E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2002 No. 33 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable E. BENJAMIN NELSON, on this debate than we earlier thought. called to order by the Honorable E. a Senator from the State of Nebraska, to As the principal opponent of the bill, I BENJAMIN NELSON, a Senator from the perform the duties of the Chair. want to lock in a time for my final State of Nebraska. ROBERT C. BYRD, statement on the bill. Should cloture President pro tempore. be invoked and we are in the 3-hour PRAYER Mr. E. BENJAMIN NELSON there- postcloture period, I ask unanimous upon assumed the chair as Acting The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John consent I be allowed to give my final President pro tempore. Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: statement at 2 p.m. Lord God of truth, who calls us to ab- f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. Without objection, it is so or- solute honesty in everything we say, RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING dered. we renew our commitment to truth. In MAJORITY LEADER a time in which people no longer expect The Republican leader. to hear the truth, or what’s worse, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I apologize don’t see the need consistently to pore. The Senator from Nevada is rec- to Senator REID. I came in as he was speak it, make us straight arrows who ognized. wrapping up his remarks. hit the target of absolute honesty. Help f With regard to the time on the vote at 1 p.m., there has been some indica- us to be people on whom others always SCHEDULE can depend for unswerving integrity. tion maybe we could start that vote 10 May the reliability of our words earn Mr. REID. The Senate will resume minutes earlier. What is anticipated? us the right to give righteous leader- consideration of the Campaign Finance Mr. REID. I indicated there has been ship. Thank You for the wonderful free- Reform Act in a brief minute or two. some talk of that. I will discuss that dom that comes from a consistency be- The Senate will vote on cloture at 1 with the majority leader. It probably tween what we promise and what we p.m. We have received word there may would work to everyone’s advantage to do. You are present where truth is spo- be an effort to move the vote up a little move that up. We will do that as soon ken. Thank You for reigning supreme bit because of a meeting at the White as possible. in this Senate Chamber today. In the House. We will be happy to take that If I could have the attention of the name of our Lord and Saviour. Amen. under consideration. If cloture is in- Senator from Kentucky, just so we voked, there will be an additional 3 could have some idea because other f hours of debate prior to final passage of people wish to speak, do you have an PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE campaign finance reform. idea how long you wish to speak at 2 We have already had a number of re- p.m.? You can have as much time as The Honorable E. BENJAMIN NELSON quests for people to speak between 12 led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: you want. and 1 p.m. We would like to reserve Mr. MCCONNELL. I believe I control I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the that time for the two leaders and those the time on this side, unless the leader United States of America, and to the Repub- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, who have been so active in supporting wants to control the time. I could use indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. this bill: Senators FEINGOLD and up to an hour during that period, be- MCCAIN, and Senators MCCONNELL and ginning at 2 p.m. f GRAMM in opposition thereto. People I have one other request on this side APPOINTMENT OF ACTING desiring to speak on this legislation for an extensive amount of time, and PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE should get over here and do that now that is Senator GRAMM of Texas, who because the time between 12 and when The PRESIDING OFFICER. The was going to speak from 12 to 1, but I we vote on this will be jammed with clerk will please read a communication gather others are requesting that same Members most directly involved on the to the Senate from the President pro period. bill. Mr. REID. In response to my friend tempore (Mr. BYRD). We will move this vote up if the mi- from Kentucky, what we are going to The assistant legislative clerk read nority wants us to do that, and we ask try to do, even though it is not part of the following letter: Members to move as quickly as pos- the consent, is work back and forth on U.S. SENATE, sible. the time. Senator GRAMM certainly de- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, March 20, 2002. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- serves extended time on this most im- To the Senate: pore. The Senator from Kentucky. portant issue. I was thinking we would Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, we do it by process of elimination: major- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby have ended up with a little more time ity leader, the minority leader wishes ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2095 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 20:44 Jan 09, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2002SENATE\S20MR2.REC S20MR2 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S2096 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 20, 2002 to speak, you wish to speak during that some harm, in place of good. To have restricting broadcast advertising for 60 period, Senators MCCAIN and FEINGOLD no amendment capable of changing it days before an election. This is the don’t wish to speak. Then we will get is a very bad process that will result in part of the bill that I think is unconsti- back to you right away and maybe you a bad bill. tutional. How many times have we want to speak later or both times. Last year I proposed several reforms heard that a large portion of the voting Mr. MCCONNELL. Since I will be that were in a bill I introduced. I am public really doesn’t focus on the cam- controlling an hour and a half of the glad to see included in the current leg- paign until 2 weeks before the election? precloture time, I will try to work that islation a provision that limits the A poll taken 2 weeks before an election out in such a way to accommodate amount of loans a candidate can repay, is not really valid, and any candidate Senator GRAMM. Senator HUTCHISON of loans made to his or her own race. But will tell you that, because so much can Texas is here to use some of our time. there are several provisions I intro- happen in that last 2 weeks. That is We will be happy to begin. duced that are not included in the bill. when the majority of the public begins First, I believe an inordinate amount to collect the data they have been get- f of campaign contributions can come ting in the mail to start studying it. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME from outside a person’s home State or They start to listen to what is being said on television, which is where most The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- district. You can say: Make that an issue. Just tell everyone the majority people get their news. Now people are pore. Under the previous order, the just beginning to tune in, the heat is leadership time is reserved. of a person’s contributions are coming from outside the State. on, and we are restricting the capa- f But what we are doing in this bill is bility for that broadcast message. exacerbating the problem. In the bill I I think this is an area of free speech BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN REFORM with which we cannot afford to tamper, ACT OF 2002 introduced last year, I said that 60 per- cent of campaign contributions should to lessen the capability to be heard in The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- come from a Member or candidate’s this medium. I think this is what will pore. Under the previous order, the home State or district, because I do be thrown out in the end. Senate will now resume consideration not think a group from outside the I have to say I do not like the idea of of H.R. 2356, which the clerk will report State should be able to drown out the voting cloture on a bill that has just by title. people of the State or district. The bill come back from the House, has been The assistant legislative clerk read that is before us today is going to amended in the House, and to say the as follows: allow outside groups, whose contribu- Senate really should not have the abil- A bill (H.R. 2356) to amend the Federal tors we do not know, to have unregu- ity to amend the bill because if we do Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide bi- lated access to the system and limit that, somehow it will delay it further partisan campaign reform.