J. Thurmond

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. After we vote on the Exon amendment, not now.

Mr. THURMOND. I move to table the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I yield back any time remaining, and I am going to move to table the Exon amendment.

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

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

Mr. THURMOND. I certainly want to accommodate anybody I can, but we gave the opposition 1\1/2\ hours. We only took 15 minutes. I object to any further extension of time.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield him 1 minute to express himself.

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

Mr. THURMOND. I yield 7 minutes to the distinguished Senator from Arizona.

Mr. THURMOND. I am informed Senator McCain is not going to offer an amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I yield 3 minutes to the able Senator from Georgia.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. I yield 7 minutes to the able Senator from Texas.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield Senator Kempthorne 10 minutes.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield 12 minutes to the able Senator from Nevada.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield 3 more minutes to the able Senator.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I yield the able Senator from New Mexico 5 minutes.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, we are ready to proceed now on this bill, and I believe the distinguished Senator from Nebraska desires at this time to take up the amendment. 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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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. President, I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I send to the desk the Thurmond-Domenici amendment and ask it be reported immediately.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise to support the prudent and reasonable attempt to plan for the resumption of treaty compliant hydronuclear testing, as contained in the Thurmond-Domenici amendments. Every weapons system, indeed every machine in our technological society, requires testing. Hydronuclear testing is the only tool left to assess our confidence in the safety and reliability of the shrinking U.S. nuclear stockpile. DOE testimony to the House states that the potential alternative to testing, science-based stewardship, is not guaranteed to work. If it does work, it will take 15 to 20 years to perfect. Given this risk, it is imprudent to give the sole remaining tool which can perform a reality check on the primary of a nuclear weapon in a dynamic environment. No other nation should feel threatened that we feel the need to keep our weapons safe and reliable. I urge the defeat of the Exon-Hatfield amendment and demonstrate a strong support for our Nation's nuclear deterrence. Mr. President, I yield the floor. Mr. DOLE addressed the Chair.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I have 2 minutes left.

Mr. THURMOND. I yield 10 minutes to the able Senator from Arizona.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I yield 20 minutes to the Senator from Nevada.

Mr. THURMOND. I thought I had to make my opening statement.