John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, will the Senator from Massachusetts yield?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the Senator from Massachusetts has been on this committee for more than two decades, and there is no one who works harder and more diligently. I wish there were more programs on which we had a concurrence of philosophy and policy, but nevertheless I say to the Senator, you are a very prodigious worker.

Mr. WARNER. No objection.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, over 180 amendments.

Mr. WARNER. Well, where have you been?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, at this juncture, I think the Senator from Michigan and I might commend our staffs for doing a lot of diligent work through a good part of the weekend to achieve this package of amendments. I think this adds up to about 180 amendments we have done now. So much of that work is done by our magnificent professional staff, many of whom have been on the Armed Services Committee for numbers of years.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I wish to associate myself with the remarks of our colleague and Senator Sessions, the ranking member. I can remember the days on the authorization bill when we would spend a week or more on the one issue, missile defense. I think both sides have pretty well reconciled that the present posture of the program is about where it should be.

Mr. WARNER. No objection.

Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I very much value the friendship and the working relationship we have had together. It would be interesting if somebody wanted to try to look at records. I suppose since this is our 29th bill we have worked on, that might be a bit of a record. But I think also both of us have been chairman three times. That might be a bit of a record too. But I say to the Senator from Michigan, I give you a most sincere and warm congratulations for your achieving this bill. This is the 19th day the bill was on the floor, and our good friend, the ranking member, was on the floor many of those days. He has called in each day to our distinguished chief of staff, Mike Kostiw, and has talked with me and other members of the staff. So he is very much hands on. But I think we probably got through with a little less contention this time than in years past. I think that reflects a lot of credit on the distinguished chairman and the distinguished ranking member and the wonderful staff and very active membership by each and every one of the, as you say, 25 members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We work well together as a team. People are very proud to be on this committee. They believe they are serving a most noble cause; that is, the men and women of the Armed Forces, and their families, who tonight are on two battlefronts and, indeed, in many other places of personal danger throughout the world, for the sole purpose of guarding freedom and, most importantly, the freedom we have here at home. So I thank the chairman. I thank all who made it possible, and say, also, how well our two staffs worked together in a bipartisan way to achieve, as you say, a consensus on almost 200 of those amendments. So I think we have done our job, I say to the Senator. It is at a critical time in the course of our country. Again, I wish the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families only the best. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, my chairman has overlooked a minor item.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the distinguished chairman, Senator Levin, and I are prepared to go forward with any amendments. We are anxious to have Members bring those amendments to the floor. At this time, I see one of my colleagues seeking recognition. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, Senator Reed and I have talked with our colleague Senator Sanders. He has two very laudable amendments. It is our hope we can work through these amendments, but they do relate to the responsibilities of other committees of the Senate, primarily the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Appropriations Committee. I think we have agreed that our distinguished colleague from Vermont would have an opportunity this morning to discuss these amendments to make a case in the Congressional Record for use by many on Monday as we further assess the amendments should they actually be brought up before the body and acted upon. I would ask Senator Reed if that is a fair appraisal of the situation?

Mr. WARNER. Is that agreeable to the Senator from Vermont?

Mr. WARNER. So the status on the floor is the Defense bill is pending and there is an amendment at this time, and there is no request at this time to set aside that pending amendment. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, can we determine from the Presiding Officer the pending matters? Are we in morning business?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I object on behalf of Senator Coburn, who was unable to be here today. I understand he has spoken to the colleagues enumerated in this request and they are aware of the basis for his objection. So, for the moment, I object.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if I might add, on our most recent trip visiting Iraq, you went out of your way--as a matter of fact, I joined you--in not only meeting with representatives of these Christian minorities who had been persecuted through the years, but then we included a trip into Jordan, where we also made some assessment of the refugee situation over there. I think some credit goes to our chairman for his personal initiatives.

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

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Has the Chair formally ruled on the nominations?

Mr. WARNER. And the President will be so notified?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague and long-time friend of 29 years, standing here together with the Defense bill. It was important in this case. On Monday, the current Chief of Naval Operations, a man of great distinction, Admiral Mullen, as we say in the Navy, lowered his flag as Chief of Naval Operations and becomes the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I felt it imperative there not be a moment's gap in the Navy for the new Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Roughead, who is in this group of nominations confirmed by the Senate, and that he be in position to assume the full responsibilities as soon as he is able to take the oath of office. I thank my good friend. I thank him kindly for his personal mention. I have had a long association with the U.S. Navy. I have learned more from them than they have ever learned from me, beginning as a young sailor a half century ago. I feel a strong obligation toward all men and women in the Armed Forces, as does my distinguished chairman, but there is something very special about the U.S. Navy. I was privileged for 5 years to serve as Under Secretary and Secretary many years ago. So there will not be a gap. I thank my chairman for making that possible and allowing me to go forward with this nomination.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Interesting, but it is important we constantly reiterate the message there is no military solution. As you well know in all the hearings of the Armed Services Committee, every uniformed officer has told us that straightforwardly. They are carrying out their orders from the President, but they are reminding us, the Congress and others, there is no military solution. The solution has to come by reconciliation amongst the Iraqi people, and it is incumbent among the current leadership to exercise their sovereign rights to do so. I think we have generously taken up the time of our colleague.

Mr. WARNER. If I might ask my colleague, I think it is the intention of the leadership that this bill--I believe it is in the order--will be brought up again on Monday, with the hope and expectation that we will complete the bill during the course of business on Monday.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if I might add, earlier I had the opportunity, as did the chairman, to speak to Senator Akaka. Admiral Roughead served with great distinction in an assignment in Hawaii and is personally known to the distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Mr. Akaka. Mr. President, I yield the floor.