Congressional Record—Senate S117
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January 25, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S117 MILLER), and the Senator from Florida The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Committee for allowing me a minute (Mr. NELSON) are necessarily absent. Senator from Vermont. to simply notify the Senate that I will I further announce that, if present Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I under- redo my amendment and try to get 60 and voting, the Senator from North stand under the unanimous consent re- votes. It will come back and be filed Dakota (Mr. DORGAN) would vote quest I am to be recognized, but the later today. It will have a 2-year time ‘‘aye.’’ distinguished Senator from Illinois and period beginning January 1 of this year Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the the distinguished Senator from Oregon and going for 2 years, with a 30-percent Senator from New Mexico (Mr. DOMEN- are here, and I ask unanimous consent depreciation bonus, and it will also spe- ICI), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. it be in order first to recognize the dis- cifically include the motion picture in- INHOFE), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. tinguished Senator from Illinois for 2 dustry so that they can have the ad- KYL), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. minutes, then the distinguished Sen- vantage of this stimulus as well. MURKOWSKI), the Senator from Kansas ator from Oregon for 1 minute, and the I think it is critical we do what the (Mr. ROBERTS), the Senator from Ala- distinguished Senator from Oklahoma, the Senator from Illinois is talking bama (Mr. SESSIONS), the Senator from the Republican assistant leader, for 30 about, and it is also critical we do Alabama (Mr. SHELBY), the Senator seconds, and then we revert back to my something that is actually stimulatory from Ohio (Mr. VOINOVICH), the Senator original time. of the economy. Two years is the abso- from Arkansas (Mr. HUTCHINSON), the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is lute minimum, if we are serious about Senator from Arizona (Mr. MCCAIN), there objection to the several requests? this part of the stimulus bill. and the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. There being no objection, the re- I yield the floor. THOMPSON) are necessarily absent. quests are agreed to. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The I further announce that if present The Senator from Illinois. Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Nickles. and voting the Senator from Oklahoma The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Mr. NICKLES. I ask unanimous con- (Mr. INHOFE) and the Senator from Ari- Senator from Illinois. sent that it be in order I ask for the zona (Mr. KYL) would each vote ‘‘aye.’’ AMENDMENT NO. 2714 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2698 yeas and nay on amendment No. 2698. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Are (Purpose: To provide enhanced The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there any other Senators in the Cham- unemployment compensation benefits) there objection to the request that it ber desiring to vote? be in order? Mr. DURBIN. Pursuant to an earlier Mr. LEAHY. Reserving the right to The result was announced—yeas 81, unanimous consent request, I am send- object—I understand there is no objec- nays 0, as follows: ing to the desk an amendment being of- tion. [Rollcall Vote No. 5 Ex] fered by me on behalf of the majority The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- YEAS—81 leader. out objection, it is so ordered. Allard DeWine Lieberman The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Is there a sufficient second? Allen Durbin Lincoln clerk will report. There is a sufficient second. The yeas Baucus Edwards Lott The legislative clerk read as follows: and nays are ordered. Bayh Ensign Lugar The Senator from Illinois [Mr. DURBIN], for Bennett Enzi McConnell Mr. NICKLES. I thank my colleague. Biden Feingold Mikulski himself, Mr. WELLSTONE, Mr. DAYTON, Ms. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Bingaman Feinstein Murray LANDRIEU, and Mrs. LINCOLN, proposes an Senator from Vermont. Bond Fitzgerald Nelson (NE) amendment numbered 2714. Mr. LEAHY. Is the Senator from Breaux Frist Nickles Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous con- Brownback Graham Reed Vermont correct that following my Bunning Gramm Reid sent reading of the amendment be dis- statement the distinguished senior Burns Grassley Rockefeller pensed with. Senator from Utah is to be recognized? Byrd Gregg Santorum The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. That Campbell Hagel Sarbanes Cantwell Harkin Schumer out objection, it is so ordered. is correct. Carper Hatch Smith (NH) (The text of the amendment is print- f Chafee Helms Smith (OR) ed in today’s RECORD under ‘‘Amend- Cleland Hollings Snowe ments Submitted.’’) JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS Clinton Hutchison Specter Cochran