Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I state to the Senate that we have several Senators who have indicated they have amendments. I urge they come to the floor. We have business to conduct today following completion of this bill. We do hope we can complete this bill as early as possible. We do urge that Senators come to the floor. Mr. President, I believe our distinguished colleague from West Virginia is here to offer an amendment. I yield the floor.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we would be pleased to recommend the adoption of the amendment offered by Senator Byrd. I believe, if he would permit, we would be willing to adopt it on a voice vote. It was adopted last year, the same amendment, as the Senator said, by a substantial number of Senators. We see no reason not to support the amendment this year. If the Senator wishes to offer it, we would be pleased to have it.

Mr. STEVENS. We would be happy to have a vote, but could we agree to a later time? There are a series of Senators in committee meetings right now, and they asked not to be disturbed for at least another half hour.

Mr. STEVENS. Could we ask for the yeas and nays and have a time agreed upon between yourself and the two managers of the bill?

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to request the yeas and nays on this amendment at this time.

Mr. STEVENS. The yeas and nays are ordered?

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators Biden, Corzine, and Feingold be added as original cosponsors of amendment No. 3493.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, for Members of the Senate, we are very close to the end of the amendments that we know of, and we would probably be proceeding to third reading after the Byrd amendment, unless Members come forward and offer their amendments. Amendment No. 3503

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I have an amendment from the two Senators from Mississippi, Senators Lott and Cochran. I ask that it be presented to the Senate.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, it is a sense of the Senate concerning the Global Hawk.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send to the desk an amendment on behalf of Senator Reed.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this would make available up to $3 million for a project Senator Reed supports. We have cleared it and ask that it be agreed to.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote and to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3505

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send to the desk an amendment on behalf of Senator Bayh.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this amendment would make available up to $21.9 million for a project the Senator supports. We have cleared the amendment. I ask that it be agreed to.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Reed.

Mr. STEVENS. I thank my colleague for his kind words. Improving the already-high quality of training is one of the Committee's highest priorities and, of course, this includes the Navy's training and leadership programs. As the Navy seeks to determine the best system in order to facilitate this modernization, the Committee encourages the service to evaluate thoroughly the potential effectiveness of a `character-based, principle-centered program' designed to teach personnel how to efficiently focus and execute key priorities.

Mr. STEVENS. The Committee continues to express concern about the plight of Army families who must deal with extended deployments of a spouse or a parent. These continued deployments place a significant burden on the modern military family. I hope it will reassure the Senator, who is concerned about military families, as am I, that the Committee encourages the Department of the Army to evaluate different training programs which can assist families in this critical time of need.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this amendment would make available up to $2 million for a project the Senator supports. We have cleared the amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I state to the Senate that Senator Inouye and I have cleared the amendments presented to us. We have rejected several. We ask that Members come to the Senate floor and indicate if they intend to pursue the amendments they have suggested they might raise. We are currently clearing with leadership the time of 4 o'clock for the time Senator Byrd's amendment will come back. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send to the desk an amendment sponsored by Senators Biden, Lugar, Inouye, and myself.