markets and, ultimately, on our economy. While there has been progress in stabilizing economies in countries such as Korea and Thailand, which are implementing strong IMF programs, we have already seen a decline in US exports to key markets in Asia by over 20 percent through June of this year, amounting to over $22 billion worth of exports to key markets in Asia by over 20 percent through June of this year, amounting to over $22 billion worth of exports on an annualized basis. Against this backdrop, it is critical that the United States takes the steps necessary to protect the interests of American workers, businesses, and farmers. More broadly, a fully equipped IMF is in the economic interest of our important trade partners throughout Latin America. While we agree that the IMF needs reform, and are committed to continuing our strong efforts to achieve meaningful change, it remains an effective and indispensable tool in the management of the international economy. I respectfully urge you and your colleagues to act with the utmost dispatch to pass this legislation. Sincerely, Robert E. Rubin.

Mr. STEVENS. I thank the Chair. I came, as a matter of fact, to read the letter he has just read. So I will just be very brief. I ask unanimous consent that that letter be printed in the Record following my remarks.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Reserving the right to object, I am trying to get another appropriations bill up, so I would like to not have the floor get under the control of some other problem here. I do not object.

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I keep asking and requesting that Members come forward with these amendments. I have asked now the leadership to clear a unanimous consent request that all amendments have to be filed by 4. I know it is not cleared yet, but I am again requesting that and letting people know somehow or other we are going to get these amendments. It may be that I will just have to move to go to third reading, we will have a vote to go to third reading and cut them all off. For those people who want to go home, I will give them an avenue to get home, and that is let's just vote on this bill. But if people won't bring the amendments to us, we are going to have to take some drastic steps here to limit the number of amendments we can consider. I know that it is an extraordinary procedure, but these are extraordinary times. I would like at least to have the amendments we have said we would accept. Twenty-three Members out there with amendments I said we would accept, and they have not brought them over. I plead with the Senate to think about proceeding with this bill. Mrs. HUTCHISON addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, the Finance Committee requests unanimous consent to conduct a hearing on Thursday, July 30, 1998 beginning at 10:00 a.m. in room 215 Dirksen.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full Committee on Environment and Public Works be granted permission to conduct a hearing to receive testimony from Romulo L. Diaz, Jr., nominated by the President to be an Assistant Administrator for Administration and Resources Management of the Environmental Protection Agency, and J. Charles Fox, nominated by the President to be an Assistant Administrator for Water of the Environmental Protection Agency, Thursday, July 30, 1998, 2:00 p.m., Hearing Room (SD-406).

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 30, 1998, to conduct a mark-up of S. 1405, the ``Financial Regulatory Relief and Economic Efficiency Act of 1997''.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be allowed to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 30, 1998. The purpose of this meeting will be to examine a recent concept release by CFTC on over-the-counter derivatives and related legislation proposed by the Treasury Department, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the SEC.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary, be authorized to hold an executive business meeting during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 30, 1998, at 9:30 a.m., in room 226, of the Senate Dirksen Office Building.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Committee on Governmental Affairs to meet on Thursday, July 30, 1998, at 10:00 a.m. for a hearing on Observations on the Census Dress Rehearsal and Implications for Census 2000. The PRESIDING Officer. Without objection, it is so ordered. committee on the judiciary

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask that we stop there for just one moment for leaders to have a chance to talk about this bill just briefly. I want to make a statement to the Senate. I often make mistakes. I have not made one as great as the one I made tonight when I interrupted the Senator from West Virginia. I had no intention of interrupting him. I know he intended to make his speech. I assured him that he would have the time to make the speech that he wished. We had entered into an agreement concerning a time limit on the amendment of the Senator from Illinois. I deeply regret the misunderstanding that occurred. I know my good friend from West Virginia has a long and serious speech to make about the war powers and the amendment that was offered by the Senator from Illinois concerning the power of Congress to declare war. I admire and respect him greatly, and I sincerely regret that incident. Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS. It was not called up.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I say to the Senator, under the agreement the amendments, if they are not called up, just go away. We do not offer them all. But the Senator is at liberty to withdraw his amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. The remaining speaker is the Senator from New Jersey, is that correct?