J. Thurmond

Mr. THURMOND

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the Thurmond-Nunn amendment would cut $1.7 billion. We are asking for the same amount here to be cut as the Budget Committee has found. Senator Domenici recommended this amount in his committee, $1.7 billion, and we advocate cutting $1.7 billion out of this bill. That is our amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the Exon amendment would cut $4 billion. That is no little amount of money. That is a lot of money--a $4 billion cut out of our defense. The military chiefs say we need to modernize. We especially need to do more procurement, more ships, more planes, modern weapons, and tanks. How can we do it if you are going to go and cut defense now below what is recommended? We cannot afford this. I would ask that this amendment be voted against, and at this time I will now yield to the ranking member.

Mr. THURMOND. Senator Exon is here now. Mr. EXON addressed the Chair.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I understand the time is yielded on both sides on this amendment. Amendment No. 4345

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the Senator from Idaho started to say something.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I would like to commend the able Senator from Idaho for his excellent remarks on this amendment. The Senator from Idaho is a valuable member of the Armed Services Committee. I just want to thank him, too, for the contribution that he makes on that committee and to our national defense. Mr. President, I do not know of anyone else who wishes to speak on this amendment. If not, I would suggest that we yield the time that is left for both sides.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I suggest we yield back the time, and we will do so on our side.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, this amendment recognizes that the Defense authorization bill is currently $1.7 billion over the amounts provided for in the concurrent budget resolution for fiscal year 1997, and reduces the spending authorizations in this bill to comply with the budget resolution. Mr. President, the committee finished its markup of the Defense authorization bill prior to the budget resolution being resolved and even before the Senate version was passed. This amendment reduces the spending amounts authorized in this bill to be in compliance with the fiscal year 1997 budget resolution. It is a simple amendment. Senator Nunn and I ask for our colleagues' support. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, for approximately the last 7 weeks, the Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence have been engaged in negotiations in an attempt to settle differences between the two committees on a range of intelligence reform measures in both the Defense authorization bill and the Intelligence authorization bill. I am pleased to report that most of our differences have been worked out. With regard to the Defense authorization bill, all our areas of difference have been completely settled. Mr. President, on May 13, 1996, S. 1745, the Defense authorization bill, was referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence on sequential referral. This unprecedented action has delayed consideration of the Defense authorization bill and, in my view, made it more difficult to work out sound compromises in a timely manner. Although I have been clear and consistent in expressing my willingness to negotiate, I have made it equally clear that I would not be coerced into accepting bad compromises simply because the Defense authorization bill had been taken hostage. The Intelligence Committee reported S. 1745 out of committee on June 11, 1996, with a series of proposed amendments. With three relatively minor exceptions, I support the Intelligence Committee's amendments. With regard to the three areas where I do not agree with the Intelligence Committee's amendments, we have nonetheless worked out agreements. It is my intention to offer three perfecting amendments to the package of Intelligence Committee amendments. These have been cleared with the Intelligence Committee. Overall, therefore, I believe that we have an acceptable agreement. Let me briefly describe the three areas that are the subject of the amendment that I will offer along with Senator Nunn. The Intelligence Committee amendment would strike several sections from the Defense authorization bill that do not relate directly to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. It also would insert a new section 906 relating to the role of the Director of Central Intelligence in the appointment and evaluation of the heads of certain intelligence agencies within the Department of Defense. With one exception, I do not oppose these changes. The amendment offered by myself and Senator Nunn would modify the Intelligence Committee language having to do with performance evaluations. In my view the Director of Central Intelligence should not be in the business of writing performance evaluations for the heads of defense agencies. The DCI himself has confirmed that this would be inappropriate. The alternative that Senator Nunn and I have offered would allow the DCI to provide input for consideration by the Secretary of Defense in preparation for his annual evaluations of the Defense Department intelligence agency heads. This would make it clear that the authority to write such evaluations resides with the Secretary of Defense, but that the views of the DCI must be taken into account. The amendment offered by the Intelligence Committee makes a number of changes to the Armed Services Committee's reported legislation establishing the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. For the most part, these changes are the product of agreements that we have reached with the Select Committee over the last few weeks, with two exceptions. I will briefly describe these areas and the changes that the Thurmond/ Nunn amendment will make. First, the Intelligence Committee would strike the reference in the establishment clause to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency being a combat support agency. Since there are ambiguities regarding this issue in title 10 of the United States Code, and since the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have insisted on NIMA being a combat support agency, the amendment that I am offering with Senator Nunn will restore the language on combat support to the establishment clause. Our amendment would also clarify that the new agency will also have ``significant national missions'' to make absolutely clear that it serves more than tactical military operations. Second, the Intelligence Committee proposes a waiver of the cap on three star general officers for the director of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, if the director is a military officer. The Armed Services Committee has a long standing position in opposition to providing waivers to this cap for defense agency heads. Senator Nunn and I simply propose to eliminate this waiver, while leaving the Intelligence Committee's language regarding the director otherwise unchanged. Mr. President, given that the amendment offered by Senator Nunn and myself is agreed to between the two committees, it would be my recommendation that the Intelligence Committee amendment, as modified also be adopted. I believe that Senator Nunn and I have proposed reasonable and justifiable adjustments to the Intelligence Committee amendment. It is my intention to oppose any effort to undermine the agreements that have been reached between the two committees, either on the floor or in conference.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Thank you very much for your comments regarding this initiative. We included this provision because of concerns about how this reengineering proposal would cause a major restructuring of the moving industry. As you know, the majority of movers in the communities near our military bases are small businesses. My primary goal is to improve the quality of service that service members and their families receive when they move.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I second.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Yes, we do.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I have no objection.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield the Senator such time as he may require.

Mr. THURMOND. I now yield the able Senator from Georgia such time as he may require.

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

Mr. THURMOND. I believe Senator Nunn wants to speak against this amendment, so I suggest the absence of a quorum, Mr. President, and ask that the time not be charged to either side.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, we have several amendments we are going to take up. I suggest we complete debate on this amendment and set it aside and stack the votes, if that is agreeable with the Senator.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as may be required.

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time on this amendment be limited to 1 hour equally divided in the usual form, that no amendments be in order, and that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on or in relation to the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 26, 1996, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until business is completed, to hold a hearing on FEC reauthorization, oversight, and campaign finance reform.