Floor Statements

Mr. President. I arise today to introduce legislation to establish a public heliport facility in Clark County, NV.

The purpose of my bill is simple: It would convey about a third of a square mile of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to Clark County for dedicated use as a heliport. The land is located just south of the Henderson city limits and east of Interstate 15.

The establishment of this heliport will help eliminate the ongoing conflict between air tour operators whose overflights of the Grand Canyon represent a classic component of the Las Vegas visitor experience and residents in the west-central and southwestern parts of the Las Vegas Valley whose every day lives are adversely affected by helicopter noise.

For many months now, local officials have sought to establish a heliport on County or private land within the Las Vegas Valley. Their chosen site is currently a go-kart track near Interstate 15 near Henderson. If this site is developed as a heliport facility, helicopter tour operators will soon be flying over the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. In fact, if Congress does not enact my bill, air tours will soon be flying over Sloan Canyon itself--one of the richest petroglyph sites in the Mohave Desert. That outcome would be entirely legal, entirely predictable and entirely regrettable.

In 2002, I worked closely with Senator Ensign, Congresswoman Berkley, Congressman Gibbons and local advocates to ensure protection of the Sloan Canyon area and its unique cultural resources. Through our combined efforts we created the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and the McCullough Mountains Wilderness. I am proud of these efforts and today I offer this legislation as a further effort to protect the precious resources that we worked to safeguard in 2002.

The bill I am introducing in the Senate today would not prohibit helicopter overflights of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area but it would ensure that such flights steer clear of the most sensitive and special cultural resources and minimize the impact on the majestic bighorn sheep and other wildlife that live in the McCullough Mountains.

My legislation stipulates that any helicopter flight originating from and/or landing at this heliport would be required by law to fly no further than 5 miles north of the southernmost boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and at least 500 to 1000 feet above ground level while in the NCA. Further, it requires that every such light contribute 3 dollars per passenger to a special fund dedicated to the protection of the cultural, wilderness, and wildlife resources in Nevada.

These provisions justify conveying the land to Clark County at no cost because they provide a stable, long-term source of funding in excess of the market value of the land and because the conveyance and use are in the public interest.

I look forward to working with the Chairman and Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and my other Senate colleagues to ensure swift passage of this important legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President. I arise today to introduce legislation to establish a public heliport facility in Clark County, NV.

The purpose of my bill is simple: It would convey about a third of a square mile of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to Clark County for dedicated use as a heliport. The land is located just south of the Henderson city limits and east of Interstate 15.

The establishment of this heliport will help eliminate the ongoing conflict between air tour operators whose overflights of the Grand Canyon represent a classic component of the Las Vegas visitor experience and residents in the west-central and southwestern parts of the Las Vegas Valley whose every day lives are adversely affected by helicopter noise.

For many months now, local officials have sought to establish a heliport on County or private land within the Las Vegas Valley. Their chosen site is currently a go-kart track near Interstate 15 near Henderson. If this site is developed as a heliport facility, helicopter tour operators will soon be flying over the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. In fact, if Congress does not enact my bill, air tours will soon be flying over Sloan Canyon itself--one of the richest petroglyph sites in the Mohave Desert. That outcome would be entirely legal, entirely predictable and entirely regrettable.

In 2002, I worked closely with Senator Ensign, Congresswoman Berkley, Congressman Gibbons and local advocates to ensure protection of the Sloan Canyon area and its unique cultural resources. Through our combined efforts we created the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and the McCullough Mountains Wilderness. I am proud of these efforts and today I offer this legislation as a further effort to protect the precious resources that we worked to safeguard in 2002.

The bill I am introducing in the Senate today would not prohibit helicopter overflights of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area but it would ensure that such flights steer clear of the most sensitive and special cultural resources and minimize the impact on the majestic bighorn sheep and other wildlife that live in the McCullough Mountains.

My legislation stipulates that any helicopter flight originating from and/or landing at this heliport would be required by law to fly no further than 5 miles north of the southernmost boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and at least 500 to 1000 feet above ground level while in the NCA. Further, it requires that every such light contribute 3 dollars per passenger to a special fund dedicated to the protection of the cultural, wilderness, and wildlife resources in Nevada.

These provisions justify conveying the land to Clark County at no cost because they provide a stable, long-term source of funding in excess of the market value of the land and because the conveyance and use are in the public interest.

