John Warner

Mr. WARNER

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

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I note that will bring us very close, if not precisely, to the hour of 7 o'clock, at which time the managers represented to the leadership and other Senators that two back-to-back votes would commence.

Mr. WARNER. I yield back our time.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I join my colleague. Again, it was carefully considered by the committee. It has very fundamental objectives: competition, fairness, and to get quality. Mr. President, I am anxious to complete this amendment. I believe the Senator from Texas has finished his presentation?

Mr. WARNER. If the Senator will yield, I am holding this draft amendment. You are referring to two paragraphs, and it appears to me that the first paragraph is the title; am I correct? I find that inconsistent with what I believe was paragraph 2. The first paragraph is the title, and there is really only one paragraph in the body of the amendment.

Mr. WARNER. We certainly can accede to that. It is a perfectly reasonable request. I think my colleague and I will be just about ready to yield back the balance of our time. Then we will turn to the amendment by the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania. The first order of business will be for him to amend the amendment that is at the desk. Then we will complete the debate on that, and we should meet the target of about 7:00 to have two stacked votes.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, to amend it for a downed flier--we just witnessed ground troops being caught, and they have now been released. I would be careful in the redrafting and not just to stick to a downed flier. That is just helpful advice.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I will speak in opposition to the amendment. But I don't wish to interfere with the presentation of the Senator. At such time, perhaps, when I could start by propounding a few questions to my colleague and friend, would he indicate when he feels he has finished his presentation of the amendment?

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. It is very well that the Senate may forward a letter that puts this matter to rest and, most importantly, clarifies in the minds of our other allies, the other 18 nations, exactly what this document is intended to say from the standpoint of America, which, I point out time and time again, contributes 25 percent of the cost to the NATO operations.

Mr. WARNER. The Senator points out that the letter was sent to me-- correct--in response to a letter that I forwarded to the President. That is in last night's Record. First, we welcome the Senator's support on this. But I think he would agree with me that that letter was written at the time when the language was still being worked, and of course it predates the final language as adopted by the 50th anniversary summit. That language is the object of this, I think, very credible inquiry by Mr. Roberts, myself, and others.

Mr. WARNER. Would the Senator yield?

Mr. WARNER. I say, as a courtesy to my good friend and others who have sponsored this, we will not, of course, move to table.

Mr. WARNER. The Chair has ordered the yeas and nays?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the admirals the Senator enumerated were ones I had the pleasure of knowing, serving with several, and for whom I have a great deal of respect. But I note the absence of any similar number of Army generals coming forward on behalf of General Short. Perhaps the Senator has something in the Record. But I think that silence speaks to authenticate the position that this Senator and others have taken. To the very strong, forceful statement of my colleague who said it is implicit that all responsibility for this tragedy is assigned to these two individuals, that is not correct. The Dorn report said it is to be shared. In fact, General Marshall stepped forward with courage and accepted publicly, at the very time this was being examined, his share of responsibility. So I say others, indeed, General Marshall and others, stepped forward. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. WARNER. We are happy to be of accommodation. Would the Senator urge the adoption of the two amendments?

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. amendment no. 380

Mr. WARNER. All right. Mr. LEVIN addressed the Chair.

Mr. WARNER. Have the yeas and nays been ordered on that amendment?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am not objecting, but I think we should just simply say that at 1, at which time the 30 minutes expires, the Senate will stand in recess until the first vote, which is scheduled for 2:15.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I have no agreement, but let's make it very clear that we will now begin to address amendment No. 382. As soon as that debate is concluded, the Senate will stand in recess until the hour of 2:15, when the first vote is to take place, and there would be no intervening business transacted.

Mr. WARNER. I am prepared to accommodate the Senator. What about the hour of 4 today? You have 30 minutes.

Mr. WARNER. We would be glad to do that and make it a part of the unanimous consent request which we are jointly propounding, Mr. Levin and myself. Is that agreeable?

Mr. WARNER. We just added, 4 to 4:20, this colleague may speak on the bill. Mr. President, I am happy to restate it, but I think the Chair is----

Mr. WARNER. I thank the Chair.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask for 2 minutes.