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, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002 No. 115 Senate The Senate met at 9:45 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING has not quite been done yet, but Mem- called to order by the Honorable JACK PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE bers should understand there very pos- REED, a Senator from the State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The sibly could be votes at 2 o’clock today. Rhode Island. clerk will please read a communication Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, will the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The to the Senate from the President pro Senator yield? prayer today will be offered by the Mr. REID. I am happy to yield. tempore (Mr. BYRD). guest Chaplain, the Reverend F. Ken- The legislative clerk read the fol- Mr. CRAIG. I think the leader has neth Hoffer, Mount Culmen Evan- lowing letter: certainly appropriately explained gelical Congregational Church, East where we are with the Craig-Domenici U.S. SENATE, Earl, PA. amendment and our efforts. We have PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, Washington, DC, September 12, 2002. met consistently over the last several PRAYER To the Senate: days with colleagues on both sides of The guest Chaplain offered the fol- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, the aisle to see if we could strike a bi- lowing prayer: of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby partisan agreement. At this time we Please join me in prayer. appoint the Honorable JACK REED, a Senator are working with Senator FEINSTEIN Almighty God, we lift our thanks for from the State of Rhode Island, to perform and Senator WYDEN to see if we can Your guidance which has preserved our the duties of the Chair. come together so they can come to Nation, a nation ‘‘under God,’’ and for ROBERT C. BYRD, President pro tempore. your caucus to determine whether we the peaceful continuity of government can pick up support in a bipartisan in America. Mr. REED thereupon assumed the way. We look gratefully to the past, Chair as Acting President pro tempore. We would like to have the remainder thanking You that from the founda- f of the day to work. At the same time, tions of America, You granted our fore- I recognize the frustration holding up RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING fathers courage and wisdom, as they the Interior appropriations bill for this MAJORITY LEADER trusted in You. purpose. I think both the Senator and I By their example to lead, guide, and The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- recognize the critical character of what direct, inspire the women and men of pore. The Senator from Nevada is rec- we are trying to do here—or the nature this Senate whom You have entrusted ognized. of it—in resolving this issue. If you can leadership to serve and wage the strug- give us a little more flexibility, I think gle to find peace and justice in our f at some point—probably by the end of world. May they see Your vision and SCHEDULE the day—we will know whether we can wisdom for the problems of this hour Mr. REID. The Senate is going to or cannot go any further. that we face as a nation. vote on Timothy Corrigan to be a dis- Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is really Bless the Senators as they render dy- trict judge for the middle district of a waste of the Senate’s time to debate namic leadership and thank You for all Florida. Following disposition of that his amendment today and, further, we our leaders, diplomats, and military nomination, we will go to the Interior pretty well know the respective posi- personnel. Let our resources be a bill; that is, the pending Craig amend- tions. Senator BYRD will be here to strength to all, regardless of race, ment. The Dodd amendment also has manage the bill this morning. I know creed, faith, age, sex, or national ori- been offered. We hope there can be he has an amendment to offer, as oth- gin. some resolution of the forest amend- ers do. Maybe there could be an agree- May we work together toward peace, ment. If we could do something about ment made to set aside the Senator’s righteousness, and goodness for all peo- the fire suppression amendments that amendment, recognizing that it would ples of all nations. We pray to You, O are around, the Craig amendment and be the matter before the Senate at any God. Amen. there is another to be offered, we could time you call it. We will try to work on f resolve this bill quickly. It appears at something like that. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE this stage that has not been done yet. Mr. CRAIG. I appreciate the Senator The Honorable JACK REED led the After 2 o’clock, we hope there will be saying that. I am certainly willing to Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: a couple of back-to-back votes. They look at that and allow other amend- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the have been cleared on this side and ten- ments that the chairman would think United States of America, and to the Repub- tatively cleared on the other side to are appropriate to move on this amend- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, vote on the Thompson amendment and ment—to move without it being an ob- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. also on the Hollings amendment. That struction. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S8509 . VerDate Sep 04 2002 02:01 Sep 13, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A12SE6.000 S12PT1 S8510 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 12, 2002 The Senator is right, this issue is de- ciples on which this country was found- partisan support in the weeks that fol- fining it. I will probably want to speak ed have not changed. I want to espe- lowed in September and into late Octo- on it, and others may want to do the cially commend Chief Judge William ber. In addition to our work on this same. We have at least a 2-hour time- Sessions of the U.S. District Court for landmark legislation, as well as con- frame to get some work done. I hope we the District of Vermont for proceeding tinued oversight of the Justice Depart- can do it. with an immigration and naturaliza- ment, the FBI and the INS, we contin- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I didn’t tion ceremony in Vermont yesterday. ued to hold judicial nominations hear- mean to say that anybody speaking on What a wonderful gesture, granting ings to help fill vacancies in our Fed- the amendment is a waste of time. I citizenship to a new group of Ameri- eral courts with fair-minded judges. meant to say there is no need to be cans and reminding us that we are a We have now reported 80 judicial speaking unnecessarily when we can do nation of immigrants and that our bor- nominees out of committee. With to- other things. If the Senator or people ders are open to immigrants who come day’s confirmation of Judge Corrigan who oppose his amendment want to to America seeking freedom, oppor- for the Middle District of Florida, we speak, that will be helpful to the Sen- tunity and a better life for their chil- will confirm our 75th judicial nomina- ate. What I am saying to the Senator dren. Whether our relatives came here tion from President George W. Bush. from Idaho is, you don’t need to main- for religious or political freedom in the We have confirmed more of President tain the floor to protect your rights, 17th or 18th centuries, or to escape Bush’s nominees in less than 15 nor do we. I have received calls, as has famine and persecution in the 19th and months—75—than were confirmed in the majority leader, from some Demo- 20th centuries, many of us are descend- the last 30 months that a Republican cratic Senators who believe there may ants of those immigrants. Senator majority controlled the Senate and the be some ability to work out a com- KENNEDY reminded us all earlier this pace of judicial confirmations—73. We promise. year that immigrants are not the prob- have also now confirmed more of Presi- Mr. CRAIG. Good. I thank the Sen- lem, terrorists are the problem. When dent George W. Bush’s judicial nomina- ator for saying that. I did not take that the President appeared last night on tions since July, 2001—75—than were characterization in any critical way. Ellis Island, framed against the back- confirmed in all of 1989 and 1990, the f drop of the Statue of Liberty, that set- first 2 years of the term of his father ting likewise reminds us that we are a President George H.W. Bush—73. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME nation of immigrants. Let this coun- As I have noted through the year, we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- try, and what it stands for, always be a could have accomplished even more pore. Under the previous order, leader- beacon of hope and freedom for the op- with a modicum of cooperation from ship time is reserved. pressed and downtrodden. the White House. I regret that the ad- f I am glad to see the President before ministration and some Senate Repub- EXECUTIVE SESSION the U.N.