I look forward to working with the Chairman and Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and my other Senate colleagues to ensure swift passage of this important legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, if I could, and I appreciate the Senator yielding, after we finish with the Breaux amendment, there is an agreement that if there is a Republican amendment to be offered we would deal with that. If not, the next amendment we would go to would be to complete the amendment that has already been offered by Senator Dorgan. Following that, if the Republicans want to offer an amendment, that would be fine. If they do not, we would then go to an amendment that has been filed by Senator Graham. We would complete those and perhaps have at least those three votes at or near 2 tomorrow afternoon. That is not a unanimous consent. That is just indicating what we have worked on with the managers of the bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

What is the status of the Senate at this time?

I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak as in morning business.

Mr. President, I am very happy for all Nevadans today that Senator Kerry is now beginning a message of positive accomplishments in the State of Nevada. We have waited some time for this. The Democratic nominee was really selected the first part of March. During the 60 days since then, Senator Kerry has been obligated to get his campaign in order after the very difficult and hectic primary.

Of course, during this period of time there has been $70 million spent to try to define him in a way that was very negative. Senator Kerry's message beginning today is one of a very positive message. It, of course, talks about his being a combat veteran and having received a number of awards for heroism during the time he fought in the jungles of southeast Asia. Senator Kerry not only was decorated for his bravery, but some of those acts of bravery occurred during a time when he was injured.

One time when he was injured, he directed fire to protect somebody who had been knocked off his swift boat into the water, and Senator Kerry himself brought this man to safety even though Senator Kerry himself was injured at the time.

The message to the people of Nevada is that he cares about people, especially the middle class. He is a man of principle. I have served with Senator Kerry now in Congress for some 22 years. He has had extensive experience in State government. He has served the people of Massachusetts now for 30 years. I believe he is a man of integrity and that he will establish to the people of this country that he believes in a stronger America. I am very happy the message that is being pronounced today in the State of Nevada and other places in the country is one of a positive nature. I think we need that.

I hope this campaign for the Presidency of the United States can talk about the positive of each of the two men running for President. I can remember when I first ran for public office, no one would ever consider a negative campaign ad. You searched for what was in your record that you could give to the people, in my instance the State of Nevada, and sometimes as a young man it was very hard to find things because you had not had much experience. But these two men now are very mature and both should run on what they can give the American people and not try to downgrade and belittle the other. I repeat that I hope the campaign will be kept on that high basis. There is no reason it should not. The American people, I think, are tired of negative campaigning.

I see my friend is here. I had a longer statement, but I can work on that

later. I don't know if the Senator is wishing to close this body this evening? I am waiting for him to do so.

If the Senator will yield the floor for me to make a couple of statements.

First of all, Mr. President, the quote the Senator from Kentucky gave of Abraham Lincoln is one of my favorites. I have a little book called ``A Book of 100 Poems.'' In that book, in addition to the poem, is the letter President Lincoln wrote to Mrs. Bixby. It is not a poem but is as beautiful as any poem written.

I have, over the years, taken those words, ``assuage the anguish of your bereavement'' and I have used that phrase in letters that I write to many people who have suffered deaths in their families.

I say to my friend from Kentucky, that is a beautiful letter that President Lincoln wrote. In my ``Book of 100 Poems,'' the letter is copied that he wrote in hand to Mrs. Bixby.

I appreciate the Senator reading that most magnificent letter, the words of President Lincoln.

Of course, talking about Pat Tillman makes everyone understand a little better the sacrifices being made in Iraq.

In response to my friend from Kentucky, the distinguished assistant Republican leader, in the first war, I voted for it. I was the first Democrat to announce it publicly. For the first President Bush's excursion into Iraq, over 90 percent of the costs of that war were borne by other countries. The casualties were not all U.S. casualties in that first war.

In this war, more than 90 percent of the costs of the war are borne by American taxpayers. More than 95 percent of the casualties in Iraq are Americans. That number is now approaching 800. Twenty-one Americans were killed on Saturday and Sunday in Iraq.

My friend, the senior Senator from Kentucky, talks disparagingly-- whether he means to or not--about the United Nations. The President cannot have it both ways. At his press conference he was asked what his plan was. He said he was waiting to hear from the envoy of the United Nations in Iraq. He and his administration continually refers to Brahimi as a person who is beginning to bring some degree of stability to the plan.

The reason the President answered the question that way is the United Nations brings some sense of legitimacy to what is going on there. More importantly than that, if the plan goes forward as some anticipate, there would be others coming to help. It would take the burden off of the U.S. taxpayer and especially the men and women of our armed services.

We are bearing a tremendous burden, not only with our Regular Army, Navy, and Air Force but with our Reserve Forces, a tremendous burden on our Reserve and Guard. Those, including the President, obviously, who refer to Mr. Brahimi are thinking about the need to cut some slack there to the United States.

