Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2004 No. 23 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Monday, March 1, 2004, at 12 noon. Senate FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2004 The Senate met at 9:32 a.m. and was to the Senate from the President pro Pursuant to the agreement that was called to order by the Honorable LARRY tempore (Mr. STEVENS). reached on Wednesday, we will finish E. CRAIG, a Senator from the State of The assistant Journal clerk read the this bill on Tuesday. I thank everyone Idaho. following letter: for their assistance in reaching that U.S. SENATE, consent agreement. I commend the bill PRAYER PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, managers for their efforts during the The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- Washington, DC, February 27, 2004. negotiations. fered the following prayer: To the Senate: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, HIGHWAY REAUTHORIZATION Let us pray. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby We have a very important out- As we begin another day, most gra- appoint the Honorable LARRY E. CRAIG, a cious God, help us to see that we never Senator from the State of Idaho, to perform standing issue before we finish our escape Your love and care. Forgive us the duties of the Chair. business this week. As Members know, for duties unperformed and for TED STEVENS, the current highway authorization ex- promptings disobeyed. Make us worthy President pro tempore. pires this weekend. Thus, it is impera- of Your goodness. Thank You for guid- Mr. CRAIG thereupon assumed the tive that we pass an extension of the ing us and for blessing our land. May chair as Acting President pro tempore. authorization before we conclude our we trust Your plan for our lives. f work today. I have talked to Members Bless our Senators. Remind them on both sides of the aisle, as well as to that they do not live by their own RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY our House counterparts, as to how best strength, but that You sustain them. LEADER to achieve this temporary extension. Lord, empower each of us to reflect The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Yesterday the House passed a 2- upon the things that are true, just, pore. The Senate majority leader is month extension, and they have ad- pure, lovely, good, and honest, as You recognized. journed for the week. Regardless of keep us with Your constant care. May f what Senators think about the long- we strive less for success and more for faithfulness. We pray this in Your SCHEDULE term solution for this legislation—leg- strong Name. Amen. islation which we debated—we have an Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morn- issue that we must settle today in f ing we will resume consideration of the terms of the extension. The House, gun manufacturers liability bill. We again, passed a 2-month extension. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE have made real progress over the They sent that to us and they have ad- The Honorable LARRY E. CRAIG led course of the week. The managers are journed. the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: here to discuss the legislation and I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the other Senators are expected to come to The real issue is that we absolutely United States of America, and to the Repub- the floor for further debate over the must extend the current law to keep lic for which it stands, one nation under God, course of the day. people working until we find some indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. There will be no rollcall votes today. agreement. We will need to address this f Therefore, the next vote will occur on over the next several minutes because Monday. As to the timing of that vote of the sense of urgency, the signifi- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING on Monday, I will have more to an- cance of not passing this highway ex- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE nounce over the course of the day after tension today, this week. That is be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The consultation with the bill managers cause beginning Monday, 3 days from clerk will please read a communication and the Democratic leader. now, no funds will be available to pay ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1853 . VerDate jul 14 2003 01:07 Feb 28, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27FE6.000 S27PT1 S1854 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 27, 2004 for the operation of surface transpor- UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST— out we knew when this bill was going tation programs or the salaries of indi- H.R. 3850 to expire. Why is it we do business in viduals who run them. That is why we Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask such a way that we are faced with a must act today. unanimous consent that the Senate shutdown unless we give an extension, That means, as of this Monday, more now proceed to the consideration of knowing when the bill was going to ex- than 4,600 Department of Transpor- H.R. 3850, a highway program extension pire? Most importantly, we all have a tation employees will be furloughed, if bill, which is at the desk. I further ask choice to make here, including the ma- we fail to act today. The Federal High- unanimous consent that the bill be jority leader and the Senator from Mis- way Administration will have to stop read the third time and passed, and the souri and the Senator from Nevada. We paying bills on Monday. That includes motion to reconsider be laid upon the have a choice. Are we going to face a reimbursements to States for ongoing table. disruption in some highway projects highway projects. (Mr. CHAFEE assumed the Chair.) which, although important, can be Mr. REID. Is this the 2-month exten- fixed and repaired over time or are we Federal Highway Administration em- sion? going to abandon the families of 9/11 ployees, 2,925 Federal Highway Admin- Mr. FRIST. Yes. who demanded and received the ap- istration employees, will be fur- Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, reserv- pointment of a commission that would loughed, in Washington, DC, and, in- ing the right to object. first of all, I thoroughly and completely investigate deed, in State offices around the coun- don’t object to taking up the highway the events that led up to one of the try. If they are furloughed on Monday, extension bill under the normal Senate greatest tragedies in American his- these Federal Highway Administration procedures, which is that the bill is an tory? That is our choice. I intend to employees will not be able to carry out amendable vehicle. That is the normal again object to this unanimous consent the necessary steps required to approve parliamentary procedure we abide by agreement. the federally approved, funded highway as we address legislation, so I don’t ob- I will agree to taking up the highway projects. We have construction con- ject to taking up the highway exten- extension bill and to not blocking it if tractors and their suppliers who will sion bill under the normal Senate pro- I am allowed to amend it. I cannot dic- suffer economic losses and hardships. cedures, which makes the bill amend- tate the schedule of the other body. The National Highway Traffic Safety able. I would obviously have an amend- But I do know the President of the Administration also will be affected. ment to the bill. United States, the majority leader, a They would have to stop paying bills I object to the unanimous consent re- majority of the Senate, the members of on Monday. There are 630 Highway quest that it be taken up and passed the 9/11 Commission, and the families Traffic Safety Administration employ- without debate or amendment. of those who died want this Commis- ees who would be furloughed. The oper- Second of all, we have to make some sion to be able to complete its work ation of our Federal highway safety choices here. The choice is whether we and, by God, we should honor that com- programs would be dramatically im- will have a short-term disruption—and mitment to them. pacted. States would receive no Fed- I might point out no existing projects I object. eral funding for things such as alcohol- now underway would be cut off—of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- impaired driving and safety belt pro- highway programs, or we renege on our ator from Connecticut is recognized. grams. commitment to the families who lost Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, re- their loved ones, brave firefighters and serving the right to object, I intend to In addition, the Federal Motor Car- members of law enforcement agencies, join Senator MCCAIN in this objection. rier Safety Administration would have on September 11, 2001. Let me say this briefly because he has to stop its operations. The Motor Car- Senator LIEBERMAN and I introduced spoken clearly and powerfully. Life is rier Safety Administration employees, legislation that created a commission about choices. We don’t take any pleas- numbering 1,078, would have to be fur- to study the causes of the tragedy of ure in stopping the extension of the loughed, and the agency and its part- September 11, 2001, and also an effort highway law and the consequent dis- ners would not be able to carry out the to prevent a recurrence of that terrible ruption that may occur.