Congressional Record—Senate S2511
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March 29, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2511 The bill was ordered to be engrossed Public concern has increased about divided between the two leaders or for a third reading and was read the both illegal and unethical activities in- their designees. third time. volving lobbyists. These include well- I further ask unanimous consent that Mr. FRIST. I ask for the yeas and funded special interest groups that dis- when the Senate resumes consideration nays. guise their activities through the for- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a of the bill tomorrow, the time until 12 mation of coalitions, associations, and noon be equally divided in the same sufficient second? grassroots campaigns; improper cam- There appears to be a sufficient sec- form for debate only, and that at noon paign finance practices; lavish gifts to the chairman be recognized in order to ond. Members of Congress and their staffs The bill having been read the third offer an amendment; provided further apparently in violation of current con- time, the question is, Shall the bill, as that there then be debate only until gressional ethics rules; and earmarks amended, pass? The clerk will call the 5:30, with the time divided in a similar slipped into legislation as favors for roll. fashion. The assistant legislative clerk called lobbyists without debate on proper consideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the roll. objection, it is so ordered. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the The actions of others have made it Senator from West Virginia (Mr. clear that our current regulations on The clerk will report the bill by title. lobbying are outdated and ineffective. ROCKEFELLER) is necessarily absent. The assistant legislative clerk read I also announce that the Senator That is why I supported S. 2349, the as follows: from West Virginia (Mr. BYRD) is ab- Legislative Transparency and Account- A bill (S. 2454) to amend the Immigration sent due to death in family. ability Act of 2006. It is my hope that this legislation will move us toward re- and Nationality Act to provide for com- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. prehensive reform and for other purposes. THUNE). Are there any other Senators storing the public confidence in Con- in the Chamber desiring to vote? gress by shining light on congressional The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who The result was announced—yeas 90, processes and cracking down on lob- yields time? nays 8, as follows: byist influence. The majority leader. [Rollcall Vote No. 82 Leg.] I realize that this bill falls short in Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, to clarify, YEAS—90 certain areas. I was an original cospon- sor of the Honest Leadership Act, we are now on what will be passion- Akaka Dole McConnell ately discussed over the next several Alexander Domenici Menendez which would have gone even further Allard Dorgan Mikulski than the Senate-passed bill in reigning days, a very important piece of legisla- Allen Durbin Murkowski in inappropriate gifts, travel, and influ- tion that addresses the range of border Baucus Ensign Murray ence on Members of Congress. I sup- security issues surrounding enforce- Bayh Enzi Nelson (FL) ment, interior enforcement, temporary Bennett Feinstein Nelson (NE) ported amendments that would in- Biden Frist Pryor crease the transparency of Senate ac- worker programs—a debate which I Bingaman Grassley Reed tions and voted against cloture to give know and expect will be civil and held Bond Gregg Reid other Senators a chance to offer with dignity, but what is a very dif- Boxer Hagel Roberts ficult debate. Brownback Harkin Salazar amendments to strengthen the bill. Bunning Hatch Santorum If the legislation passed by the Sen- I will make a brief opening state- Burns Hutchison Sarbanes ate today had gone further in increas- ment and then turn to the chairman Burr Inouye Schumer ing accountability for Members of Con- Cantwell Isakson Sessions and ranking member, but also I would Carper Jeffords Shelby gress, it would have gone further in re- like to make a statement shortly after Chafee Johnson Smith storing the public faith. However, I be- they do. Chambliss Kennedy Snowe lieve it is also our responsibility to bal- Mr. President, this debate, when you Clinton Kohl Specter ance far-reaching legislation with the Cochran Kyl Stabenow boil it down to its essence, is about the time constraints before us. This bill is Coleman Landrieu Stevens American dream and the home that far from perfect but it is an important Collins Lautenberg Sununu this country offers for so many hard- Conrad Leahy Talent first step in putting an end to the ‘‘cul- working people—a difficult debate, an Cornyn Levin Thomas ture of corruption’’ that has become a Craig Lieberman Thune important debate. But it is also an part of Washington. Crapo Lincoln Vitter issue about what it means to be a na- Dayton Lott Voinovich Serving in Congress is a great DeWine Lugar Warner honor—one we must earn by always tion, and every nation must keep its Dodd Martinez Wyden making the welfare of our constituents citizens safe and its borders secure. NAYS—8 and the Nation our sole motivation. That is why we are starting with the Coburn Graham McCain The current lobbying scandals show Securing America’s Borders Act, a bill DeMint Inhofe Obama how far we have drifted from that I introduced prior to the March recess. Feingold Kerry ideal. But the reforms will do much to This bill acknowledges the overriding NOT VOTING—2 correct our course. And, as always, I principle that we must protect our citi- Byrd Rockefeller will continue to hold myself and my of- zens by securing our borders. A nation The bill (S. 2349), as amended, was fice to the highest standard of conduct that cannot secure its borders cannot passed, as follows: in our service to the people of Wis- secure its destiny or administer its (The bill will be printed in a future consin. laws. edition of the RECORD.) Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I suggest The situation along our southern Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I move to the absence of a quorum. border now ranks as a serious national The PRESIDING OFFICER. The reconsider the vote, and I move to lay security challenge, second only to the that motion on the table. clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk pro- war on terror. Every day we discover The motion to lay on the table was new facts that show how delay and in- agreed to. ceeded to call the roll. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask action is making America less safe and Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I take no less secure. contributions from special interest unanimous consent that the order for PACS or lobbyists. My office operates the quorum call be dispensed with. In January, officials discovered a The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without massive tunnel stretching nearly a half under a set of rules governing our objection, it is so ordered. interaction with lobbyists that is mile from Tijuana to San Diego. We f stricter than current law. Regardless of don’t know how many more snuck in. any legislation, I always hold myself SECURING AMERICA’S BORDERS We do know that mixed in with the and my office to the highest standard ACT families seeking a better life are drug of conduct in our service to the people Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, pursuant dealers, human traffickers, terrorists, of Wisconsin. to the order of March 28, I ask that the and common criminals who cross our The past several months, however, Senate now begin consideration of S. border into this country every day. have highlighted for congressional ac- 2454. I further ask unanimous consent But the danger is not only to Amer- tion on lobbying and ethics reform. that the time until 8 p.m. be equally ica. It is danger to those who try to VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:08 Mar 30, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G29MR6.053 S29MRPT1 CCOLEMAN on PROD1PC71 with SENATE S2512 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 29, 2006 cross our borders as well. Unofficial Securing the border and enforcing progress in many areas. I believe it can data collected along the Arizona border our laws are crucial first steps to mak- be improved upon. It has formalized a shows that nearly 225 people died last ing America safer. But much more re- new consensus in the Senate, one that year crossing that border. About 10 mains to be done. And we will address did not exist a year ago, on aggressive percent perished under circumstances these other issues over the next week provisions to protect our borders, in- that suggest foul play. and a half. cluding new detection technologies, We all know the terrible stories of There are over 11 million people in significant new increases in Border Pa- criminals who prey on vulnerable mi- this country llegally. Congress simply trol agents, tough provisions on alien grants, who charge outrageous prices cannot turn a blind eye to this growing smuggling and, for the first time, a to smuggle them across the border and number. We need to act. Our Nation is real employer verification enforcement then often abandon them at the mo- founded on the rule of law by genera- title. ment trouble strikes. It is wrong. It is tions upon generations of immigrants. As is the right of the chairman, the time for us to act. And over the next We should not have to choose between Judiciary Committee product will be week and a half on this floor we will these founding principles. Instead, we offered as an amendment to the Border act.