Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have tried to be consistent with the authorization bill. As this bill came out of committee, the authorization bill did not meet the contingency operations in Bosnia as requested by the President. I send to the desk an amendment and state to the Senate that, if it is adopted, it will conform the handling of the moneys in this bill for Bosnia with the authorization bill as it has been amended.

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

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for adoption of the amendment. That is consistent with the authorization bill, Mr. President.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this amendment will raise the military pay to 3.6 percent. This pay raise will add $185 million to the Active Forces, Guard, and Reserve pay accounts. Over the last year, our committee has heard repeatedly in both hearings with the service chiefs and during field visits to Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Alaska, and other places throughout the world that our military members perceive an erosion of existing benefits. This adjustment in pay matches the private sector wage growth at a time when many service members are questioning the value of continued service due to an increasing pace of deployments. Some economists estimate that the pay gap between the private sector and the military may be as high as 13.5 percent. This amendment will, at a minimum, provide a fairer base for military pay raises in the future. I ask if my friend has any comments to make in regard to this amendment. He is a cosponsor.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I mentioned in my statement that we have a 3.1 percent pay raise in this bill. I want to send to the desk, and do send to the desk, an amendment. It is sponsored by myself and my friend from Hawaii.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I reciprocate in thanking my good friend for his comments. It is interesting when we reflect back on World War II. We as a nation knew who we were, what we were doing, and we had unanimous support for what we were doing. Today, each of us faces comments from time to time about our commitment to defense and questions of whether we could not cut this budget. If anything, we should have a great deal more money. I shall speak to the Senate later about that during the consideration of this bill. Let me point out to Members of the Senate that we have knowledge of 46 amendments on this bill. We have reviewed them with our staff and with the staff of those who will present those amendments, and 23 of them we are prepared to accept. Of the balance, 13 of them we have not seen. It would be very helpful if Members will bring their amendments to us so that we can look at them and determine whether or not we can work with the person who wishes to present the amendment and accept it or modify it in a way that it becomes acceptable. I expect we will have some substantial votes today and into the night. But it will be much easier for all of us if we can see these amendments and we can try to find some way to accommodate the needs of the Senate and the demand of our defense spending with the individual desires of Members of the Senate. Amendment No. 3391 (Purpose: To provide a 3.6 percent pay raise for military personnel during Fiscal Year 1999)

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. What is the next vote?

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for the vote after 1 minute on each side.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I might say I am prepared to accept this. It is a sense-of-the-Senate amendment primarily. This is the Senator from Arkansas. I do have a tabling motion in place on this, do I not?

Mr. STEVENS. There is the answer to my friend. I do not see how we can finish before 2:30 tomorrow afternoon unless we know what we are voting on. What is the next order of business, Mr. President? Amendment No. 3124

Mr. STEVENS. I tell my colleague I will do my best. I renew my unanimous consent request that all remaining first-degree amendments in order to be offered to this bill must be presented and offered before 5 p.m.

Mr. STEVENS. We are going to vote on amendments when they come up. Whenever they come up, we will vote on them. Most of them are going to be motions to table, I will tell you. Most of them are going to be motions to table because most of this stuff is not relevant to this bill at all. So you might as well be put on notice, Republican or Democrat, I am going to move to table any nonrelevant amendments. Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the Chair.

Mr. STEVENS. We might be able to do that. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that no vote on this bill take more than 15 minutes.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this amendment will eliminate the Navy's highest priority, or I would say the Defense Department's highest priority for the Navy, the F-18 E/F. It would move that money into the National Guard. We have already increased the National Guard by more than $500 million above the budget request. So that approval of the National Guard Adjutants is a facade. This is to kill the F-18. I urge that the Senate support my motion to table.

Mr. STEVENS

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

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from New Jersey also be recognized for 10 minutes prior to the vote.

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

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

Mr. STEVENS. I further ask unanimous consent that following the statement of the Senator from Iowa, we shall immediately go to third reading.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, it is my understanding the Senator from Iowa will speak in a minute. And no Senator has raised any amendment to be considered; so, therefore, I ask unanimous consent that no more amendments be in order to this bill.

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

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send to the desk a sense-of-the-Senate resolution on behalf of Senator Kerrey and Senator Moynihan and Senator Breaux, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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