John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the Senator from Massachusetts is correct. The group that has consulted with the committee staff was the senior enlisted ranks. The problem rests in the senior enlisted ranks, the warrant officer ranks. That is where the targeted money was applied. We will look at it further in conference. I thank the Senator.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if I might join my distinguished colleague from Michigan, it has been a privilege for me, as it has for these 28 years we have been together, to work as partners and in many respects equals. He has been chairman of the committee. I have been chairman of the committee. We have both occupied positions of chairman and ranking member in these many years that we have been fortunate to serve on this committee together, and we have a very outstanding group of colleagues who are members of the committee. I thank my good friend for these many years. I am very proud, as he is, of this piece of legislation, which at this critical juncture in our Nation's history, with our forces serving in over 60 Nation across the world, and their families here at home are with them, we have them in mind at all times and, indeed, a very significant group of Civil Service employees who likewise are serving our Nation in their capacities with the Department of Defense and other departments and agencies related to our national security. Senator Levin mentioned particularly our senior staff, our full staff, as a matter of fact. In many ways, some of the juniors work harder than seniors some days, but I won't get into that. I best leave that to my able staff director, Charlie Abell, as you leave that to your staff director. But we are fortunate to have these two staff directors and these magnificent staffs. They really are professional staffs. The appointment of our staff, I don't even recall inquiring as to the political affiliation of so many of these individuals that I have had the privilege of working with these many years in the Senate. But indeed, they do work long hours. Their reward is not the pay. Their reward is a sense of satisfaction, as it is for you and me and members of our committee and, indeed, the Members of the Senate, of what we are trying to do on behalf of the uniformed men and women of the Armed Forces and their families and their civilian counterparts. I thank my distinguished colleague. I ask unanimous consent that S. 2766, as amended, be printed as passed.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed immediately to the consideration en bloc of S. 2767 through S. 2769, Calendar Order Nos. 427, 428, and 429, that all after the enacting clause of those bills be stricken and that the appropriate portion of S. 2766, as amended, be inserted in lieu thereof, according to the schedule which I am sending to the desk; that these bills be advanced to third reading and passed, the motion to reconsider en bloc be laid upon the table, and that the above actions occur without intervening action or debate.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, with respect to H.R. 5122, Calendar Order No. 431, the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate turn to its immediate consideration, that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the text of S. 2766, as passed, be submitted in lieu thereof, that the bill be advanced to third reading and passed, and that the Senate insist on its amendment to the bill and agree to or request a conference, as appropriate, with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees; that the motion to reconsider the above-mentioned votes be laid upon the table; and that the foregoing occur without intervening action or debate.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, with respect to S. 2766 and 2767, 2768, and 2769, just passed by the Senate, that if the Senate receives a message with respect to any of these bills from the House of Representatives, the Senate disagree with the House on its amendment or amendments to the Senate-passed bill and agree to or request a conference, as appropriate, with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees; and that the foregoing occur without intervening action or debate.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I again thank all of our colleagues in the Chamber, the floor staff, and so many others, indeed our new group of pages, indeed, the distinguished professional staff who are at the dais this moment, none of them looking at me or paying any attention to what I say, may I express my profound appreciation to them and to the many reporters who come silently, do their work and disappear with equal silence, unnoticed, but who provide this great body with a flawless record of accuracy. I thank each and every one. If there is no other Senator seeking recognition, I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank our colleague from Missouri. He worked very diligently on this amendment. It is another example of how we must reach down from time to time and provide a caring hand for particularly those young men and women in uniform today who, unfortunately, can be victimized because of their individual needs and requirements at a special time. I believe this amendment will go a long way to remedy that situation. I congratulate the Senator for his hard work.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. I thank you, Senator. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, at the end of this long day and the conclusion of this Armed Services bill, I thank my colleague. I recognize that under the rules of our caucus I have done my 6 years, and I step down.

Mr. WARNER. I shall always remember you as my teacher in the past, my teacher today, and my teacher so long as the good Lord keeps us here together.

