J. Thurmond

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, how much time is left?

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, first, I want to commend the able Senator from New Hampshire for the excellent remarks he has made on this subject. He has made a very emphatic case for our side. I am very proud that he has done that today. Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the Senator from New Mexico. A similar variation of the amendment was offered in the committee during markup and it was not accepted. The Congress has authorized and/or appropriated funds for the kinetic energy antisatellite technology program since 1985. For the past 3 years the administration has not complied with the law and obligated the funds for the program. Every year, as a result, we have to take actions to force the Department to comply with legislation to compel them to obligate the funds for this particular program. Mr. President, the Under Secretary of Defense for Space, Bob Davis, has stated on many occasions that there is a need to develop systems to counter the space threat. The Congress has supported the kinetic energy antisatellite technologies for that purposes, as well as other technologies which are not ready for production or are years away from deployment. The KE-ASAT program is the only near-term program to meet a potential enemy satellite threat. The U.S military relies on space for surveillance, communications, navigation, and attack warning. It is important for the United States to ensure its freedom to use space. If our adversaries achieve the ability to control space and the United States does not have the capability to turn this around, we will lose our military advantage. Mr. President, I, again, oppose the amendment offered by the Senator from New Mexico and I urge my colleagues to vote against it. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a memorandum for Robert T. Howard, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Budget by Jay M. Garner, Lieutenant General, USA, commanding, be printed in the Record.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, Senator McCain and I usually are on the same side, but in this particular case we are on opposite sides. I rise to oppose Senator McCain's amendment to strike the funding for $598 million for military construction projects added to the defense authorization bill during the Armed Services Committee markup. Senator McCain has been persistent trying to eliminate defense spending that he believes is unnecessary and I applaud him for his persistence. Mr. President, we have screened the projects that Senator McCain is attempting to strike with the Department of Defense. They all meet the criteria that both Senator McCain and Senator Glenn worked so diligently to set up. For the benefit of all Members that criteria are as follows: Is the project in the future year defense plan? Can construction on the project begin in fiscal year 1997? Is the project mission essential or a quality of life issue? And, is the project consistent with base closure action? The committee received requests from 62 members for construction projects totaling more than $1.6 billion. Of the projects requested, $730 million met the committee's criteria. However, because of the funding priorities, the committee agreed to fund only the highest priorities and those that would contribute to readiness and to the quality of life of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Mr. President, I want to point out that more than $200 million of the $700 million is dedicated to quality of life improvement projects such as barracks and family housing. Another $170 million is dedicated to training and readiness facilities. These are projects that the administration could not fund because it chose to reduce the military construction budget by almost $1.5 billion below the amount requested in fiscal year 1996. Finally, I want to address the comment in the statement of administration policy regarding this bill. The administration states that projects for $95 million are not in the services long-range plans. It included such facilities as the troop barracks in Germany and the family housing construction in England. These projects that amount to more than $25 million were among the highest priorities on the list of unfunded projects submitted by services. The remaining projects were equally justified. Mr. President, the $700 million added by the committee are justified and are in the best interest of our national security. I urge the Senate to support the committee and vote against the McCain amendment. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to thank the able Senator from Arkansas for taking the position he has. I will now proceed to make the request. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time on the Murray amendment, relating to abortions at military hospitals, be limited to 2 hours, equally divided in the usual form, and 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. I have no objection.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield the remainder of the time to the able Senator from New Hampshire, and I ask unanimous consent that 2 additional minutes be allowed the Senator from New Hampshire.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise to oppose this amendment. Last year, in both the National Defense Authorization Act and the Defense appropriations bill, the Congress spoke on this issue. Both of these bills included a prohibition on performing abortions in military hospitals and clinics overseas except in cases of rape, incest, and where the life of the mother is at risk. The President signed both of these bills. Now, Senator Murray is proposing that we repeal the law enacted last year. I would suggest that more debate on abortion within the Senate is not going to change any Senator's vote. I hope we can agree to limit the discussion and vote. I just want to say this. There is a question here whether you are going to have abortions wide open for any purpose, any time, any place, or you are only going to have them in cases of rape, incest, and where the life of the mother is at risk. That is the issue here. I think Senators ought to understand it. If you want to preserve life except in cases of rape, incest, and where the life of the mother is at risk, then you oppose the amendment of the Senator from Washington. But if you favor wide open abortions, as I said, at any time, any place, for any purpose, then, of course, you support her in this amendment. Mr. President, I oppose the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I suggest we now proceed to debate. Mr. COATS addressed the Chair.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I suggest we begin debate on this amendment.

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. THURMOND. Mr. President, may I make an inquiry? Am I listed on that bill as cosponsor? I just want to find out.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, may I make an inquiry? Am I listed on that bill as cosponsor? I just want to find out.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise to support the sense-of-the- Senate resolution offered by the distinguished Senator from Minnesota, Senator Grams. Judging from the number of cosponsors, this resolution has broad bipartisan support. I would also like to associate myself with the Senator's remarks, particularly with his point that the White House has become a powerful symbol of freedom, openness, and citizens' access to their Government. This resolution informs the President that the Senate believes the Department of the Treasury and the Secret Service should develop a plan to reopen Pennsylvania Avenue. I commend the Senator for his leadership in this matter.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I want to again compliment Senator Kyl for his detailed explanation of his amendment. This is a sound provision. It enhances the President's authority to ensure that the Nation maintains the capability to maintain a ready and safe nuclear stockpile. I do not understand the other side's reluctance to debate this amendment and agree to a time limit. Again, I urge Members to come to the floor and let us go forward and make progress on this bill. Mr. GRAMS addressed the Chair.

Mr. THURMOND. Certainly. Amendment No. 4049

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, we have been waiting here now a long time to act on these amendments. Again, I want to tell the Senators, if they have amendments, to come forward with them. I want to inform all Senators that I intend soon to ask unanimous consent that only amendments that have been offered will be in order on this bill. So it is important for them to come forward and offer their amendments, otherwise, they may not be considered. I urge all Senators who have amendments to come to the floor and offer them now--I repeat--now, not later. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with.

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. THURMOND. We can accept the amendment on our side.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I just want to say that we are sitting here waiting and doing nothing. Why? Because those who have amendments are not coming forward to present them. We are wasting the Government's time. We are wasting the Senate's time. Why do those who have amendments not come forward? I urge those who have amendments--hotline both sides and tell them anybody who has amendments to bring them. We want to get through this bill. We are supposed to finish this bill tonight. We may have to go until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. Let us get going now and finish this bill. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. THURMOND

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

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, how much remains?