S9450 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE September 17, 1997 the debate, which is on a seriously con- are proceeding. We should have those Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask tested amendment. bills from conference today. unanimous consent that the pending I suggest the absence of a quorum. We have just passed a military con- amendment be laid aside. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The struction bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without clerk will call the roll. We have in conference the Depart- objection, it is so ordered. The legislative clerk proceeded to ment of Defense conference which had Mr. BRYAN. I thank the Chair. call the roll. its first meeting yesterday. AMENDMENT NO. 1205 Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask The VA±HUD bill, the Energy bill, (Purpose: To reduce funding for Forest unanimous consent that the order for the foreign ops bill, and Transpor- Service road construction and eliminate the the quorum call be rescinded. tationÐwe expect, Mr. President, all of purchaser credit program) The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without those will be out of conference early Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I offer an objection, it is so ordered. next week. amendment and submit it for imme- The Senator from Alaska is recog- That will leave us five bills to still diate consideration. nized. finish. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Mr. STEVENS. Thank you, Mr. The District of Columbia bill has not clerk will report the amendment. President. passed the Senate yet, nor the House. The legislative clerk read as follows: The Senator from Nevada [Mr. BRYAN], for f We have before us now, under the guidance of the Senator from Washing- himself, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. TORRICELLI, proposes an amendment numbered 1205. LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN ton [Mr. GORTON], the Interior bill. We SERVICES AND EDUCATION AP- expect it to be finished here this week Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask PROPRIATIONS ACT AND OTHER and go to conference and, hopefully, unanimous consent that further read- APPROPRIATIONS BILLS come back to the Senate next week. ing of the amendment be dispensed with. Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I want As I have said, the Labor, Health and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without to take just a few minutes of the Sen- Human Services bill, the House needs to pass that. We hope it will get to it objection, it is so ordered. ate's time to comment upon the pas- The amendment is as follows: sage of Senate bill 1061, the Labor, soon. That will leave us the Commerce, On page 65, line 18, strike ``$160,269,000'' and Health and Human Services, and Edu- State, Justice bill, and the Treasury insert ``$150,269,000''. cation Appropriations Act. billÐall of which, Mr. President, it is On page 65, line 23, after ``205'' insert ``, During the 104th Congress, the bill still our goal to try and get them to none of which amount shall be available for from this subcommittee was the center the President by the 30th of September. purchaser credits in connection with timber Mr. President, it will mean perhaps, sales advertised after September 30, 1997, un- of political controversy between the less the credits were earned in connection Congress and the White House, and though, we will have to have still a with sales advertised on or before that date within the Senate itself. We did not continuing resolution to give the Presi- (and no purchaser credits shall be earned for succeed in passing a bill as a separate dent the time that he needs to review the construction or reconstruction of roads measure for these functions in the all of these bills. I am hopeful that the on the National Forest transportation sys- 104th Congress. House will send us a continuing resolu- tem in connection with timber sales adver- Thursday's vote of 91 to 8 sent a clear tionÐa clean continuing resolutionÐ tised after that date (but the foregoing dis- sometime early next week. allowance of purchaser credits shall not af- signal of the Senate's support for the fect the availability of the purchaser elec- leadership shown by Senators SPECTER I commend the Senator from Wash- tion under section 14(i) of the National For- and HARKIN. They crafted a bill that ington on this bill. I am hopeful the est Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. emerged from our Appropriations Com- Senate will work with us to make sure 472a(i)))''. mittee unanimously. that this bill is finished here today, if On page 127, between lines 15 and 16, insert The statement of administration pol- it is at all possible. the following: icy raised a few differences, but it indi- I thank the Chair. SEC. TREATMENT OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who COSTS ESTIMATED FOR TIMBER cated strong bipartisan support for this SALES AS MONEY RECEIVED FOR bill. The most contentious votes we seeks time? THE PURPOSE OF PAYMENTS TO have faced this year on appropriations Mr. STEVENS. I suggest the absence THE STATES FOR SCHOOLS AND ROADS. bills were on the Labor, Health and of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The During fiscal year 1998, the term ``money Human Services bill. clerk will call the roll. received'', for the purposes of the Act enti- Despite the strong feelings generated The legislative clerk proceeded to tled ``An Act making appropriations for the by those issues, the debate was fair. Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year call the roll. ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and The entire Senate came together to Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask pass the bill, and sent the unambiguous nine'', approved May 23, 1908 (35 Stat. 260, unanimous consent that the order for chapter 192; 16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of message that I referred toÐwe want to the quorum call be rescinded. the act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 963, chapter see this bill enacted this year. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 186; 16 U.S.C. 500), shall includeÐ Supporting the work of the sub- objection, it is so ordered. (1) the amount of purchaser credits earned committee has been an extremely expe- in connection with timber sales advertised f rienced and effective staff. Craig Hig- on or before September 30, 1997; and gins serves as clerk of the subcommit- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (2) the amount of specified road construc- tion costs estimated in the agency appraisal tee. He is joined by Marsha Simon, who AND RELATED AGENCIES APPRO- process in connection with timber sales ad- assists Senator HARKIN as the minority PRIATIONS ACT, 1998 vertised after that date. clerk. Bettilou Taylor, Dale Cabaniss, The Senate continued with the con- Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I am al- Lula Edwards, and Carole Geagley sideration of the bill. ways pleased, when I have the oppor- round out the subcommittee staff. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tunity, as I do this afternoon, to sup- I commend not only the chairman the unanimous-consent agreement, port, and in this instance actually pro- and ranking member but all of the staff there will be 90 minutes, equally di- pose, legislation that benefits both the for the hard work and the effort they vided, on the pending business before American taxpayer and the environ- put into preparing the bill in a fashion the Senate. In addition, there are no ment. that received such strong, strong sup- second-degree amendments to be in The amendment I am offering today port in the committee, and from the order. eliminates a subsidy used primarily by Senate. The Senator is recognized. large timber companies that not only We eagerly now await the passage of Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, may I in- has negative consequences for the tax- that bill by the House, so we can have quire, does it require a unanimous con- payers but also a detrimental effect on the conference commence and get the sent to set aside the pending amend- the environment. bill to the President prior to Septem- ment for purposes of consideration of Each year, American taxpayers spend ber 30, I hope. this proposed amendment? millions of dollars to subsidize the con- I also report to the Senate that the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- struction of roads needed for logging Agriculture and legislative conferences ator is correct. on national forest lands. September 17, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE S9451 The appropriations bill before us it attached to that sale and credits the their road cost estimates because pur- today contains a $47.4 million appro- account in that amount to the timber chasers are not required to report ac- priation for the Forest Service to as- contract holder as the road is con- tual costs of construction and recon- sist in the construction and recon- structed. The contractor, therefore, struction. So if actual road costs are struction of timber roads in our na- has immediate access to the credits to overestimated, the extra purchaser tional forests. In addition, the bill, and be used in place of cash deposits and credits awarded and subsequently trad- accompanying report, provide affirma- the agency, the purchaser, is also given ed for timber represent a windfall prof- tive direction to the Forest Service in- discretion to use the credit on any tim- it for the purchaser, a profit that structing them to continue the pur- ber sale contract that it holds in the comes at the public's expense. This in- chaser credit program without limita- forest. The Forest Service allows the efficient situation would be eliminated tion. transfer of purchaser credits between if purchaser credits were abolished. The purchaser credit program allows timber sales located within the same Contrary to what you will hear from the Forest Service to subsidize the national forest.