John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. I think we are all prepared to yield back time.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, all Senators recognize that we are drawing to a conclusion this session of Congress. We have had an excellent debate. I urge Senators to support my motion to waive. Were this to fail and the Budget Act is not waived, the entire Defense authorization conference report will fail. Conferees will have to be appointed for a new conference. The Senate will appoint conferees and send the bill back to the House. The House will appoint conferees and a new conference will have to be convened. A new conference report will then have to be passed by both the House and the Senate. We will have opportunities next year to readdress this problem. I close by saying, with all due respect to my dear friend from Nebraska, this is the living proof which says for the rest of your life, if you serve a minimum of 20 years active Federal service, you earn your retirement. That is a commitment that has been made by this Nation since World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and continues to be made today. Now it is the obligation of the Senate to confirm the credibility of this country and to give to these people what they have earned rightly. I yield back my time. Have the yeas and nays been ordered?

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table.

Mr. WARNER. The Senate understands these HRSCs are not to be replaced by the new benefits center to be established in Cutler, Maine. Instead, the new Navy Benefits Center will complement the services performed by the eight HRSCs. The conferences believe that the new U.S. Navy Benefits Center will add a new capability which supplements the resources inherent in the existing HRSCs. That is, the new center will not replace the eight existing Navy HRSCs but will enhance efforts to provide information to civilian employees of the Navy. I also want to bring to the attention of my colleagues that there is an error in the Conference Report tables. Three million dollars for this initiative should have been authorized to match the appropriations provided in the fiscal year 2001 DoD Appropriations Conference Report. I have been in contact with the Chief of Naval Operations this afternoon. I have his assurance that the Navy will execute this program as we intended.

Mr. WARNER. I agree with Senator Harkin and the distinguished ranking member, and I too am committed to ensuring the Defense Department implements this provision to protect all workers including those of contractors.

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

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

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I cannot think of a stronger message that we as a body of the U.S. Government--the legislative body--can send to the men and women of the armed services in this hour of need throughout the uniform ranks, the reserve ranks, and the Guard ranks than this strong vote. It is a salute to each and every one of them. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague. I know he would wish to share, with me, such credit for this legislation with all members on both sides of the aisle of the Armed Services Committee. We have a great team.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I would like to also make reference to the remarks of my colleague from Virginia. He and I have a very special responsibility in this tragedy. We will undoubtedly, working together on that, do what we can on behalf of the families, particularly, in this instance.

Mr. WARNER. The Senator is aware of the availability at 6 o'clock of the briefing on this matter?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to waive the relevant provisions of the Budget Act with respect to the conference report to accompany H.R. 4205, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. WARNER. That is correct. For those who are following this, you will make a point of order, at which time I will seek recognition to have that point of order waived.

Mr. WARNER. We will have the opportunity, Mr. President, to have a few words on that subject.

