John Warner

Mr. WARNER

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

Mr. WARNER. That is correct. It is essential that Senator Levin and I be present with the Secretary.

Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess at the hour of 12:45 to accommodate the Secretary of Defense, who will be briefing us, and resume at 2:15.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I commend our distinguished colleague. This is a very important, innovative approach to one of the serious problems facing the world. I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor.

Mr. WARNER. Here we are.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I would like to say a few words about the underlying amendment. In the opinion of the Senator from Virginia, the amendment would make it more difficult for the President to impose sanctions on states that support terrorism. At present, the President must weigh the benefits of imposing sanctions against the costs of such sanctions, including costs to U.S. businesses that may be affected. Second, the amendment will introduce a new factor into this balance, weighing against the imposition of sanctions: the objections of foreign countries to the extension of U.S. sanctions laws to reach companies organized under their jurisdiction. European countries in particular have strenuously objected to U.S. actions they perceive to involve the extraterritorial application of U.S. law. Because the amendment leaves the President no discretion not to cover companies organized under the laws of other countries, and thus avoid such objections, the amendment introduces a new cost the President must overcome in any decision to use sanctions to fight terrorism. The amendment is unnecessary because existing law already provides the President the ability to prevent U.S. companies from evading U.S. sanctions through the use of foreign subsidiaries. Existing U.S. sanctions regulations prohibit actions by U.S. companies to evade or avoid U.S. sanctions. U.S. companies that create foreign subsidiaries for the purpose of evading U.S. sanctions laws may be prosecuted for such evasions. Existing U.S. sanctions regulations also prohibit U.S. companies from approving or facilitating actions by their foreign subsidiaries that would constitute violations of U.S. sanctions laws if undertaken by a U.S. company. Similarly, U.S. sanctions regulations prohibit any U.S. citizen employed by a foreign company from taking actions in violation of relevant U.S. sanctions. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Actually, it is at the desk. We could ask for its adoption, to meet your convenience. Mr. President, I offered an amendment yesterday. Somebody said it had been withdrawn.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, before the Senator leaves, I say to the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, we are prepared to accept, on both sides, the important amendment you had yesterday.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, we wish to restore the time the Senator asked for, but I want to say I share that about Senator Levin. Senator Levin and I and Senator Nunn were taught by some of the greatest teachers in the Senate, foremost the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, John Stennis, John Tower, Barry Goldwater, and Scoop Jackson. As I look back on my quarter of a century in the Senate, those were the teachers who set the course and speed of that committee, and the Senator from Michigan and I do our best to do that with the help of the Senator from West Virginia. We thank the Senator from West Virginia.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank our distinguished colleague. Senator Levin and I have had 26 years on that committee, and we work side by side for the highest degree of bipartisanship achievable. I want to say to all members of the committee--and the distinguished Senator from West Virginia knows this--this is the third hearing, and it has been 100-percent attendance, except for one individual who is out of town, in each of the hearings, showing the intensity of the subject, the solemnity of the proceeding. I believe all members of our committee, both sides, comported themselves in the finest traditions of the Senate, given the seriousness of this problem. I thank the Senator.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I understand the vote is set for 5:30.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think the Senator has his amendment.

Mr. WARNER. At this time, Mr. President, my colleague from Arizona is seeking recognition.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, my understanding is that the pending business is the Lautenberg amendment.

Mr. WARNER. We accept on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the distinguished Senator from Michigan, the ranking member on the committee, Mr. Levin, and I will momentarily process a number of agreed-upon amendments. So at this time, seeing no Senator seeking recognition, I will suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. WARNER. I offer an amendment on behalf of Senator Sessions to authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to authorize the exchange of land at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3214

Mr. WARNER. It has been cleared on this side. I urge its adoption.

Mr. WARNER. On behalf of Senators Domenici and Bingaman, I offer an amendment which clarifies how the Department of Energy, working with the contractor for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, will provide support for the Los Alamos public schools.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3169

Mr. WARNER. The amendment has support on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. WARNER

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