The United Nations is an organization we helped create. We are the largest donor to that organization. It is an imperfect organization, I would be the first to recognize that. However, it must play a role. It is one of the only ways that I can see that we can move forward with more of the support of the American people, which is being lost.

I voted for the resolution to go to Iraq the first time--you have already heard me say that--and the second time. We cannot cut and run in Iraq. We have to do what we have to do to bring stability to that very unstable part of the world.

However, let's not run down the United Nations. We need them to help bring in others so we do not bear 95 percent of the casualties and more than 90 percent of the costs of what is going on there. There are other countries there and I appreciate them being there, but as far as numbers of troops, we have 135,000 troops; the British have 10,000. The next largest contingency of troops we have is hired security guards. We need to do better than what we are doing in Iraq. This is not in any way to take away from the valor of the men and women serving in that country.

Just last night, somebody lobbed a mortar shell into a military compound there. The soldiers are running around thinking that is all of it and in comes another one and kills five or six of them. These soldiers, these servicemen of ours serving in Iraq, every minute of every day are fearing for their lives, whether they are carrying a gun or driving a truck. We need to have this matter resolved in a way that is not happening now.

I cannot give a blueprint of what needs to be done, but I am grateful the President is recognizing Mr. Brahimi can do some good there. That may not be the only answer, but it is an answer. I hope we can move forward in this matter and bring peace and stability to an area that needs it. I recognize if we could bring peace and stability to Iraq, it would help the whole Middle East. If we could help establish a democracy in Iraq, it would add to the democracy we already have in that area, Israel. It could set a system where other countries would have to focus on how they treat their people. I am all in favor of our bringing about a better situation in Iraq than certainly existed under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

I appreciate the comments of my colleague from Kentucky. I know his heart is in the right place. Hopefully, we can join in moving forward on this most important issue.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Mervin Iverson Elementary School's Erin Berkey, Sarah Boyer, and Carissa Buckley on their selection as one of the 18 Stellar Design Challenges teams for Space Day 2004. I also want to recognize their teacher Katheryn Grimes for her strong instruction and guidance of the student team.

Space Day is an international celebration of the accomplishments and opportunities of space exploration aimed at promoting student interest in math, science, and technology. It reaches hundreds of thousands of teachers and millions of students around the world.

Developed by the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Design Challenges is a national competition that encourages students to create innovative solutions to the challenges of space exploration. The 18 Stellar Design Challenges teams were selected from more than 300 teams who participated in the competition.

The Iverson Elementary School team designed a tool to help explorers on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. The tool is designed to drill into ice ridges on Europa that have already been discovered by the NASA spacecraft Galileo.

The remotely operated tool would also collect samples of ice and water, analyze their chemical compositions, measure temperatures of the surface

ice and hypothesized ocean water underneath, and relay this data back to Earth. The team's project included scale drawings of the tool, and a science fiction story highlighting the tool being used by explorers on Europa.

As a Stellar Design Challenges Team, the Iverson students will attend the national Space Day 2004 ceremony and meet former Senator John Glenn and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. They will also have the opportunity to share their knowledge by displaying their project to more than 1,200 sixth graders in the Washington, DC, area on Space Day.

Their efforts reflect a lot of hard work, dedication and creativity as well as Iverson Elementary School's strong commitment to academic excellence. Please join me in congratulating Iverson Elementary School and its Stellar Design Challenges team on their impressive accomplishment.

Mr. President, I congratulate the American Lung Association as it celebrates its centennial year.

The American Lung Association, established in 1904 as the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, was the first nationwide, voluntary health organization aimed at conquering a specific disease.

While still committed to its initial cause, the Lung Association has expanded its research, education, and advocacy to combat other challenges to the respiratory health of the American people.

In the 1950s, the ALA realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on the eradication of tuberculosis without paying attention to other related illnesses. So it expanded its program goals to include the elimination of all forms of lung disease and their causes.

In 1960, long before the dangers of smoking were understood, the ALA established a link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. It subsequently began an aggressive campaign to educate the public-- especially young people and those with chronic respiratory disease-- about the hazards of cigarette smoking.

In the 1970s, the ALA sought to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution and played a major role in the adoption of the landmark Clean Air Act.

More recently, the ALA has partnered with schools to provide education programs for children with asthma and public information campaigns to prevent smoking among America's youth.

Today, more than 35 million Americans are living with chronic lung disease, and every year, close to 344,000 Americans die of lung disease, making it the Nation's No. 3 killer.

In Nevada, which has one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the Nation, nearly 1,300 people died of the disease last year, and another 1,500 new cases were diagnosed. These numbers underscore the importance of the ALA's goal of a world free of lung disease.