Mr. WARNER. I know he has been patient, but this is important. It will be put in the Record. I shall probably not take more than 3 or 4 minutes.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed, as the manager, on my time, to address this issue for such time as I believe may be necessary.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, may I express to my colleague my respect for his acknowledging the fact that my judgment was predicated on sound facts.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the annual Armed Forces bill should really become almost an omnibus bill because so many amendments can be attached under the rules of the Senate, which I support. I do not criticize any Member exercising his or her rights under the rules of the Senate to put on bills, subject to a vote, such legislation as they deem appropriate. There are other rules that preclude that in certain areas, but in this instance we had a freestanding, amendable piece of legislation on the floor. Senator Kennedy courteously informed me, the ranking member, and others that he was going to raise the issue of what is generically referred to as the hate crimes legislation. Senator Hatch likewise said he had a version and he was going to put it before the Senate. Both Senators brought those bills. Both bills passed. Both bills went to conference as a part of the Senate bill. My decision, as chairman of the conference, was made to drop those pieces of legislation--both of them; Senator Kennedy's bill, Senator Hatch's bill--because I looked upon it as my duty to get this bill passed and enacted into law. That is my principal responsibility as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, working with my ranking member and other members of the committee. I have been here 22 years. I understand Senators quite well. I respect their rights, and I know when they speak with sincerity. I was advised, not by one, not by two, but by many Senators on both sides of this issue, of the gravity of the issue and the seriousness of the issue. It was made clear to me that if this legislation--either Senator Kennedy's bill or Senator Hatch's bill--were left in the conference report, in all likelihood we would have a series of filibusters. And given the very short period of time which is remaining in this session--even though we have been active as a committee and got the bill timely to the Senate; even though we were on the floor for weeks intermittently, having to have it laid aside--we are here in the final hours of this session of this Congress. If we do not act on this bill tonight, and if we do not pass this bill tonight, it is questionable whether the leadership will find additional time for consideration. And, as we say, it may be that pieces of it would be put into some appropriations bills or a CR or something--some parts--but much of it could well be lost, unless this conference report is enacted. So I made the decision. I take full responsibility for the decision of urging the conferees to drop this legislation. My distinguished colleague, the ranking member of the committee, I presume, will address the Senate in a moment on this point. Exercising his rights in a very courteous way, he said he wished for me to convene the full Committee on Armed Services and have a vote: That we did. By a narrow margin, my recommendation was sustained by the full committee, I might add, in a bipartisan exchange of votes. So that is the history as to why this legislation was dropped, I say to my colleague from Minnesota. I take responsibility. I believed it was necessary that this bill should be passed. On this day when the world is in such a tragic situation, whether it is the violence in the Middle East or the attack on an American ship, all of America expects Congress to do its duty on behalf of the men and women of the Armed Forces, and this is the most important piece of legislation done every year. So I do not regret for a minute the decision I had to make in the face of representations, fairly and honestly made to me, by colleagues on both sides, as to the tactics that would be used if this bill would be brought up in a conference report before the Senate with either pieces of that legislation contained in the bill. I yield the floor. Mr. LEVIN addressed the Chair.

Mr. WARNER. I thank my colleague. I only say to him, the fervor with which he addresses issues and pursues his goals in the Senate for this cause, be it hate crimes in favor, I think he will recognize that that same fervor is matched by others who have a different point of view very often. Therein lies the issue which I had to take responsibility to resolve, and this bill was of paramount interest to anything else before the Senate. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. At an appropriate time, I would like to give to my distinguished friend and colleague from Minnesota, and also to inform the Senate precisely, my role as chairman of the conference and what I did in that context. So at the appropriate time, I would like to do that. And perhaps the Senator would like to make a reply to what I have to say. Indeed, perhaps my distinguished friend and colleague, the ranking member, would like to make a comment. But I think that should be made a part of the Record.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, as chairman of the committee, I thank the Senator from Alabama for his service on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has only recently joined the committee. But his voice and his wisdom are brought to bear on many key issues. His attendance at the hearings is among the highest. I thank him for the time that he has been working for our committee. We very much value his judgment and his wisdom as we deal with these tough issues.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I would be happy to yield to my colleague, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction. At this time, may I say, Mr. Chairman, it is essential that the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and most specifically the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and, indeed, our two ranking members-- Senator Byrd, is on the Armed Services Committee, as well as the Appropriations Committee--our ability to work together as a team is essential. In my many years on their committee, I can recall where the relationships between the chairman and the various committees was somewhat strained. I say to Senator Stevens that he has been an exemplary and wonderful working partner on our two bills in tandem on behalf of the men and women of the Armed Forces. I thank him.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I yield all of my time, or such time as our distinguished colleague and a very valuable member of the Armed Services Committee may wish to take

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. I ask consent that at 10 a.m. on Friday the Senate turn to the conference report to accompany H.R. 4461, the Agriculture appropriations bill, and it be considered under the following agreement, equally divided in the usual form. I further ask consent that the debate continue beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and proceed throughout the day. I ask consent that the vote occur on adoption of the Agriculture conference report at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday and that paragraph 4 of rule XII be waived and the time between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday be equally divided in the usual form, and, finally, 45 minutes of the minority time be under the control of Senator Harkin.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent that Patricia Lewis of the Senate Armed Services Committee be granted privileges of the floor during consideration of the conference report accompanying H.R. 4205.