Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at 10 a.m. for a hearing titled, ``Iraq Reconstruction: Lessons Learned in Contracting and Procurement.''

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on S. 374, the Tribal Parity Act; S. 480, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2005; S. 660, the Lumbee Recognition Act; S. 1439, the Indian Trust Reform Act of 2005; and S. 1535, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2005.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``The Authority to Prosecute Terrorists Under the War Crime Provisions of Title 18'' on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Panel I: Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, Washington, DC; General Richard B. Myers, Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC; Major General Scott Black, The Judge Advocate General, United States Army, Washington, DC; Rear Admiral Bruce MacDonald, Judge Advocate General, United States Navy, Washington, DC; Major General Jack Rives, the Judge Advocate General, United States Air Force, Washington, DC, and Brigadier General Kevin M. Sandkuhler, Director, Judge Advocate Division, United States Marine Corps, Washington, DC.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 2, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Paying Your Own Way: Creating a Fair Standard for Attorney's Fees Awards in Establishment Clause Cases'' in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witness list Rees Lloyd, Commander of District 21, The American Legion Department of California, Banning, CA; Marc Stern, Assistant Executive Director, American Jewish Congress, New York, NY; Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel, Interim Dean, Liberty University School of Law, Lynchburg, VA; Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy, Wake Forest University Divinity School, Winston-Salem, NC; Shannon Woodruff, Senior Research Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice, Washington, D.C.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation and Rural Revitalization of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on August 2, 2006, at 9 a.m. in SR-328A, Senate Russell Building. The purpose of this subcommittee hearing will be to discuss H.R. 4200, the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. On behalf of Senator Domenici, I ask unanimous consent that an Air Force fellow, Stephen Purdy, detailed to Senator Domenici's office, be permitted floor privileges during this bill.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator McCain's legislative fellow, Navy LCDR Damien Christopher, be granted floor privileges during the debate on this bill.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Mike Morrissey and Kevin Templin, fellows serving in Senator Cochran's office, be granted floor privileges during the duration of the consideration of this bill.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent the privilege of the floor be granted to two military fellows, Howard Shaw and Trevor King, for the remainder of the debate on this bill. This is a request of Senator Lott.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, Senator Inouye and I are pleased to present this Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 to the Senate. This bill reflects the bipartisan approach that my cochairman, Senator Inouye, and I have maintained regarding the issue of the Department of Defense as cochairmen of the Subcommittee on Defense for the Appropriations Committee. It has been a pleasure for us to work together and with the other members of the committee in the process. This bill was reported out of the full Appropriations Committee 2 weeks ago by a unanimous vote. We hope to finish this bill this week so we can proceed to conference early in September. Our goal is to get the bill to the President before the end of the fiscal year. This bill can be worked on by the staffs in the August recess, and with the House, and we will be able to proceed as early as possible in September if we can finish the work this week. It is our hope that we can finish the bill and have it be sent to conference before we leave for the August recess. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines need these funds at the beginning of the fiscal year, not 3 or 4 months after the beginning of the fiscal year. We should do everything possible to ensure that Congress completes action on this bill in a timely fashion. As we debate this bill today, there are hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform forward deployed and serving our country in over 120 countries throughout the world and throughout the United States. Their bravery and dedication to our country are extraordinary, and their sacrifices don't go unnoticed. Each year, the Department of Defense faces the critical challenge of balancing the costs of maintaining high levels of readiness, being ready to respond to the call wherever and whenever it is necessary. This also means adequately investing in transformation to be ready to meet the threats of tomorrow. The bill Senator Inouye and I present today offers a prudent balance among these challenges. It recommends $453.5 billion in new discretionary authority for the Department of Defense, which includes $50 billion in additional appropriations to fund operations related to the global war to contain violent extremists. This bill is $9 billion under the President's budget request, consistent with the subcommittee's 302(b) allocation. In order to reach that figure, we had to cut key defense readiness and modernization programs. We closely reviewed program execution and focused on unjustified growth and program delays. We have received many requests from Members that we could not address this year for lack of funds. The bill is $13 billion under the national defense authorization bill recently passed by the Senate. That means that just because a program or project was authorized, it doesn't mean funding was available in this bill. It wasn't possible under the allocations we have received. Given our restraints, the bill doesn't provide much in the way of medical research outside of the budget. We primarily focus on the limited medical resources in the bill toward the treatment of conditions directly impacting our military today rather than longer term research. I remain concerned about the migration of funds from defense requirements to nondefense medical research, and how we sustain such funding in a declining budget environment. This measure is consistent with both the objectives of the administration and the broad recommendations contained in the Senate's national defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2007. We have sought to recommend a balanced bill to the Senate. We believe it addresses key requirements for readiness, quality of life, and transformation of the force. It honors the commitment we have to our Armed Forces. It helps ensure that they will continue to have first-rate training, modernized equipment, and quality infrastructure. It provides the much needed funds to continue the global war against terror. Finally, I thank my great friend and colleague, Senator Inouye, and his staff, particularly Charlie Houy, for their support and counsel on this bill. I yield at this time to Senator Inouye for any statements the cochairman wishes to make.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 532, H.R. 5631. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute be agreed to as original text for the purpose of further amendment, with no points of order waived by virtue of this agreement. I further ask that consideration of the bill be for debate only during today's session. Further, I ask that it not be in order to file a cloture motion on this bill prior to the adjournment for August. This is the DOD appropriations bill.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I have an amendment I wish to send to the desk. I want to explain it. We have had a series of requests from Members and from portions of the military establishment to add money to this bill due to emergency requirements that were not presented to us at the time we considered the bill in our committee. This is money for what we call equipment reset. It is the money that meets the requirements for continuing combat operations, primarily in Iraq, but it is for the Department overall. It is additional money, as I said, for the Army and Marine Corps for equipment reset. We have consulted with the Department and with the OMB about this issue.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we had an understanding that we could do amendments cleared on both sides, but no amendments controversial that would require a vote by the Senate. We are proceeding under that understanding. Mr. President, is that the understanding of the Senator from Hawaii?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to present this amendment at this time.

