Ted Stevens

Mr. STEVENS

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we are trying to go back and forth here. Senator Warner has an amendment he would like to offer. After that, I understand Senator Lautenberg has an amendment to offer. At the moment, there is another Senator on the floor. I see that the current occupant of the chair might be interested in a comment he wishes to make about some Cubs. I asked him if they were little bears, but he said no. I yield 5 minutes of our time to the Senator from Illinois, if he would agree to that amount of time, to talk about the Cubs.

Mr. STEVENS. The current occupant of the chair may not consent to that.

Mr. STEVENS. That is right. I do not know if he is going to call up his amendment or just file it, but in any event, yes, we are prepared to do that.

Mr. STEVENS. Reserving the right to object, the Senator from New York also wants to do something.

Mr. STEVENS. We would have no objection to a statement about that very serious accident that happened in the Senator's State. It is my understanding it would be 5 minutes for Senator Durbin, 5 minutes for Senator Schumer, and then we return to Senator Warner. Following Senator Warner, we would go to Senator Lautenberg.

Mr. STEVENS. I would say to the Senator from Nevada, I have heard the current occupant of the chair talk about some of his experiences in baseball and one of these days we ought to convene the Senate and listen to him for a while.

Mr. STEVENS. There is some marvelous history we could learn from the Senator about baseball, but I am out of order.

Mr. STEVENS. Has the unanimous consent request been agreed to?

Mr. STEVENS. Followed by the Senator from New Jersey?

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 President I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 vote on or in relation to the Byrd amendment occur at 3 p.m., without any amendments being in order to the Byrd amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that following the Byrd amendment there be a vote on my motion to table the Lautenberg amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. That is all right with me. I thought we had a standing order that there are 2 minutes on either side.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that there be 2 minutes on either side.

Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that when we order a vote on this bill, there be 2 minutes of debate on either side on amendments prior to a vote.

Mr. STEVENS. Two minutes.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, we have the Warner amendment also. I would like to have scheduled for a vote following the Lautenberg amendment, the vote on the motion to table.

Mr. STEVENS. I will withdraw that. I thought there would be a necessity for a vote.

Mr. STEVENS. I have no objection to that. I ask unanimous consent that the second vote be a 10-minute vote.

Mr. STEVENS. The Warner amendment is still pending, is it not?

Mr. STEVENS. I ask it be scheduled for a vote. It may not require a vote or the yeas and nays, but I want to dispose of it now before the Lautenberg amendment.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I have amendments Nos. 1863, 1814, and 1855. The first amendment is by Senator McConnell, which I will send to the desk. The second is an amendment by Senator Leahy, No. 1814, as modified. The third is No. 1855 by Senator Harkin. I send them to the desk and ask that they be considered en bloc.

Mr. STEVENS. We rely on our staffs and they have been cleared.

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

Mr. STEVENS. If the Senator will yield to answer my question?

Mr. STEVENS. The Senator's amendment, if offered, is subject to a point of order. Haven't we been working on something now for 45 minutes which is not germane to this bill?