Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. On behalf of Senator Inouye and myself, I move to table the amendment of the Senator from Oklahoma and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time between 2 p.m. and 2:15 be equally divided between the sponsor and the managers of the amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. And that there be no second-degree amendments but any motion in relation to this amendment be in order.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I have a managers' package. I send it to the desk. In this package is an amendment for Senator Levin, No. 1929, for the medium tactical vehicle modifications; Senator Levin, No. 2000, pertaining to Indian tribes; and, Senator Kennedy, No. 1924, for humvee integrated starters. I ask unanimous consent that these three amendments be considered en bloc.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask for consideration of those amendments.

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. What is the situation with regard to when we vote on this amendment?

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that time be changed to 2:30 with no amendments in the second degree in order.

Mr. STEVENS. Now I address the Senator, the sponsor of the amendment. Senator Mikulski wants 15 minutes between now and 2:30. Does Senator Dayton have any objection to that?

Mr. STEVENS. I will take a few minutes before that time, and Senator Mikulski would have from 2:15 until 2:30.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have provided $25 million to respond in this bill for the National Guard counterdrug program. We already have $20 million for childcare, $20 million for family counseling, $18 million for National Guard and assistance centers, for a total of $58.6 million. The Senator's amendment adds $60 million for childcare and $20 million for family assistance centers but, as he said, we have already gone in excess of the President's request. We have tried to balance the requirement to fight the war on global terrorism and maintenance for our technological advantage against potential rivals and the care of our servicemembers and their families. We have worked closely with the Department of Defense to identify these requirements. We believe the Senator's amendment is subject to a point of order. We raise a point of order under section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act that the amendment provides for spending in excess of the 302(b) allocations under the fiscal year 2006 concurrent resolution on the budget. Having raised that, does the Senator wish to waive that point of order?

Mr. STEVENS. The Senator moves to waive the point of order. I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to waive the point of order that I have submitted.

Mr. STEVENS. For the information of Members, we hope we will have another amendment ready to be considered at 3 o'clock. Senator Hatch has asked for 30 minutes beginning at 2:30 to speak on a matter that is not pertinent to this bill, but he has that right to speak under his allocation of time. I ask unanimous consent Senator Hatch have 30 minutes from 2:30 to 3 o'clock. He has had a terrible disaster in his office. One of his close personal friends on his staff has passed away. He wishes to speak about that person for 30 minutes starting at 2:30. We want to put the vote to 3 o'clock. So I move we move the vote to 3 o'clock so Senator Hatch can speak at 2:30.

Mr. STEVENS. I yield the floor to Senator Mikulski.

Mr. STEVENS. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, again I say, we have told our colleagues time and time again we were waiting for amendments. No amendments have been noticed on either side. I ask for third reading.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, may I inquire how much time does the Senator have?

Mr. STEVENS. How much time does the Senator from Louisiana have remaining?

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the time continue to run but that the Senate stand in temporary recess until 2 p.m.

Mr. STEVENS

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

Mr. STEVENS. I object.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, there are discussions going on concerning the future of this bill and what time we may be able to vote and dispose of the bill. I did try to go to third reading to make sure we would not have amendments coming in here at the last minute that would require Members to come back into the Senate to vote at this time. I want to state that I do not have any problem with the exchange between the Senators from Louisiana. They do have a very difficult proposition. I am not going to get into that at this time. But I will say this: The arrangement that the junior Senator has made is much better than we got after the great earthquake in Alaska in 1964. I think people ought to realize that while the numbers of people involved in this great disaster from Katrina and the disaster of Rita--we have had massive disasters such as our earthquake and our great flood and the typhoons in Hawaii. This is not something that is new. The number of people may be greater, but the type of disaster is not any greater. I would hope we would have a chance to finish the conversations that the leadership is having and we can find some way to deal with this situation and let people know what time, and if, we are going to be allowed to vote on this very important bill that should go to conference before we go home. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. STEVENS. I object.

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

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess until 8:15 a.m. on Friday, October 7. I further ask consent that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate then resume consideration of H.R. 2863, the Defense appropriations bill. I further ask consent that following the leader's remarks, Senator Landrieu be recognized to speak until 9:15. I further ask consent that immediately following her remarks, and with no intervening action or debate, all time under cloture then be considered expired, the bill be read a third time, and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of the bill, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. STEVENS. Before we recess, I will yield to the Senator from Louisiana for 5 minutes before we close.