I salute the thousands of volunteers and staff of the American Lung Association for their tireless work in fighting lung disease over the last century, and extend my best wishes for a successful future.

Mr. President, if the Senator will yield for a question, tomorrow we have our usual party luncheons, as has already been announced. We also have the First Lady's dinner that we will go to on a bipartisan basis tomorrow evening, starting at about 6:30, so it is going to be a short day tomorrow.

The overtime issue has been kicking around here for a while. That amendment has been laid down with a couple of others. I am wondering if the Senator from Kentucky is going to be in a position to offer a companion to the overtime amendment that we have offered so we can vote on those sometime tomorrow.

Mr. President, I say to my friend, if we could get rid of the overtime issue and move on to some of the other matters, I think we can move through these amendments. As the Senator will recall, we had 18 on our side originally that we had whittled down to. When the majority came back with a larger number, we added some to it. But I still think we have 18 amendments, and maybe even that is a puffy number. We also, on the 18, had time agreements on every one of them. So we are ready to move through those. The managers have indicated they could probably accept some of our 18.

Madam President, I yield that 3 minutes to the Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Dayton.

Madam President, I ask that the majority have an additional 1 minute in morning business also.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, as my good friend, the distinguished Senator from Missouri, knows, the current extension expires tomorrow. In fact, the House of Representatives has already passed it. That measure is at the desk now. We need to do something today that will not require further action by the House because they will be gone.

I ask my colleague if he will agree that we need to act today on another extension of the highway bill, or if not today, tomorrow?

Would the Senator agree to modify his request and provide for the immediate consideration of H.R. 4219, which is the bill I referred to just a minute ago, a 2-month extension of the highway bill, and that the Senate proceed then to its passage, the bill be read, of course, three times, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and there be no intervening action or debate?

If we do this, it gives us time to continue our informal discussions about the larger bill.

I hope the Senate will agree to pass this today to ensure that there are no disruptions in highway projects. I ask my friend to modify his unanimous consent request.

Further, Madam President----

I object.

Madam President, how much time is remaining on everything?

That is all for morning business.

Then we have a Burma discussion; is that right?

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to speak on my position for 5 minutes and give equal time for the majority.

I apologize to the Senators here because the time has been allotted to him. I do appreciate the 5 minutes.

We really do need to pass this 2-month extension. I say to my friend from Missouri and all others here, Senator Inhofe and I have worked very hard to move this bill along. The 11 weeks the Senator talked about, of course, a lot of that time we have been out of session. I have spoken to Chairman Young. He wants a bill. Senator Inhofe wants a bill. A bill has, in fact, passed both bodies by overwhelming majorities. To not allow this 2-month extension will cause a layoff of 5,000 people beginning Saturday. They will no longer be able to work. These are employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Not agreeing to the extension will cause new highway and bridge projects to be shelved. It will stop reimbursement payments to States for projects that already are incurred. It will halt safety grants, stop transportation projects in cities and towns, interrupt enforcement of motor carrier safety regulations, and disrupt safety inspections at the Nation's borders. This is a temporary extension designed to provide time for the Congress to complete its work on a fully funded authorization. The extension is a means to an end, and the end is the passage of a highway bill, so we need to get to work on that.

Madam President, we have tried very hard to pass this bill. We got 76 votes to pass it and get it to the President. We need to keep working on it. The Nation expects nothing less.

As we discussed yesterday, the Republican leadership is going to meet later on to decide what they are going to do with this bill. I think that is appropriate. As I indicated, I wish that I and others were in on that discussion, but I am glad they are meeting.

Madam President, the Americans for Transportation Mobility, which includes hundreds of organizations--hundreds, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Associated General Contractors, International Union of Operating Engineers--and, as I say hundreds of other organizations, including organizations from the State of Missouri--the Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce, Lake of the Ozarks West Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce--in effect, they have written a letter to each Senator. Among other things they say:

As business and labor, we will only support a final

conference report at the Senate investment level for a six-

year bill. To that end, we support agreement on funding

levels for the legislation before entering into a formal

conference committee. We urge that final legislation meet our

minimum $318 billion objective.

So these hundreds of groups disagree with the Senator from Missouri, including people from his own State.

I know how strongly he feels about a highway bill. I have talked to him. He has discussed this publicly and privately. But I think in effect he is shooting himself in the foot by not agreeing to the 2- month extension. We have made progress in the few meetings that the two staffs have had.

So I say to my friend, we have cleared on our side--there are no objections on our side to having a 2-month extension. I think it is a heavy weight for my friend to carry, to bring down everything that is going on around the country tomorrow by objecting to this 2-month extension.

