(Tongrrssional Rtcord United States of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 102D CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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(tongrrssional Rtcord United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 102d CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION SENATE-Friday, June 14, 1991 (Legislative day of Tuesday, June 11, 1991) The Senate met at 11 a.m., on the ex U.S. SENATE, Following consultation with some of piration of the recess, and was called to PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, his colleagues, the distinguished Re order by the Honorable JoHN BREAUX, a Washington, DC, June 14, 1991. publican leader advised me that he To the Senate: Senator from the State of Louisiana. Under the provisions of rule I, section 3, of could not agree to that procedure, be the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby cause he felt it was necessary to con PRAYER appoint the Honorable JoHN B. BREAUX, a sult with a larger number of his Repub The Chaplain, the Reverend Richard Senator from the State of Louisiana, to per lican colleagues, and he requested the C. Halverson, D.D., offered the follow form the duties of the Chair. opportunity for a meeting to be held ing prayer: RoBERT C. BYRD, this morning. Let us pray: President pro tempore. I understand that the meeting was The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not Mr. BREAUX thereupon assumed the held between 10 and 11 this morning. I want. * * * Yea, though I walk through chair as Acting President pro tempore. have not yet received a response, but I the valley of the shadow of death, I will am hoping shortly to receive a re fear no evil: for thou art with me * * *. sponse, and to see whether or not we Psalm 23:1, 4. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY can proceed as I proposed last night, or Father in Heaven, we lift up to Thee LEADER in some alternative fashion. Mrs. "K" and her loved ones at the loss The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem It remains my hope that we can com of her beloved husband, John, who so pore. The Chair recognizes the major plete action on this bill as soon as pos faithfully served in the dining rooms of ity leader. sible. As the Senators know, I have the Senate. May Thy peace and com Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, am I stated many times previously that we fort fill the lives of the loved ones who correct in my understanding that the will proceed to the crime bill upon mourn the loss of Mr. "K." Journal of the proceedings has been ap completion of this measure, and last Eternal God, sovereign Lord of the proved? night we obtained consent to do so. So universe and Ruler of the nations, we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem these are both important measures on watched the parade last Saturday with pore. The majority leader is correct. which we must act. I hope that we will great ambivalence-grateful for vic be able to get an agreement to proceed tory, saddened by the loss of those who to dispose of this matter as soon as fought and the continuing tragedy in SURFACE TRANSPORTATION possible, consistent with the oppor Iraq. We praise and thank You for EFFICIENCY ACT tunity for all Senators to carefully re view the pending measure. As soon as I those who served in that war and for Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, for those who ·paid the last full measure of have the opportunity to consult with the information of the Members of the the acting Republican leader, I will be devotion, as well as those wounded, and Senate, I want to review where we are their families. We pray especially for reporting to the full Senate on the on this bill and how we hope to pro schedule for the remainder of the day. those who remain in the Middle East, ceed. First, I want to commend the Mr. President, am I correct in my un for their families and their safe return. managers of the bill, the distinguished derstanding that the pending measure And Father of mercies, we would not Senator from New York and the Sen forget our hostages still being held in is the Byrd second-degree amendment, ator from Idaho [Mr. SYMMS] for their as modified last evening? Lebanon: Terry Anderson, Thomas persistent effort to move this bill for The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem Sutherland, Joseph Cicippio, Edward ward and for disposing of virtually all pore. The majority leader is correct. Tracy, Alann Steen, Jesse Turner. Be of the issues that relate to the bill, Mr. MITCHELL. I hope we are going with them in their need and bring com with the single large exception of the to be able to get on that measure fort and peace to their families. allocation formula. That remains the today, and we will be in a position to In His name who is incarnate love. subject of dispute. make an announcement of the schedule Amen. Last evening, I proposed to our col as soon as I am able to consult with leagues an agreement, for which I our Republican colleagues. sought unanimous consent, under RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME APPOINTMENT OF ACTING which we would have debated and voted The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE on the pending Byrd amendment, pore. Under the previous order, the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The which deals with the allocation for leadership time is also reserved. clerk will please read a communication mula, today, that we would identify Mr. MOYNIHAN addressed the Chair. to the Senate from the President pro the remaining amendments, and would The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem tempore [Mr. BYRD]. have debated and voted on them on pore. The Senator from New York. The legislative clerk read the follow Monday with a final vote on the bill on Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, on ing letter: Monday evening. repeated occasions in the course of this • This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a member of the Senate on the floor. 14943 14944 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE June 14, 1991 week's debate, I have described the sur- Our highway congestion has the same basic Accordingly, Mr. President, I have face transportation system in the Unit- cause-although a more ready solution-as concluded that the most responsible ed States today as suffering from pub- the long lines we see in news reports from course now under the circumstances lie sector disease. the Soviet Union. Both reflect shortages in- which exist is to conclude our session I do not kn.ow of any earlier use of duced by prices set too low. The price sys- tem, which we rely on to ration. nearly all now, for today, since we are not able to this term, although I cannot doubt goods and services in our economy, is usu bring this matter to a conclusion that some defunct political economist ally ignored in seeking solutions to highway today, to return to session early Mon came up with it generations ago. In congestion. day afternoon, at which time the pend any event, the term needs definition. A third symptom is the seeming eva- ing Byrd amendment would be debated, By public sector disease I refer to an nescence of vast public enterprise in and I will attempt to bring that to a economic activity that is inefficient vestment. How many times this week vote at or as close to 6 p.m. on Monday owing to the absence of an accurate have we heard Senators refer to our as possible. pricing system. brand new Interstate System as our Since I cannot get an agreement to I have tried to capture this in a sen- crumbling Interstate System? Polish that effect, to lock in a vote at that tence from the introductory statement or czech citizens would recognize the time, or at any time, I state this as my to the committee report: symptomology. intention so that Senators can be Just as there is no such thing as a free A further indicator of public sector aware of what we will try to do. There good, there is no such thing as a freeway. disease is that the public sector entity after, it is my hope that we could dis Public sector disease is to be seen responsible for the activity does not pose of other amendments and com most anywhere in the world. In general even know the price it is ignoring. plete action on the bill on Monday it may be stated that the larger the Hence, for one full week we have had evening or Tuesday if Monday proves public sector in a particular economy, Senators in a whirl of disbelief and to be infeasible. the more prevalent this disorder. Just confusion as they have tried to get the I regret that we have not been able to because an activity is in the public sec- Department of Transportation to ex complete action on the bill this week. tor, it does not follow that it will suf- plain the allocation formulas in the I recognize that it is a large and com fer from this disorder, but that is a current and past highway programs. plex measure affecting every State in necessary precondition. Table pile on table; confusion abounds. very important and tangible ways. I The etiology of the disorder is sim- There are dark hints of duplicity. hope very much that Senators who ple, at least in the abstract. Once an Nothing such. The Department of have a particular interest in the mat economic activity starts up in the pri- Transportation does not know the ter will be present on Monday to par vate sector or is incorporated into the prices of its products because pricing ticipate in the debate.