Inouye Stabenow Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this is Mr. LEAHY. I thank the distin- Collins Jeffords Stevens part of the economic stimulus package. guished Presiding Officer. Conrad Johnson Thomas It is an amendment agreed to by both Mr. President, I appreciate the fact Corzine Kerry Thurmond sides, Democrats and Republicans, to that the majority leader and the assist- Craig Kohl Torricelli Crapo Landrieu Warner extend the unemployment insurance ant majority leader moved to consider Daschle Leahy Wellstone benefits to those States which will pro- additional judicial nominations today. Dayton Levin Wyden vide protection, expanded coverage for Both Senator DASCHLE and Senator NOT VOTING—19 part-time workers who otherwise REID have been working very diligently Akaka Inhofe Roberts would not be eligible for unemploy- to clear these nominations which were Boxer Kennedy Sessions ment compensation, and expand cov- put on the Executive Calendar as we Carnahan Kyl Shelby erage to low-wage and recent hires who went out of session prior to the new Dodd McCain Thompson year. They have worked very hard to Domenici Miller Voinovich are also out of work and cannot be cov- Dorgan Murkowski ered by unemployment. It also in- return the Senate’s consideration of ju- Hutchinson Nelson (FL) creases benefit levels under unemploy- dicial nominations to a more orderly The nomination was confirmed. ment compensation by 15 percent or $25 and open process. I compliment the Senator from South Dakota and the f per week, whichever is greater. These proposals are temporary. All of the Senator from Nevada for their efforts LEGISLATIVE SESSION funding comes from Federal funding and thank them for their leadership. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under sources from the unemployment insur- Along with our Senate leaders, many the previous order, the Senate will re- ance fund. The amendment costs about Senators have been working to move turn to legislative session. $15 billion in one year, but it will pro- away from the anonymous holds and f vide direct, immediate relief to unem- inaction on judicial nominations that ployed people across America. When we characterized so much of the period HOPE FOR CHILDREN ACT— return next Tuesday, I will speak to from 1996 through the year 2000. Since Continued this amendment at length. the change in majority last summer, The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The I hope my colleagues will join me in we have already made a difference in clerk will report the title. supporting it on a bipartisan basis. terms of both the process and its re- The assistant legislative clerk read I yield the floor. sults. The number of vacancies and the as follows: The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The number of confirmations have finally A bill (H.R. 622) to amend the Internal Rev- Senator from Oregon. begun to move in the right directions. enue Code of 1986 to expand the adoption Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, As we begin this new session, I will credit, and for other purposes. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary take a moment to report where we are VerDate 10-DEC-2001 02:32 Jan 26, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25JA6.020 pfrm01 PsN: S25PT1 S118 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 25, 2002 in the handling of judicial nominations the first new judge for the Fourth Cir- The Judiciary Committee simulta- and to outline the road ahead. The dis- cuit in 3 years, and the first new judge neously, during those last 5 months of tinguished Presiding Officer knows for the Tenth Circuit in 6 years. last year, held 16 confirmation hear- more of the history of this body than Of course, more than two-thirds of ings for executive branch nominees. We any of the nearly 260 or 270 Senators the Federal court vacancies continue sent to the Senate nominees who were with whom I have served—I suspect to be on the district courts, and the ad- confirmed for 77 senior executive more than a lot of others with whom ministration has been slow to make branch posts, including the Director of he has served. I hope he will not feel it nominations to the vacancies in these the FBI, the head of the Drug Enforce- presumptuous if I take a few minutes trial courts. In the last 5 months of ment Administration, the Commis- to touch on the history and legacy of last year, the Senate confirmed a high- sioner of the Immigration and Natu- the last 6 years as it relates to judicial er percentage of the President’s dis- ralization Service, the Director of the nominations. trict court nominees than a Republican U.S. Marshals Service, the Associate Those last 6 years have left a residue majority had allowed the Senate to Attorney General, the Director of of problems that I think are going to confirm in the first session of either of ONDCP, the Director of the Patent and take a continuing effort to purge. We the last two Congresses with a Demo- Trademark Office, 7 assistant attor- are not going to do it in 1 day or 1 cratic President.