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Congressional Record—Senate S8717

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Congressional Record—Senate S8717 July 22, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S8717 21⁄2-day workweek here. But we could my mind, to make sure that Shane I am glad we are here to do business spend more than a month, more than 30 Patton and the other approximately today. The managers are here. Senator days on five judges, every one of which 2,000 men and women who have been KENNEDY is here to offer an amend- had a job. A third of our time in the killed in Iraq and the scores who have ment. But especially in a time of war, Senate has been spent on five people, been killed in Afghanistan will have at let’s at least do the average amount of all of whom had jobs. least the attention of the Senate for a debate on this bill. The majority leader’s decision raises few days. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- an important question. Why would we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The Senator from Kentucky. prematurely cut off debate on critical pore. The Senator from Kentucky. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, national security legislation? Why Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, I don’t want to prolong it any further would we want to prevent the Senate I listened carefully to my good friend because we are taking up time for the from doing everything we can to help from Nevada, the Democratic leader. I offering of amendments which we en- our men and women in uniform? The don’t want to unduly prolong the dis- courage. We are anxious to have Senator from Michigan and the Sen- cussion because Chairman WARNER and amendments. We are willing to have ator from Virginia are role models for Ranking Member LEVIN are here to do votes. We are not trying to deny any- how to work together on legislation. business on the bill. The more the body the opportunity to offer their He has some ideas that he wants to try Democratic leader and myself talk, the amendment or to have votes. That is to improve this bill. There are other less able they are to offer amendments why the chairman and ranking member Members who have amendments that and move forward with the bill. are here today. I see Senator WARNER are waiting. The Senator from Massa- I would say this, however. I don’t is ready to do business. chusetts has some ideas on how he know that it is written on some tablet I yield the floor. wants to try to improve this legisla- somewhere that we need to spend mul- f tion. But unfortunately, the answer to tiple weeks on a DOD authorization NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- these questions is very familiar. Rath- bill, particularly in a time of war. We TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 er than address the concerns on the turned to this bill last Wednesday minds of the American people, our Re- night. That is Wednesday night, Thurs- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- publican colleagues are once again in- day, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday be- pore. Under the previous order, the sisting the Senate focus its time on fore the cloture vote would ripen. Dur- Senate will resume consideration of S. less important business. Earlier this ing all of that time, Senators could 1042, which the clerk will report. year, we put judges ahead of health offer nongermane amendments. And The assistant legislative clerk read care, retirement security, education. then if cloture is invoked, there are 30 as follows: Now they are apparently willing to put additional hours for amendments to be A bill (S. 1042) to authorize appropriations gun liability—and I have heard now es- offered that are germane to the De- for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of tate tax—ahead of the needs of our fense bill. I don’t think there is any the Department of Defense, for military con- troops. particular reason why the Senate struction, and for defense activities of the Frankly, this action is not in keeping ought not to, particularly in a time of Department of Energy, to prescribe per- sonnel strengths for such fiscal year for the with the spirit in which this bill came war, do this bill in a more expeditious Armed Forces, and for other purposes. to the Senate floor. To this point the manner and allow us to also complete Pending: process has been completely bipartisan. other matters before the Senate, one of Frist amendment No. 1342, to support cer- I should say nonpartisan. As I have al- which the Democratic leader just tain youth organizations, including the Boy ready said, the chairman and ranking pointed out he is in favor of, before we Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of Amer- member, as well as the other Repub- leave next week. We are open for busi- ica. licans and Democrats on the Armed ness this morning. Chairman WARNER Inhofe amendment No. 1311, to protect the Services Committee, worked together and Senator LEVIN are here. Others are economic and energy security of the United to see that our security needs were ad- here who want to offer amendments. States. dressed. Republicans and Democrats We encourage that. That is why we are Inhofe/Collins amendment No. 1312, to ex- press the sense of Congress that the Presi- even on the committee, after reporting in session today. dent should take immediate steps to estab- the bill out, said: We have a few things My suggestion to all of us is that we lish a plan to implement the recommenda- we would like to a try to address to the move forward with the business that is tions of the 2004 Report to Congress of the whole Senate to see if we can make the before the Senate this morning. United States-China Economic and Security whole bill better. I yield the floor. Review Commission. The chairman welcomed input from The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Inhofe/Kyl amendment No. 1313, to require Members on both sides of the aisle, as pore. The minority leader. an annual report on the use of United States did the ranking member. He made no Mr. REID. Madam President, I don’t funds with respect to the activities and man- attempt to prevent Members from ad- need to get the last word, but I have to agement of the International Committee of get make sure the facts are spread the Red Cross. dressing critical issues or cut off de- Lautenberg amendment No. 1351, to stop bate, and he should be lauded for the across this Senate. Let’s not be misled. corporations from financing terrorism. course he chose. The majority leader Wednesday, opening statements; Ensign amendment No. 1374, to require a should follow his example. Thursday, one amendment voted on; report on the use of riot control agents. We want to pass this bill. We want to Friday, nothing voted on; Monday, Ensign amendment No. 1375, to require a pass it before we go home for the Au- nothing voted on. I guess we will vote report on the costs incurred by the Depart- gust recess. That is why, for the past 2 Monday night sometime. Tuesday, ment of Defense in implementing or sup- months, I have been on this floor urg- please help me on that, we ought to porting resolutions of the United Nations Se- vote this Tuesday morning. And then curity Council. ing us to move to this bill. But, no, we Collins amendment No. 1377 (to Amend- couldn’t because we were tied up with to talk about 30 hours afterwards, that ment No. 1351), to ensure that certain per- judges, the nuclear option. We were is one of the biggest farces we have sons do not evade or avoid the prohibition happy when he finally brought it to the around here. If you are lucky, you can imposed under the International Emergency floor 2 days ago. But little did we know have a vote or two during the 30 hours, Economic Powers Act. it was apparently just an effort to get but remember, there is no necessity to Durbin amendment No. 1379, to require cer- another thing off the shelf. We are have a vote on anything. It is all up to tain dietary supplement manufacturers to here, ready to debate the numerous im- the majority what they let us vote on. report certain serious adverse events. In a time of war, does that mean we Hutchison/Nelson (FL) amendment No. portant issues raised by the legislation. 1357, to express the sense of the Senate with We won’t be able to do that. speed through this? I would think that regard to manned space flight. I hope the Republican leadership will we should take an inordinate amount Thune amendment No. 1389, to postpone reconsider this action. Let us get back of time, lots of time, when we are in a the 2005 round of defense base closure and re- to work on this important bill. I re- state of war. And we are in a state of alignment. peat: We are going to oppose cloture, war. Just ask the people of Great Brit- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- and that is the only thing we can do, in ain. pore. The Senator from Virginia. VerDate Aug 04 2004 03:56 Jul 23, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G22JY6.006 S22JYPT1 S8718 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 22, 2005 Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I tion for cloture will be vitiated. That is is made by the majority leader, with was present last night.
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