Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I am authorized to state that the minority leader, Mr. Daschle, the leader, and I will not call up relevant amendments. And I announce we have completed the list. There are no more amendments in order on the supplemental appropriations. The bill is ready for third reading.

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator give me some time? Senator Smith has told me that he is not going to call up his amendment. So these two are the last amendments I know of offered to this bill, and we will then proceed to a unanimous consent request following the final vote here.

Mr. STEVENS. I understand that. The Nickles amendment, as amended, which we would adopt by voice vote. If the amendment is not adopted, we will then vote on the Nickles amendment immediately, is that correct? Can we divide the time somehow so we have some fairness in the time-- equally divided and vote at 4:30? I ask unanimous consent that be the case. Is that acceptable?

Mr. STEVENS. Can we divide the time and tell the membership that there will be a vote at 4:30?

Mr. STEVENS. We can have a vote on the Nickles amendment following a vote on the Kennedy amendment to the Nickles amendment.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent, on behalf of Senator Byrd, to make technical modifications to amendment 2062, which was agreed to yesterday. That has been cleared by both sides.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent to reconsider that action and to lay my motion on the table, en bloc. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. amendment no. 2140

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Colorado from the time of Senator Inouye.

Mr. STEVENS. I urge Members who have colloquies that they wish to enter into with myself or Senator Byrd to come over now, and we can get those done. We have two significant--maybe three significant colloquies pertaining to amendments that will not be necessary if the colloquies are properly presented. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that that time be charged against the Senator's time on the time agreement.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have seven to eight amendments to deal with, and there is a very serious matter that needs to come up. Let me make a series of unanimous consent requests. On the Baucus amendment, I ask unanimous consent that there be 30 minutes equally divided, with no second-degree amendments.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent for 20 minutes equally divided on the Murkowski amendment, with no second-degree amendments.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent for 20 minutes on the Torricelli amendment, equally divided, with no second-degree amendments.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this would be, in our judgment, a very bad precedent. It would allow litigants involved in a case against the United States to come to the Senate, through their Senator, and try to obtain passage of a sense-of-the-Senate resolution that would assist them in their negotiations with the U.S. Government. Although the amendment would not be binding, it could be used in a court of law to argue the merits of the case. I do not know much about this case other than I have discussed it with the distinguished Senator from New Jersey, but as I informed him, we have a letter from the Attorney General--and it is signed by the Attorney General personally--written to the chairman and ranking member of the State, Justice Commerce Subcommittee. I understand that the distinguished chairman is here. I yield to him for the balance of the time to explain further why we are opposed to the amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New Jersey for his courtesy in withdrawing the amendment. I have to notify other Senators to come. We thought there might be a vote. Amendment No. 2156 (Purpose: To make an amendment to housing opportunities for persons with AIDS)

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

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this amendment will require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to adjust, in a manner consistent with the need, the allocation of the funding under the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program, the problems that occur in certain areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania under that act.

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

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 26, 1998 at 2 p.m. on S. 1221--American Fisheries Act.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 26, 1998 at 2 p.m. to receive testimony on the Department of Defense Domestic Emergency Response Program and support to the interagency preparedness efforts, including the Federal response plan and the city training program, in review of the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 1999 and the future years Defense program.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Subcommittee on Children and Families, be authorized to meet for a hearing on Head Start during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 26, 1998, at 9:30 a.m.

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, March 26, 1998, at 10 a.m., in room 226 of the Senate Dirksen office building.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full Committee on Environment and Public Works be granted permission to continue markup of S. 8, the Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act of 1997, Thursday, March 26, 9:30 a.m., Hearing Room (SD-406).