E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 147 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2001 No. 73 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable MICHAEL D. CRAPO, a keep us posted on how the conference called to order by the Honorable MI- Senator from the State of Idaho, to perform is proceeding so we are better equipped CHAEL D. CRAPO, a Senator from the the duties of the Chair. to answer the phone calls we get. State of Idaho. STROM THURMOND, President pro tempore. Mr. THOMAS. I yield to the chair- PRAYER Mr. CRAPO thereupon assumed the man of the Finance Committee. The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John chair as Acting President pro tempore. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: f pore. The Senator from Iowa. Gracious Father, Lord of the ups and RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Mr. GRASSLEY. I thank the distin- downs of life, Lord of the seeming tri- guished Democratic leader for asking The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- umphs and supposed disappointments, the question. I hope I can answer it. pore. Under the previous order, leader- Lord who does not change in the midst Remember, I have tried to conduct the ship time is reserved. of change, we come to You for Your work of the Finance Committee in a strength and Your power. Make us f very transparent way and with open hopeful people who expect great RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING communication with everybody. So strength from You and continue to at- MAJORITY LEADER there will not be anything about this tempt great strategies for You. Today conference committee, except the spe- especially, we ask You to fill this The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The Senator from Wyoming. cific negotiations, that will be kept Chamber with Your presence and each from anybody. Senator—Democrat, Republican, Inde- f Last night there were some—well, pendent—with Your special resiliency. SCHEDULE Replenish our wells with Your peace yesterday over the course of the after- that passes understanding. We claim Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, today noon and evening there were three in- Your promise through Isaiah—Fear not, the Senate will be in a period for morn- formal meetings, and they are going to for I am with you. Be not dismayed, I am ing business until 11:30 a.m., with Sen- continue this morning, probably in just your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I ators THOMAS and DURBIN in control. a few minutes. There have not been will help you; and I will uphold you with Following morning business, the Sen- any decisions made yet, but the normal My righteous right hand. Amen. ate may begin consideration of any leg- give and take that has to be done be- islative or executive items available f fore settling down to serious negotia- for action. The conference report to ac- tion is done and out of the way. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE company the tax reconciliation bill is What I can best inform you about is expected to be available no later than The Honorable MICHAEL D. CRAPO led that at the trail end of our visiting Friday. Therefore, we expect votes the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: yesterday the Speaker of the House throughout the remainder of the week. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the came to our meeting and he informed I thank my colleagues for their at- United States of America, and to the Repub- all conferees that he had instructed the lic for which it stands, one nation under God, tention. House of Representatives that they indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. CONFERENCE REPORT PROGRESS would stay in session into the weekend f Mr. REID. Will the Senator from Wy- until this conference report was adopt- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING oming yield? ed. That does not mean we have to be Mr. THOMAS. Absolutely. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE in on the weekend. Mr. REID. I see the chairman of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Finance Committee. I ask him if we There has to be a realization that clerk will please read a communication made progress on the conference. there has to be a slot of give and take. to the Senate from the President pro Mr. THOMAS. The chairman is going There is good spirit about the con- tempore (Mr. THURMOND). to take a few minutes. ference at this point, and we will just The assistant legislative clerk read Mr. REID. The reason I say that, it is have to work our way through it. That the following letter: Thursday morning early, but we have is all I can tell the Senator. I will be U.S. SENATE, already been getting calls on this side glad to keep him informed anytime he PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, May 24, 2001. about people wanting to make parades wants to ask, and even if he does not To the Senate: on Saturday and things of that nature. ask, I know I have a responsibility to Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, I hope the Senator will be good enough keep him informed, and I will try to do of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby this morning and during the day to that. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5571 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:11 Dec 20, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA425\1997-2008-FILES-4-SS-PROJECT\2001-SENATE-REC-FILES\RECFILES-NEW\S mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S5572 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 24, 2001 MORNING BUSINESS it took a very special person to do I laid out the entire matter in much The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- that. I think Secretary Rumsfeld is greater detail in a letter I wrote to the pore. Under the previous order, there coming to grips with that very same chairman of the Budget Committee, will now be a period for the transaction problem right now. my friend from New Mexico, Senator of morning business, with Senators Over the years, PA&E developed a PETE DOMENICI. permitted to speak therein for not to ruputation for being very hardnosed, My letter to Senator DOMENICI is exceed 5 minutes. but also being very smart. In the old dated January 19, 1995. Under the previous order, the time days, PA&E put the fear of God in the I wrote the letter because Dr. Chu until 10:45 a.m. shall be under the con- harts and minds of admirals and gen- was being considered as a possible Di- trol of the Senator from Wyoming, Mr. erals worried about their pet projects. rector of the Congressional Budget Of- fice. I opposed his appointment to that THOMAS, or his designee. Over the years, PA&E earned a solid The Senator from Iowa. reputation and well-deserved respect. position. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, is That is how it came to be known as the My letter about Dr. Chu has re- the Senator from Wyoming finished? home for the famous Pentagon ‘‘whiz mained a closely guarded secret for the Mr. THOMAS. I yield to the Senator. kids.’’ One of the modern-day whiz kids past six years. Until recently, only Senator DOMENICI had seen the letter— f is one I came to know quite well— Franklin C. Spinney, Chuck Spinney and no one else. NOMINATION OF DAVID CHU for short. When I heard that Dr. Chu was being Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I Chuck Spinney worked for Dr. Chu in considered for a top-level post in the want to speak about something I have PA&E’s tactical air division, where he Pentagon, I shared the letter with the often spoken about in this Chamber. still works this very day. Chuck Spin- Director of White House Personnel. My colleagues have not heard me speak ney’s immediate boss was Tom That was on March 8. about this for a couple months. I try to Christie. Tom Christie is another dis- Clearly, the existence of this letter follow on a very regular basis what is tinguished PA&E alumnus. President has caused some heartburn in both the going on in the Defense Department be- Bush has just nominated him to be the White House and Pentagon. It has gen- cause I want to make sure our defense next Director of Operational Test and erated a number of phone calls to my dollars are spent wisely. Evaluation. office. I come to this Chamber today to ex- Tom Christie deserves a lot of credit I continue to have strong reserva- plain my opposition to a Department of for protecting Chuck Spinney. He pro- tions about Dr. Chu’s nomination. Defense nomination. This is the nomi- vided a sanctuary where Chuck Spin- When I was contacted by the White nation of Dr. David Chu to be Under ney could speak freely. He provided an House about Dr. Chu, I made my posi- Secretary of Defense for Personnel and environment where Chuck Spinney tion crystal clear: If Secretary Rumsfeld wants to make Readiness. could do the kind of work that PA&E On Friday, May 18, I placed a hold on had always done. Unfortunately, this Dr. Chu the Under Secretary of Per- Dr. Chu’s nomination. It happens that kind of work became increasingly un- sonnel and Readiness, then Secretary Dr.