Mr. WARNER. Anyway, I accept that, as we accept other things in life. But the rewards of this institution and service in the Senate are many fold, but none is coveted or desired more than the thoughts and indeed the praise of our fellow colleagues with whom we serve. I counted up the other day my record--as you say, in the 28th year-- which pales in comparison to yours. Senator Levin and I have been here these years together, and my calculation is that we have served with 241 Senators in this period of almost 28 years. And I remember--I thought of it last night, Senator Byrd, when I was debating--I think it was close to 11 o'clock--with Senator Kerry. We had the old-fashioned debate with questions and answers, back and forth together. But when I first came and you were the majority leader, the Halls of this Chamber were literally trembling with the thunder of the debates of Ted Kennedy, Lowell Weicker, Bob Dole. And you were not sparing in the thunder that you have expressed from time to time; not in angst or anger but with thunder as to your convictions. My good friend, Senator Levin, we are perhaps a little more modest than those such as Strom Thurmond, and we could go on and name those individuals, back when we did a great deal more debate than we do now in the Senate.

Mr. WARNER. But the thoughtful remarks that Senator Byrd give me on this very special day in my humble career in this institution are deeply appreciated by me, by my mother and father who are no longer with me, but they would be grateful, as will be my children when I have the privilege of showing them what the Senator has said. I remember the trips that we have been on. Senator Byrd took the first group of Senators to meet Gorbachev when he was elevated in the Soviet Union. But I suppose the trip I remember the most was an official trip that we took to Italy, and Senator Byrd took myself and one or two others down, and we saw the Roman forum. It was a hot day, and I remember we paused and he recounted the history of those ruins that stood there, and how so much of the origins of the Senate are derived from that particular chapter of history. I recall that Senator Byrd--he may not remember this--but he presented each of us with a Roman coin, an old one--I still have it-- and on it is printed two letters: S and C--Senatus consultum--which in those times, those coins would not be a factor unless it had ``SC,'' which indicated it is with the approval of the Roman Senate. Fascinating. Senatus consultum. Advise and consent. How well I remember. He and I serve on this group that we call respectfully the Gang of 14, and the hours that we have spent in your office going over the history of the advise and consent clause in the Constitution, and how best to express the balance between the executive branch and the legislative branch in the process of advice and consent. Mr. President, I could go on for an endless period. And, yes, I have enjoyed your friendship. I must say that I remember with the deepest of sympathy your lovely wife because she would go with us on those trips-- --

Mr. WARNER. And spare us from some of your wrath and your ability to drive those delegations to utter exhaustion to perform our official duties and perhaps such other things that we did at other times, mostly related to history. How lucky we all are to have served with Senator Byrd. But above all, it is what he has taught us by way of dignity and honesty, or as MacArthur said: ``Duty, honor, and country.''

Mr. WARNER. There you sit, Mr. Byrd, and there is not one among us who will ever be able to match you, I think, in so many ways.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague, Carl Levin. As I say, we came here to this institution together and served our entire careers on the Armed Services Committee, and we have shared back and forth the chairmanship and ranking member positions. But I do believe many of the comments that Senator Byrd made about me rest on your shoulders likewise. He and I have developed a trust and respect. Even though we often vote and cancel one another out on some issues, I think we have managed together to carve out a place in history for the Senate Armed Services Committee, a committee where there is the highest degree of bipartisanship, because our calling is the defense of this Nation and the welfare of the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. And I have always felt that, and I say with a deep sense of humility that member after member on that committee has always put those obligations, those special trusts ahead of all other considerations. I thank both Senators very much. Mr. President, I see another Senator seeking recognition, so at this point I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Colorado. I must say that he is my eldest daughter's Senator. She lives in his State with her husband and child, and therefore I have a very special affinity for the Senators from Colorado. I have known them for years. My only regret is that the Senator once served on the Armed Services Committee, but he could not resist the temptation of joining our esteemed colleague, Senator Byrd, on the Appropriations Committee. I have seen many Senators succumb to that same temptation. At any rate, the Senator from Colorado will always have a place on our committee should he wish to return someday. I thank the Senator.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I know the community of Bedford. It is a very historic community.

Mr. WARNER. They are very proud of the fact that they erected a magnificent memorial to the men and women of the Armed Forces who served in World War II, and particularly on D-day. The President of the United States came down to speak at the time of the dedication. The sons of Bedford are well known. As a matter of fact, as a footnote to history, in World War II, of all the communities across this great Nation that lost so many men and women--as you know, over a half million casualties in World War II-- Bedford, per capita, on D-day lost more than any other community in America of its sons who fell on those beaches in that historic battle, June 6, 1944.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., to hold a hearing on Energy Security in Latin America.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at 2 p.m., to hold a hearing on a nomination.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at 10 a.m., in SD-430.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 22, 2006, at 3:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Reauthorization of the Iran Libya Sanctions Act.''

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold an Executive Session to begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2006. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on S. 2747, to enhance energy efficiency and conserve oil and natural gas, and for other purposes.