Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask for adoption of the amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. I send to the desk a series of second-degree managers' amendments and ask for their consideration.

Mr. STEVENS. This is, in effect, putting down our version of the bill, and it becomes original text. Amendments Nos. 3221, 3222, and 3223, en bloc, to Amendment No. 3220

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask for the adoption of the underlying first-degree amendment, as amended.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, the Senator from Virginia asks the question about Senator McCain's amendment. The yeas and nays were not requested, to my knowledge.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask the Senator from Virginia if he seeks the floor?

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask that the pending business be temporarily set aside and that S. 2260, the Commerce-State-Justice appropriations bill, be laid before the Senate.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I now request its second reading and object to that request.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask it be read for the first time.

Mr. STEVENS. Has it been read once?

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, is H.R. 1432 still at the desk?

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, for the information of all Senators, when the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday there will be a period of morning business until 10 a.m. Following morning business, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the legislative branch appropriations bill. After the disposition of the legislative branch appropriations bill, the Senate will resume consideration of the Commerce-State-Justice appropriations bill. It is hoped that Members will come to the floor during Tuesday's session to offer and debate amendments as the Senate attempts to make good progress on this bill. We may also consider other legislative or executive items that are cleared for action on the Senate floor.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I further ask unanimous consent that following morning business the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on H.R. 4112, the legislative branch appropriations bill. I further ask that following the disposition of the legislative appropriations bill, the Senate immediately resume consideration of S. 2260, the Commerce- State-Justice appropriations bill.

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21. I further ask that when the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday, immediately following the prayer, the routine requests through the morning hour be granted and the Senate begin a period of morning business until 10 a.m., with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each with the following exceptions: Senator Dorgan, 30 minutes, and Senator Ashcroft for 30 minutes.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, July 20, 1998, at 4 p.m. to hold a hearing.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess until the hour of 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. May we have order?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I am saddened to have to attempt this, but I want to state to the Senate that it is to me a watershed issue now for this year. This bill really is going to go into serious gyrations if the Lugar amendment is adopted. In the first place, if it goes to the House with this amendment, it means an entirely different committee will have to review this amendment and it will make conferencing this bill very difficult. I find myself in the position where I probably support a lot of what is in the amendment of the Senator from Indiana. I understand it is a bill that was introduced and has not moved forward as he would like. We do have a task force that was appointed by the leader to look into the problem of sanctions; the whole approach of Senator Lugar is under review by that task force. We are hopeful we will have a proposal to act on that, we will have bipartisan support. Broad support in the Senate would be necessary to pass it. The Senate, last week, passed legislation that was suggested by a group here in the Senate and it has been considered by the House. It has been modified and sent to the President to deal with one part of the sanctions program. I congratulate the current occupant of the Chair for his part in that effort. I think it is an effort that must be made. As chairman of this committee, I want to tell the Senate that we are approaching the time when we will lose the first week of the August recess. We will probably have to come back the first week of September and we still won't finish by September 30, if we add to appropriations bills full bills that deserve the consideration of the Senate. That will add to the time it takes to get the appropriations bills through this process. I hope that the majority leader will assist in trying to convince Members of the Senate, let's not do this this year. There are legitimate riders. There are legitimate limitations on expenditures. There are legitimate concepts in terms of dealing with the appropriations process that we will have to fight out here on the floor, but we should not have to fight out here on the floor amendments that will require the bill, when it goes to the House, be subject to conference by another full committee in the House. It is not right to do that, and I hope the Senate will agree with me. I move to table the amendment of the Senator from Indiana, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I would like to notify the Senate that at 6 o'clock I shall seek the floor to move to table the Lugar amendment. I think it is a vote that must be taken to see where the votes are on this amendment. If it is not tabled, then it will still be open to amendment, but hopefully we might be able to work something out to see in what shape we would agree to take the Lugar amendment to conference and have a vote on whatever the Senator wants. But I do expect to make a motion to table the Lugar amendment at 6 o'clock. I ask cloakrooms notify their respective sides of that. I thank the Senator.

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

Mr. STEVENS. I want the Senate to know that when the Leaders arrive, we will have to discuss the arrangement on whether or not that vote will occur tonight. And it will be my hope that it will occur tonight, Mr. President. But, under the circumstances of the situation now, again in order to facilitate the management of this bill, I move to table the Dodd amendment, which, as I understand, would also carry with it the second- degree Roberts amendment. I reluctantly make that motion, and I ask for the yeas and nays.