Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. So we are clear, now we will stay in a period of routine morning business, Madam President, under the previous unanimous-consent agreement until the leader decides to go through the closing procedure. But just to make certain, that is the order of the Senate now, that we are in morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each?

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 today there be 5 minutes of debate equally divided between Senator Grams and the ranking member, and at the expiration or yielding back of the time, the Senate proceed to vote on the Grams amendment. That would make the rollcall vote at approximately 2:20 today.

Mr. STEVENS. I thank the Senator. May I inquire, is there any indication between you and Senator Wellstone that we might have some timeframe on this?

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Kennedy be recognized for 10 minutes as in morning business and that Senator Gramm of Texas be recognized later this morning for 10 minutes as in morning business during the consideration of this bill.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that the leader time on both sides be reserved for later in the day.

Mr. STEVENS

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I wish to modify the previous statement I have made. And I now ask unanimous consent that the vote on the cloture motion take place at 10 a.m., tomorrow.

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, the Senate will be convening at 9:30-- the majority leader will handle that part of it--but I ask unanimous consent that the time between the convening at 9:30 and 10 o'clock be divided equally between the Senator from West Virginia and myself.

Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that second- degree amendments must be filed before the hour of 10 a.m., before the hour of the cloture vote, that is, the second-degree amendments to the amendments that have been filed.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, that is agreeable with the managers of the bill. I would like to have it laid aside and not be the pending amendment, if the Senator wishes. But we don't want to see a roadblock and have to get consent to move on to the other amendments.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Does the Senator wish to proceed to other amendments?

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

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, so there is no misunderstanding, I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 60 that I offered on behalf of the Treasury Department to make a technical correction to the bill be considered original text for the purpose of amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, does the Senator from Minnesota wish to proceed now?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, if the Senator wishes to address the bill in any way, it is his privilege.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator. I would be prepared to discuss the amendments that Senator Wellstone has shown to the committee. We are awaiting the arrival of the distinguished Senator from West Virginia. But I believe that it would be in order, if the Senator wishes, to lay down the amendment and discuss the one pertaining to low-income home energy assistance. And I would be pleased to discuss that with the Senator--pending the arrival of the Senator from West Virginia with regard to accepting it, however.

Mr. STEVENS. He sent word to go ahead with regard to amendments that we have seen so far. Amendment No. 57 (Purpose: To strike section 304)

Mr. STEVENS. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have only seen two of the Senator's amendments. We would like an opportunity to review them, if he would be so kind.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, it would be my position that, if the Senator would delete the references to specific States, we would have no objection to the amendment. It is my understanding that the money is available and this would earmark $45 million for assistance under section 2604(g) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act. But there are other disaster areas that are covered by this bill. We see no reason why there should not be similar assistance in those areas. There are some disasters from 1996 and some from the spring of 1997 covered by this bill. They are all within the assistance for fiscal year 1997. Being limited to the assistance that is in this bill for 1997, we would have no objection if it is not earmarked to specific States. I don't know the extent of assistance that would be available outside of the three States mentioned, but I do believe there are circumstances that would warrant them because of the type of flooding that took place in the fall of 1996.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, Senator Durbin has asked for time to speak on the budget. I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to speak for 10 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, this morning, the Senate will resume consideration of Senate bill 672, the supplemental appropriations bill. Currently, there is one pending amendment which will necessitate a rollcall vote. The leader will notify Senators as to the scheduling of the rollcall vote later this morning. In addition, we expect other amendments to the supplemental appropriations bill to be proposed today, and votes will be scheduled accordingly. Therefore, Senators can expect additional votes during today's session of the Senate. As a reminder, a cloture motion was filed yesterday. Therefore, all first-degree amendments must be filed by 2:30 p.m. today to be in order. I remind all Senators that the Senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 today for the weekly policy luncheons to meet.