Mr. STEVENS. Therefore, Mr. President, I send to the desk this amendment to provide additional appropriations, $7.8 billion for the Army and $5.3 billion for the Marine Corps for the reset of equipment due to combat operations and to designate such amounts as emergency requirements. I ask the amendment be presented.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this means the committee has addressed the total needs that have been presented to us by the Department and by the administration and by many Members to the extent we could afford it. We urge that Members study this bill. We will be prepared, I hope, to come in early tomorrow, and it is my understanding tomorrow we will be able to consider amendments that are filed by Members. At this time, we have no further amendments to offer on behalf of the committee. We may, as the bill proceeds, in the next 2 days. Again, it is my--and I believe our--fervent hope that we can bring this bill to a close and vote on it before we leave this Friday for the August recess so that it may be worked on during the period of the August recess and presented to the Senate and the House early in September so that the bill can get to the President in ample time for it to be signed and become law prior to the end of this fiscal year. Mr. President, does the Senator from Hawaii have any further comments?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, on behalf of both of us, I say the bill is open to amendment. We would be pleased to discuss amendments with any Member. It is my hope the leadership will convene the Senate as early as possible tomorrow morning. May I inquire of the Chair, it is my understanding the Senator from South Dakota has a statement to make that is not related to our bill. I think it is in order, if he wishes to do so, while we wait to see if Senators wish to bring amendments to discuss tonight.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein subject to some time limit agreed to by the leadership.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Vote on Amendment No. 4683

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the President of the United States be printed in the Record today pursuant to the war powers resolution.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation I report favorably the following nomination list which was printed in the Record of the date indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that this nomination lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I will ask the Senate stand in recess for just a few moments to say hello to our distinguished colleagues. With the Senate's indulgence, I would like to announce we will have a coffee reception for the President of the Senate of Spain and his colleagues, the Senators from Spain, in the President pro tempore's room starting immediately. All staff and Senators are invited. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess so we can greet our distinguished colleagues.