John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, my understanding is the Senate now turns to the measure by the Senator from Florida, is that correct?

Mr. WARNER. No objection.

Mr. WARNER. Would the Senator from Arizona yield to me for a few minutes?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the Senator from Massachusetts and I did have a brief conversation just before the conclusion of the vote in the middle of the noon hour. I, in an effort to try and keep momentum on the bill, did inquire of the desire to move forward with his amendment. I only conveyed his response to me, which was not at this time--he was in consultation with colleagues--to my distinguished ranking member, advising him we best look at other amendments to keep the momentum going forward. I then departed for the memorial services at the Department of Defense honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11. And, therefore, when I arrived back we were in the middle of the debate that has been described by the Senator from Massachusetts.

Mr. WARNER. I yield the floor.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I say to my very good and longtime friend, we have known each other since the closing months of the war in Vietnam when I was Secretary and he was serving in our naval service and returned. So I just think sometimes of the great fortune of this body to have men such as John McCain, Daniel Inouye, and Ted Stevens, and others, who have experience firsthand. I do not claim that same experience that these men had in the mortal combat of the wars. Senator McCain recounts the history of our Nation very accurately; that is, when the conflicts are over, it has always been the stature and the greatness of this Nation to bind the wounds of war and to move forward with peace. I say to the Senator from Florida, I have just handed him the corrections that are now in the press, corrected by the national security adviser to the new Prime Minister of Iraq, in which it is very explicit that there was an error in translation. Some misfortune. But he sets it forth here with absolute clarity, and I think that I would want to state for my colleagues exactly what he said. He said the following--and he said it, I presume, with the full knowledge of the Prime Minister. He said: We thank--and the quote is--``the American wives and American women and American mothers for the treasure and the blood they have invested in this country . . . of liberating 30 million people in this country. And we are ever so grateful.'' And further, he affirmed their position of the government that they ``will never give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers or killed Iraqi soldiers or civilians.'' It seems to me that puts to rest, as my colleague from Arizona said, this issue. And I wonder if the Senator would consider the withdrawal of his amendment to obviate the necessity on our side to take other steps, and let us move forward with the bill.

Mr. WARNER. Yes, of course.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am delighted to accommodate my colleague. I would hope we could discourse this matter in the traditional way of a colloquy, but if you want the exclusive right to the floor--if that is your desire--then I yield the floor, Mr. President. Is that your desire?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, that is the national security adviser.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, first I would like to say to my colleague, we have had a very strong, fervent and heartfelt debate, not a brouhaha by any definition of the use of those terms. We have heard from two of the most respected combat veterans currently serving in this Chamber. It was not in the nature of a brouhaha. They were simply reciting the history of this great Republic since its inception as to how it has dealt with adversaries in the several conflicts that we have had. I first say to the Senator, I hope that you will reconsider the use of that term.

Mr. WARNER. Yes, of course.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I so note his comments. Again, addressing the Senator's amendment, it clearly, in my judgment, restricts in some respects the recognition that this is a sovereign government in Iraq today, in the hands of a duly elected Prime Minister and others, and that this amendment could well be construed as restricting what they can and cannot do. That was so eloquently stated by Senator McCain. I wondered if the Senator would care to try and revise the amendment so it is consistent with the longstanding practices of our country with respect to our adversaries, in some way to recognize that it is not in conflict with that?

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

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I now ask that the amendments be laid aside. The leadership is in agreement that there will be no more votes tonight. We will now turn to other matters relating to the bill. My understanding, then, is these two amendments are now the pending amendments; is that correct?

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

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

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and members of the Armed Services Committee, I send a series of amendments to the desk which have been cleared by myself and the ranking member. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider these amendments en bloc, the amendments be agreed to en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. Finally, I ask unanimous consent that any statements related to any of these individual amendments be printed in the Record at this point.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished ranking member for his always cooperative efforts to move this bill along. I think we have made progress on the bill.

Mr. WARNER. We did make progress. There will be a briefing in S-407 tomorrow with regard to operations in Iraq. Members of the Senate are invited. I expect we will convene in the morning under an order later this evening from the leadership, but we will be back on the bill for some period of time tomorrow. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 15, 2006, at 10 a.m. to hold a hearing on a nomination.

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 15, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The OFHEO Report of the Special Examination of Fannie Mae.'' Committee on Foreign Relations

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, June 15, 2006, at 10 a.m. for a business meeting to consider pending committee business. Agenda Legislation 1. S. 2145, Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005; 2. S. 1554, a bill to establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and develop homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies, and services to further the homeland security of the United States and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments; 3. S. 1741, Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act; 4. S. 1838, Federal and District of Columbia Real Property Act of 2005; 5. S. 2068, a bill to preserve existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; 6. S. 2146, a bill to extend relocation expenses test programs for Federal employees; 7. S. 2296, Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act; 8. H.R. 3508, 2005 District of Columbia Omnibus Authorization Act.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, June 15, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in the Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 226. The agenda will be provided when it becomes available.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Judicial Nominations'' on Thursday, June 15, 2006, at 2 p.m., in the Senate Dirksen Office Building Room 226. Witness list Panel I: The Honorable Thad Cochran; the Honorable Trent Lott; the Honorable James Inhofe; and the Honorable Luis Fortuno. Panel II: Jerome A. Holmes to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit. Panel III: Daniel P. Jordan III to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi; Gustavo A. Gelpe to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.