John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I say to my good friend from Rhode Island that this has been an issue he has expressed concern about for better than a year or more in the course of our hearings in the Armed Services Committee, where my colleague is a very valuable member. He also draws on his own experience as a distinguished West Point graduate and Army officer himself. He speaks against a background of experience and knowledge. Yes, the bill at the moment has a provision in it which gives the flexibility to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, and others to increase on a temporary basis--actually we go up to 30,000 if they need it, whereas the Senator from Rhode Island does 20,000. We will work this out tomorrow. But I express two concerns tonight, as we lay down the preliminary record. I pose this question to the Senator from Rhode Island. You do not provide in your amendment any means by which to pay for it; am I not correct?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment is cleared on both sides.

Mr. WARNER. Yes, I believe it is prudent that the Commission fully utilize the expertise that the Board on Science Technology and Economic Policy has developed in evaluating the trends of globalization and outsourcing on the industries you have just discussed.

Mr. WARNER. Will the Senator please describe this effort to me?

Mr. WARNER. Yes. This Commission will examine our national technology and industrial base as it pertains to the national security of the United States. The Commission will make important recommendations to ensure we maintain our technological leadership in a global economy.

Mr. WARNER. There is no objection, Mr. President.

Mr. WARNER. Of course, there will be no more votes tonight. We do anticipate a very active day tomorrow, and the leadership is in the process of working out the sequencing of events tomorrow.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the Senator from Connecticut wants to modify an amendment at the desk. I suggest he lead off. The Senator from Missouri wishes to speak for about 5 or 6 minutes, the Senator from Rhode Island for whatever time he may wish, 5 or 10 minutes, and then Senator Durbin also would like to speak. So, Mr. President, is that an order which is agreeable to my colleagues?

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. We will incorporate this at the conclusion tonight in a UC. I thank the Presiding Officer, and I thank Members. Senator Talent, also, will be recognized tonight to lay down his amendment. We will debate that and then look for a vote, if necessary, tomorrow. Any other Senators desiring to be heard on amendments? Now is a good time. If not, I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Two hours equally divided at a time mutually agreeable, followed by a vote.

Mr. WARNER. That is correct.

Mr. WARNER. We have Senator Reed tonight. We will accommodate Senator Durbin tomorrow with 30 minutes equally divided.

Mr. WARNER. We recognize when the votes are concluded, Senator Reed would lay down his amendment for discussion, we would then do cleared amendments, and that will conclude the actions on this bill for today. When the leadership decides on the opening of the Senate tomorrow, we have 30 minutes for morning business.

Mr. WARNER. We are making good progress on this bill. We have indications of at least four amendments that will be worked on, part this evening and part in the early morning, that could result in three to four votes. We would like to lead off following the established time for morning business, which I understand may be some 30 minutes, at approximately 10 o'clock with debate with the Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Dodd, 15 minutes on each side, followed by a rollcall vote. That would be followed thereafter by Senator Leahy. We are not certain exactly what time. That will require approximately 2 hours equally divided. We have the Bunning amendment which will be brought up tomorrow. And tonight we will lay down an amendment by Senator Reed on end strength. We will start that amendment tonight. There are colleagues on both sides who will want to address that tomorrow. We will order this evening the final order of these amendments in sequence. If there is any other Senator desiring to move forward with an amendment tomorrow, I urge that Senator to address my colleague or myself.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wonder if I could address the Senate with regard to the schedule.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that each of the next three votes be 10 minutes so we can return to the Defense bill.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Yes.

Mr. WARNER. Absolutely.

Mr. WARNER. If the Senator will yield, the Chair inquired as to the management of the time in opposition, and I ask unanimous consent that any Senator desiring to speak in opposition could speak for up to 10 minutes. If he or she desires additional time, we can seek an additional UC for another 10 minutes, and if a quorum is put in it will be charged equally to both sides.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Colorado and all others who participated in what I felt was one of the better debates we have had in some time on a very serious issue. I commend the Senator from Massachusetts and others for the manner in which we conducted the debate. Mr. President, I will now propound a unanimous consent request. I ask unanimous consent that the time from 2:15 to 3:40 be equally divided between the opponents and proponents of the Smith amendment No. 3183; provided further, that at 3:40, the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration en bloc of the following nominations: Virginia Hopkins, Ricardo Martinez, and Gene Pratter. I further ask unanimous consent that there be 20 minutes of debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, or their designees, and that at 4 o'clock today the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Smith amendment No. 3183, with no amendments in order to the amendment prior to the vote. I further ask that following that vote, the Senate then proceed to consecutive votes on the confirmation of Executive Calendar Nos. 563, 564, and 566, with 2 minutes of debate equally divided prior to each vote. I finally ask that following these votes, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. WARNER. Therefore, if it is agreeable with my colleague from Michigan, we will have a vote.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think we have had a very good debate. I thank colleagues on both sides of the aisle for participating in the debate this morning--the Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Inhofe; Senator Allard; the Senator from Texas; and many of us. While the vote had been scheduled for a little later to accommodate the needs of several Senators, I ask the desk to recognize that all time has been yielded.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous cosent that the order for the quroum call be dispensed with.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague. I think the observations of the Senator from Utah, Mr. Bennett, are important ones. I will work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to see if we cannot accept this amendment eventually because it, in all likelihood, clarifies the language that I put in the bill last year. I think the amendment helps to clarify the intent of the language last year, which in its verbiage requires a specific authorization by Congress to proceed with the engineering development phase or subsequent phase of the robust nuclear earth penetrator and, in my view, that includes a full-scale underground nuclear test on the robust nuclear earth penetrator if such test, in the judgment of the technical community, is deemed necessary. So I think the amendment can be helpful, and I will work with my distinguished colleagues on the other side, most specifically the ranking member, Senator Levin, to see whether we can adopt it. I thank my colleague.