Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 107Th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 147 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2001 No. 13 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING MEASURE PLACED ON THE called to order by the Honorable PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE CALENDAR—S. 220 GEORGE ALLEN, a Senator from the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I un- State of Virginia. clerk will please read a communication derstand there is a bill at the desk due to the Senate. for a second reading. PRAYER The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John The legislative clerk read the fol- lowing letter: pore. The clerk will report the bill by Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: title. U.S. SENATE, God, our help in ages past and our The assistant legislative clerk read PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, hope for years to come, we thank You as follows: for our Constitution and the stability Washington, DC, January 31, 2001. A bill (S. 220) to amend title 11 of the and strength it has provided for our be- To the Senate: Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, United States code, and for other purposes. loved Nation. Today, we gratefully re- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I object member the life and leadership of appoint the Honorable GEORGE ALLEN, a Sen- to further reading of this bill at this Gouverneur Morris, born on this day in ator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, to time. 1752. We prayerfully recall that he was perform the duties of the Chair. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the writer of the final draft of the Con- STROM THURMOND, pore. Under the rule, the bill will be stitution, the head of the Committee President pro tempore. placed on the calendar. on Style, and the originator of the Mr. ALLEN thereupon assumed the f phrase, ‘‘We the people of the United chair as Acting President pro tempore. States.’’ DEBATE ON THE ASHCROFT Thank You for the impact of Mr. f NOMINATION Morris, who at the age of thirty-five RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I also became a member of the Continental MAJORITY LEADER wish to bring to the attention of my Congress and spoke 173 times during colleagues the fact we had significant the Constitutional debates, more than The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- debate on this last night. Senator SES- any other delegate. We honor his mem- pore. The Chair recognizes the assist- SIONS did an outstanding job in making ory, not just for the quantity of his ant majority leader, the Senator from his presentation. I encourage col- words but for their quality. In par- Oklahoma, Mr. NICKLES. leagues to review his statements and ticular, we are moved by his conviction f encourage all colleagues who wish to about You. ‘‘There is one Comforter,’’ speak on this nomination to come to he said ‘‘who weighs our Minutes and SCHEDULE the floor early and make their state- Numbers out our Days.’’ About the im- ments so we can confirm John Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, today portance of a strong faith in You he Ashcroft, or have a vote on his con- the Senate will be in a period of morn- said, ‘‘Religion is the only solid basis firmation by tomorrow. ing business until 10:30, with Senators of good morals; therefore education Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could BROWNBACK and DURBIN in control of should teach the precepts of religion, ask my colleague to yield for a brief the time. Following morning business, and the duties of man toward God.’’ interruption. the Senate will proceed to executive May we never forget that ‘‘morality is Mr. NICKLES. I yield. session to consider the nomination of truth in full bloom.’’ Father, keep Mr. REID. Thank you, Mr. President. John Ashcroft to be the Attorney Gen- America rooted in Your moral abso- I thank my friend from Oklahoma. I eral of the United States. Debate on lutes. You are our Judge and Re- know how important his statement is. the nomination will be the business of deemer. Amen. I know how much of a tragedy the the day, and the Senate will remain in State of Oklahoma and everyone in the f session into the evening to allow all country suffered. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Members adequate time to discuss this But I did want to say before we left The Honorable SAM BROWNBACK, a nomination. It is hoped a vote on the the floor that we agree with the Sen- Senator from the State of Kansas, led confirmation of John Ashcroft will ator that the debate should go forward the pledge of Allegiance, as follows: occur early in Thursday’s session. Sen- in full flow, and I say to the Demo- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the ators will be notified as that vote is cratic Senators within the sound of my United States of America, and to the Repub- scheduled. voice, this could be a very late night. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, I thank my colleagues for their at- We have a lot of people on the Demo- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. tention. cratic side who want to speak on this ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S835 . VerDate 31-JAN-2001 03:06 Feb 01, 2001 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A31JA6.000 pfrm02 PsN: S31PT1 S836 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 31, 2001 nomination. They are going to have Eight other individuals that were on Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I that opportunity. the plane were a part of the team in believe under a previous agreement I We did not do as much talking as various capacities and it is a real trag- have 15 minutes allocated to me; is probably should have taken place last edy, a tragedy to our State and to our that correct? night. We completed our work at 7 university. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- o’clock. We expected to go to 9. I think Today there is a memorial service pore. The Senator was to have until tonight we will go at least until 9 or 10 taking place at Oklahoma State Uni- 10:15. It is now 10:12. o’clock. versity to memorialize these 10 excep- Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I I say to Democratic Senators, they tional individuals. ask unanimous consent that I be al- should be prepared because there may One of the individuals was Nate lowed to speak for up to 15 minutes as not be a tomorrow. I know there are ef- Fleming. His sister served as an intern in morning business. forts around here to move this forward. in my office. He was a nephew of one of The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- We have completed 14 of the 15 nomina- my best friends and an outstanding pore. Is there objection? Mr. DURBIN. Reserving the right to tions that had been sent to us by the athlete. Nate was a National Honor So- object, and I will not object, but I want President, which is a record-setting ciety member and valedictorian of his to reserve 15 minutes in morning busi- pace. We want to move forward on the class. He was only 20 years old. ness after Senator BROWNBACK. Ashcroft nomination as quickly as we Another team member, Daniel Lawson, 21, was a junior and played The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- can. We hope it does not have to go pore. Without objection, it is so or- into next week. We will need coopera- guard. He was originally from Detroit, Michigan. Another was Pat Noyes, 27. dered. tion from the Republican side. We are The Senator from Kansas is recog- Pat was director of basketball oper- going to do the best we can to have nized for 15 minutes. somebody in place just as quickly as ations at Oklahoma State University. Mr. BROWNBACK. I thank the Chair. Brian Luinstra, 29, the athletic train- we can. f I, again, apologize for interrupting er, leaves a wife and two children. my friend, but I appreciate his allowing Will Hancock, 31, was in his fifth MOMENT OF SILENCE me to do so. year as coordinator of media relations. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I Mr. NICKLES. I appreciate my col- His wife, Karen, is the coach of the note with sadness what took place at league’s comments. I echo that. I en- OSU women’s soccer team and they Oklahoma State. That was a terrible courage all Senators who wish to speak had their first child just this last No- tragedy. I was reading about it in our on the Ashcroft nomination to come to vember. papers in Kansas. That happened to the floor earlier today, rather than Jared Weiberg, 22, was a student Wichita State University about 30 later today. It was a little regrettable manager and nephew of the Big 12 com- years ago. It still has not really healed. because I think both leaders had stated missioner, Kevin Weiberg. Jared was a Somehow when you take that young publicly we intended to be in session part of the team and will most cer- life and that vibrant seed with the late last night for this nomination. But tainly be missed by all.