S7544 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE July 16, 1997 Provided, That such terms and conditions are my understanding that it is not pos- The amendment (No. 894), as modi- mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the sible to get a time agreement on that fied, was agreed to. landowner. amendment at this time. Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and So, Mr. President, seeing my col- move to reconsider the vote by which Water Development Appropriations Act, league from Alaska on his feet, I yield 1998''. the amendment was agreed to. the floor. Mr. MCCONNELL. I move to lay that f Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the motion on the table. FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT Chair. The motion to lay on the table was FINANCING, AND RELATED PRO- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- agreed to. GRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, ator from Alaska. Several Senators addressed the 1998 Mr. MURKOWSKI. I thank the chair- Chair. man. The Senate continued with the con- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- AMENDMENT NO. 894, AS MODIFIED sideration of the bill. ator from Kentucky. (Purpose: To provide an additional condition Mr. MCCONNELL. The Senator from AMENDMENT NO. 888 on the availability of $14 million in debt Kansas has been here patiently on the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The relief for North Korea) floor for some time and ready to offer question is on agreeing to the amend- Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I two amendments which have been ment of the Senator from Oregon. call up amendment No. 894, and I send cleared on both sides. The amendment (No. 888), as amend- a modification of the amendment to Therefore, I yield the floor. ed, was agreed to. the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ator from Kansas. move to reconsider the vote by which clerk will report. Mr. BROWNBACK. I thank the chair- The legislative clerk read as follows: the amendment was agreed to. man very much. Mr. LEAHY. I move to lay that mo- The Senator from Alaska [Mr. MURKOW- AMENDMENT NO. 892 tion on the table. SKI], for himself, Mr. MCCAIN, and Mr. NICK- Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I The motion to lay on the table was LES, proposes an amendment numbered 894, as modified. call up my amendment numbered 892. agreed to. Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR ask unanimous consent that reading of amendment is now pending. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I the amendment be dispensed with. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that William The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without rise today to introduce an amendment D. Jackson, a congressional fellow on objection, it is so ordered. to S. 955. Senator JEFFORDS' staff, be granted The amendment is as follows: This amendment deals with the Unit- privileges of the floor for the pendency On page 33, line 9, strike the period and in- ed States policy for the south Caucasus of this legislation. sert in lieu thereof the following: ``Provided and Central Asia, an area of the world The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without further, That the additional $14,000,000 made that was once crisscrossed by the an- objection, it is so ordered. available to KEDO under this heading may not be obligated or expended until the Sec- cient Silk Road, which includes the Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, retary of State certifies and reports to Con- countriesÐI have a map here for Sen- Senator MURKOWSKI is here for the pur- gress that North Korea has not violated the ators to be able to look atÐof Arme- pose of modifying his own amendment. Military Armistice Agreement of 1953 during nia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakstan, We are going to go to Senator the preceding nine months.''. Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, BROWNBACK, who has two amendments The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and Uzbekistan. This amendment deals to offer which have been cleared on ator's amendment is so modified. with these countries. both sides; then to Senator ALLARD, Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I These countries are very vital and who has an amendment on which I un- ask that my colleagues, Senator important countries at a crossroads in derstand it is possible to get a 30- MCCAIN and Senator NICKLES, be named their development. They are, as I men- minute time agreement equally di- as cosponsors. tioned, along the ancient Silk Road, if vided. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without people can imagine and conjure up So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous objection, it is so ordered. those images of that area of the world consent that the Allard amendment, Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it and the importance it has had in the when it is offered, be limited to 30 min- is my understanding that the amend- past and the importance it now has and utes of debate equally divided. ment has been agreed to on both sides. will continue to have for U.S. policy. Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, reserv- It provides that the additional $14 mil- We have vital political, social and eco- ing the right to object, I think there lion appropriated to relieve the KEDO nomic interests there, and they need to was a mistake in the remarks. There debt not be available until the Sec- be acted on before it is too late. was going to be 15 minutes on each retary of State certificates that North They are independent for the first side, and the request was for 15 min- Korea has not violated the military ar- time in almost a century. They are lo- utes equally divided. I wanted to clar- mistice agreement of 1953 during the cated at the juncture of many of to- ify. preceding 9 months. day's major world forces, and they are Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, reserving Basically, the amendment puts North all rich in natural resources. And they the right to object, why don't we with- Korea on notice that additional funds are looking west for the first time. hold the request on the Allard amend- will not be available if North Korea They are emerging after nearly a cen- commits another violation like the in- ment until I see what it is. But I don't tury of being plundered by a Com- cident this morning at the DMZ. know whether that is going to be munist regime. While actively taking I urge adoption of the amendment. enough time. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, it is out their resources, the Soviets put lit- Mr. McCONNELL. I am sorry. I my understanding that this amend- tle back. These countries now find apologize to my colleague from Ver- ment is not objected to by either side. themselves free to govern themselves. mont. I thought he knew the substance I am unaware of any additional speak- Again, as I stated earlier, they are of the Allard amendment. So I will ers. looking west. The very fact that they withhold on asking for a time agree- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas have had little experience with inde- ment on the Allard amendment for the and nays have previously been ordered. pendence, and that their economies are moment. Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous essentially starting from scratch, Then Senator HUTCHISON is here to consent to vitiate the order for the leaves them in a precarious situation, offer an amendment with regard to yeas and nays. which is all the more precarious be- MFN and China. Then Senator DODD The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without cause of their geographic location. and Senator MCCAIN wish to offer an objection, it is so ordered. Consider this: They are placed be- amendment related to the drug certifi- Is there further debate? If not, the tween the empire from which they re- cation process for Mexico, which will question is on agreeing to the amend- cently declared independence and an be a rather spirited discussion, and it is ment of the Senator from Alaska. extremist Islamic regime to the July 16, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE S7545 southÐboth of which have a strong in- I urge my colleagues to adopt this gathering intelligence information regarding terest in exerting economic and politi- amendment. human rights abuses and acts of religious cal pressure upon them. I believe it has been worked out with persecution. both the majority and the minority (b) REPORT.ÐNot later than March 30, 1998, All of the Silk Road countries are the President shall submit to the Permanent currently seeking U.S. investment and staff to agree to this amendment. I ask Select Committee on Intelligence of the encouragement, and are looking to us that the amendment be agreed to. House of Representatives and the Select to participate actively in working out Mr. President, I urge its adoption. Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a regional political, economic and strate- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there report on the number of personnel and re- gic cooperation. further debate on the amendment? If sources that are being devoted to gathering Mr. President, we should be actively not, the question is on agreeing to the intelligence information regarding human responding to their appeals. We have amendment. rights abuses and acts of religious persecu- tion. now the opportunity to spread freedom The amendment (No. 892) was agreed and democratic ideals in a region his- to. Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I torically dominated by Russia and Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to Iran. The doors are open to promote in- move to reconsider the vote. this bill that would require the Clinton Mr. BROWNBACK. I move to lay that stitutions of democratic government administration to improve the manner motion on the table.