CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE July 21, 2000 Received Showed Clear Violations of Cuss Economic Reform in Russia and Re- the PRESIDING OFFICER
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July 21, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 15783 year before that—he now finds it objec- cause of a particular interest he may I appreciate the excellent work my tionable, and he will not let this bill be have in that bill. He can deal with it by colleague from Nevada does on this and brought up unless we strike it out. an amendment to strike, a motion to other measures. But why, for Heaven’s This provision deals with the spring strike—whatever he wants. But let us sake, are we supposed to hold an entire rise on the Missouri River that Fish bring the bill up because there is too bill hostage because a single Senator and Wildlife thinks is a good idea. But much that is important in it to have it wants to strike something out of a all of the people downstream know it be held hostage by an effort to say measure that has been adopted at the would cause flooding, hardship, dam- what can be in the bill, approved by the subcommittee and full committee age, property loss, and loss of lives committee, where somebody does not level? I just do not understand why we from floods. like something in the bill. can’t do this in the normal course of This is a serious matter. It also There is a remedy: A motion to business. threatens commerce and transpor- strike or a motion to amend. We will Mr. REID. I made my remarks very tation, not just on the Missouri River be here to do business Monday, Tues- short because my friend from Kansas but on the Mississippi River, because in day—whenever the minority leader yielded to me. So I will make this re- dry years, 65 percent of the flow of the wants. sponse very short. Mississippi at St. Louis comes from the Several Senators addressed the We are following what takes place in Missouri River. If they have a spring Chair. the Senate every week. A person has rise, there isn’t water to maintain The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the right to stop a bill from going for- river transportation during the sum- ator from Kansas is recognized. ward. The rules of this Senate have Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say to the mer and the fall. been in effect for many years. I will in- Senator from Kansas, if I could just I had understood, from the minority sert in the RECORD today why the pro- have 2 minutes to respond to my leader’s staff, that he wanted a time vision in the bill is so unfair to the friend, because I have a dual role as not agreement so he could move to strike upper basin States. only whip but also I am ranking mem- it. I think this matter needs to be I won’t take the time of my friend ber on the subcommittee, I say to my aired. We are willing to enter into a from Kansas. There are many reasons friend, I think the proposal the minor- time agreement, so on Monday or Tues- this provision is unfair that will be in- ity leader has made is eminently fair: day—whenever he wants—we can talk serted in the RECORD today. This provision should be taken out, about the reason that this was included I say to my friend from Missouri that that there will not be an amendment in the bill last year, the year before, the procedure that is being exercised offered on the floor, and whatever took the year before, and the year before by the minority in this instance—the place in conference he would be willing that, because it is of vital importance minority leader and others who are af- to live with. to our State and to other States on I am not going to go through the fected; the minority leader is not the both the Missouri and the Mississippi merits of the case. I think there is sig- only one who is exercising his rights— Rivers. nificant merit on the side of the minor- are rights that are exercised every day We have a way of doing business ity leader. Basically, sure, this provi- in the Senate. The procedures of the around here and that is, the committee sion has been in the appropriations bill Senate may seem burdensome and acts and they report out a bill; the bill before, but it has had no impact on the cumbersome, but they have always comes to the floor. If somebody does upper basin States. Now it does, be- been here to make sure the minority’s not like a provision in the bill, they cause the Corps of Engineers is at a interests are protected. have a right to move to strike it. That point where they want to change the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. right is totally protected. We are try- manual to determine how the river is ASHCROFT). The Senator from Min- ing to get appropriations bills passed. going to operate. nesota is recognized. Frankly, I do not want to be held What this bill says is there can be no Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I hostage by an idea that the minority funds spent to change the manual. ask unanimous consent that I be al- leader has, that all of a sudden we That is how the flow of the river is lowed to speak for 10 minutes as in can’t put a provision in this year’s bill going to be impacted. We should leave morning business. that was in last year’s bill and the bill this to bureaucrats. It should not be The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is the year before that. done, preventing money from going to the order of business. I call on the minority leader to fol- change how the river is operated. f low through with the commitment to This is something that, as indicated CHECHNYA have a time agreement. If he wants to by my friend from Missouri, we can de- move to strike it, fine. We have a lot of bate at a subsequent time. But the bill Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I good reasons, and we want to let our will not be brought up until this provi- rise today to once again draw attention colleagues know why that provision sion is out of the bill. to the continuing war in Chechnya. needs to be kept. We can, during the process of the bill, This war has raged for too long. The I do not want to be held hostage by and before it gets to conference, decide war in Chechnya from 1994–1996 left the minority leader saying, we are what to do with it. This provision is over 80,000 civilians dead, and the For- going to stop the appropriations proc- unfair to the upper basin States. There eign Relations Committee has received ess unless you take it out of the bill— should not be a provision preventing credible evidence that the current war a measure that is vitally important to administrative agencies of this Govern- has again resulted in the death of thou- the State of Missouri, to the States of ment from spending money as to how sands of innocent civilians and the dis- Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Ar- that river system should be operated. placement of well over 250,000 others. kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mis- Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I ask my The committee also received credible sissippi, and Louisiana. I am ready to friend from Nevada, if we pass a bill evidence of widespread looting, sum- talk about and argue against the mi- out of committee, what is the prece- mary executions, detentions, denial of nority leader’s motion to strike. But to dent for saying, oh, we have to change safe passage to fleeing civilians, tor- say that we can’t even bring up the bill it before you even bring the bill to the ture and rape, committed by Russian with that provision in it is, I think, in- floor, the measure that is reported out soldiers. Colleagues, regardless of the appropriate, unwise, and unprece- of the committee? politics of this war, this kind of behav- dented. We have a process around here. There ior is unacceptable. War has rules, and So I am here. I will be back here on are many things that come out of com- the evidence and testimony the For- Monday or Tuesday to do business. I mittees that we disagree with. We have eign Relations Committee received just ask that the minority leader let us the option to change it on the floor. We raises serious doubts as to whether or bring up the bill. This is an unbeliev- need to move forward. Energy and not the Russian Federation is playing able effort to hold a bill hostage be- water is vitally important. by those rules. Much of the evidence we VerDate Aug 04 2004 14:43 Nov 24, 2004 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR00\S21JY0.000 S21JY0 15784 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE July 21, 2000 received showed clear violations of cuss economic reform in Russia and re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- international humanitarian law, in- gional stability issues. President Clin- ator from West Virginia is recognized. cluding the well-established Geneva ton must relay to the Russian Presi- f Convention. dent that Russia’s conduct in JOHN O. PASTORE The President must use this oppor- Chechnya is not only a violation of tunity to relay our serious concerns international humanitarian law, but Mr.