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SENATE—Monday, January 29, 2001 714 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE January 29, 2001 SENATE—Monday, January 29, 2001 The Senate met at 12 noon and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY there can be a full reading of the record called to order by the Honorable LEADER and a discussion of their record. But I GEORGE ALLEN, a Senator from the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- also think it is important that we do State of Virginia. pore. The Chair recognizes the major- come to a conclusion and reach a vote. ity leader, the Senator from Mis- There has been good cooperation on PRAYER sissippi, Mr. LOTT. both sides of the aisle, and from com- The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, are there mittees, over the past month when Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: any other proceedings or announce- they were chaired by Democrats and Let us pray. ments that need to be made at this last week as it continued under Repub- Dear God, You constantly are seek- time? lican leadership. We will have com- ing us. Our desire to pray arises in our The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Not at pleted all the nominations but one by hearts because You want to love, guide, this time. tomorrow afternoon. I hope we can inspire, and empower us. The greatest f move to that nomination expeditiously gift we can receive in this time of also. prayer is more of You. Whatever else SCHEDULE Again, I am sure we will have a full You give or withhold is to draw us clos- Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the debate, but I think after a reasonable er to You. Senate will be in a period of morning period of time we should come to a In our world of politics, so often the business until 2 p.m., with the two vote so the Justice Department can question is, ‘‘Who gets the glory?’’ We leaders or their designees in control of have an Attorney General in place and confess that often we become obsessed that time. Following morning business, can begin to do the very important job by concern over whether we have been the Senate will begin consideration of that he will have to carry forward. recognized for our abilities or rewarded Gale Norton’s nomination to be Sec- I thank my colleagues for their at- for our accomplishments. Your admo- retary of the Interior. Under the pre- tention and look forward to the debate nition to us through Jeremiah helps us vious order that was entered into last this week and working with the leader- order our priorities. ‘‘Let not the wise week, there will be up to 4 hours of de- ship on the schedule. man glory in his wisdom, let not the bate on the Norton nomination during Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, if the dis- mighty man glory in his might, nor let today’s session. Tomorrow the Senate tinguished Senator will yield for a the rich man glory in his riches, but let will complete debate on the Norton comment? him who glories glory in this, that he nomination as well as consider the Mr. LOTT. I will be glad to yield. understands and knows Me, that I am nominations of Governor Whitman to Mr. LEAHY. On the nomination of the Lord, exercising loving kindness, be the Environmental Protection Agen- Senator Ashcroft to be Attorney Gen- judgment, and righteousness in the cy Administrator and Elaine Chao to eral, I understand the White House ac- earth. For in these I delight.’’—Jere- be Secretary of Labor. Those confirma- tually sent the nomination up this miah 9:23–24. tion votes are scheduled to occur at morning. But even though they had not We dedicate this new week to delight 2:45 p.m. tomorrow. Following those sent it until today, to try to accommo- in what delights You. You are the only votes, the Senate will begin consider- date the new President, we held hear- One we want to please. You are our ation of the nomination of John ings prior to the inauguration of the heart’s delight! Amen. Ashcroft to be Attorney General. A new President. I think we had an equal f vote on that nomination is expected number of witnesses on both sides. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE prior to the Senate adjourning this There may have been one more for Sen- ator Ashcroft than against, but any- The Honorable GEORGE ALLEN led the week. way, it was completed during that Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: I should say that while the vote in the Judiciary Committee on Senator time. Answers that were submitted I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Repub- Ashcroft was delayed until this week, I came in this weekend. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, believe there will be a vote on it either I know the distinguished chairman of indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Tuesday or Wednesday morning. I hope the committee, Senator HATCH, is out f we can begin the debate on his nomina- of the country, but I am perfectly will- tion as early as tomorrow afternoon ing, certainly on this side, to go for- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING and continue, if necessary, into the ward with the committee vote on him PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE night and Wednesday and into the as soon as he comes in, especially now The PRESIDING OFFICER. The night and into Thursday—all if nec- that the papers have come up from the clerk will please read a communication essary. White House today. I notified the to the Senate from the President pro I had a brief conversation with Sen- President’s office this morning—speak- tempore (Mr. THURMOND). ator DASCHLE this morning about the ing about Senator Ashcroft—I will not The legislative clerk read the fol- schedule for the next month or so, but take part in any filibuster, nor do I ex- lowing letter: we did not get into a deep discussion pect there to be any filibuster on this U.S. SENATE, about exactly how to proceed after the nomination. I assure the distinguished PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, votes that are now scheduled at 2:45 to- majority leader we moved as rapidly as Washington, DC, January 29, 2001. morrow afternoon. We expect to meet we could. We now actually have the To the Senate: later on today, and as we get an agree- nomination and the schedule is now in Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby ment of how we can proceed, certainly the hands of my friend from Mis- appoint the Honorable GEORGE ALLEN, a Sen- we will notify our Members to that ef- sissippi. ator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, to fect. Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator from perform the duties of the Chair. I do want to say also, I firmly believe Vermont for that information. I think STROM THURMOND, that Senators should have every oppor- it is appropriate we actually receive President pro tempore. tunity to question the nominees to the the nomination before we vote—a little Mr. ALLEN thereupon assumed the President’s Cabinet, and to make state- small detail but that has been taken chair as Acting President pro tempore. ments on the floor if they choose so care of. ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Aug 31 2005 11:13 Feb 28, 2007 Jkt 029102 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR01\S29JA1.000 S29JA1 erjones on PRODPC74 with SENATE January 29, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 715 Mr. LEAHY. It always helps. That is what we are doing. We are The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. LOTT. I will be talking further looking at the record of the designate pore. The Senator from Vermont, Mr. to your leadership about how we sched- for Attorney General, what he said LEAHY. ule it this week, and I look forward to when he was attorney general, what he Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I thank getting it completed as soon as pos- did when he was attorney general, my dear friend, the senior Senator sible. what he did when he was Governor, and from Nevada, for his kind words. As al- I yield the floor, Mr. President. what he did in the Senate. ways, we rely on his leadership here, f I extend my appreciation to the Sen- too. I appreciate what he said. ator from Vermont for the job that has f RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME been done. Senator LEAHY, prior to NOMINATION OF JOHN ASHCROFT The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- coming here, was a prosecutor. He had pore. Under the previous order, the to prepare his cases to make sure all Mr. LEAHY. The President of the leadership time is reserved. the evidence was brought before the United States sent to the Senate the jury and/or the court. That is in effect nomination of John Ashcroft to be the f what he is doing, but in this instance Attorney General of the United States. MORNING BUSINESS the jury is the 100 Members of the Sen- In advance of him sending it, to accom- modate the new President and expedite The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ate. Without a good record, we cannot the consideration of the nomination, I pore. Under the previous order, there make a good decision. convened 3 days of hearings on this will now be a period for the transaction I have not had the benefit of sitting nomination over the 4-day period from of morning business not to extend be- through all of these hearings as has the January 16 to January 19.
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