If that is the weight he wants to bear, that is what he has to bear. But I am very disappointed. As the Senator knows, we have had problems with conferences. That doesn't mean we can't complete important legislation as we have done on numerous occasions without a formal conference. In this instance, we may be able to do a conference, as I have spoken about with Senator Inhofe. We need to do a little more work this morning.

I ask unanimous consent, in closing, to have printed in the Record the letter from Americans for Transportation Mobility, together with its members.

I extend my appreciation to everyone on the other side of the aisle for extending me the extra 5 minutes.

Madam President, first of all, to show how unrelated the statements are to reality, we couldn't have gone to conference 11 weeks ago. The House didn't pass the bill until the first part of April. The bill has been passed for 3 weeks. So there is no 11 weeks. That is certainly not a valid statement.

I repeat: We need to pass this 2-month extension in an effort to get this bill moving. If we don't pass a 2-month extension, 5,000 people are going to be laid off starting Saturday. This is no joke. This is not hyperbole. This is a fact. People will be laid off and construction projects around the country will come to standstill.

We can talk about the fact that in previous months we have enacted into law many pieces of legislation. We have entered into law 60 pieces of legislation without a conference. We have preconferenced them. We can do that on the highway bill.

I yield the time of the minority.

cloture motion

I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) is necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards) and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards) and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I know the order is that the distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia gets the floor. I ask unanimous consent that I be able to ask, under my time postcloture, some questions of the Senator from Connecticut.

Is that OK with the Senator from West Virginia?

Mr. President, I have been fascinated with the statement of the Senator from Connecticut. What triggered my mind was the statements he made about General Shinseki who said we would need a couple hundred thousand troops over there. I ask the Senator from Connecticut, what happened to him? He is gone.

I ask the Senator, does he remember a man named Larry Lindsey? I suggest he was on the Board of Governors working with Alan Greenspan. He also was the chief economic adviser to President Bush. Does the Senator from Connecticut remember a time just a short time ago after the war started that he said he thought the war could cost as much as $200 billion?

He was even more lenient than that. The news article I have says it would be between $100 billion to $200 billion. The Senator recognizes that he was also given his walking papers; is that true?

Before asking my final question, I ask the Senator from Connecticut, I am confident he is aware of the last press conference that the President held; is that true? Does the Senator remember the question that was asked in that press conference where the President said, when asked the question about having made mistakes, he couldn't remember any? I ask the Senator from Connecticut if he thinks this is a mistake made by the President: No. 1, going on the aircraft carrier and having a banner above it saying ``Mission Accomplished''? The Senator is aware that since that time, about 700 American soldiers have been killed; is that true?

So it is fair, is it not, that could have been a mistake?

Does the Senator from Connecticut also think it was a mistake for the President to say--when asked about whether there would be any people who would cause trouble there, does the Senator from Connecticut remember him saying, ``Bring 'em on''?

I suggest to the President's people that they should advise him the next time he is asked that question, he could at least relate to those two things--No. 1, ``Mission Accomplished,'' and No. 2, ``Bring 'em on.'' Since the time of ``Bring 'em on,'' hundreds of soldiers have been killed and thousands maimed for life and injured in other ways.

I appreciate very much that statement of the distinguished Senator from Connecticut.

I say to my friend, I also voted for the resolution. I think it is extremely important that we who support the effort in Iraq, protecting the men and women who are representing our country over there, have the ability to speak out freely on this issue and not be criticized as having been unpatriotic for having done so.

The Senator from West Virginia was originally almost a lone voice speaking out against this event. Time has shown perhaps his vision was more meaningful than people realized at the time. I appreciate the Senator responding to my questions.

If I can, as a matter of trying to lay out what is ahead of us, Senator Wyden spoke with me and one other Senator indicating they worked to get cloture on this amendment that the Senator from Arizona filed. There has been an agreement--I have not been part of those agreements--that Senator Wyden, Senator Carper, and others would have an opportunity to offer amendments. The Senator from Arizona has indicated that he will do everything within his power to make sure those amendments are offered and debated in an orderly time.

My only statement to the Senator from Arizona is, I think it may be difficult to finish this bill today because he talked about extraneous matters. The Senator from West Virginia has a right to speak for 1 hour on this matter, as do I and others. No one is attempting to stall this legislation. The Senator from Arizona had a very important vote, but I hope this matter is not, in effect, going to be jammed through. This is an important piece of legislation. We will work with the majority as much as we can, but based on my experience in the Senate--the Senator from Arizona and I came on the very same day, so one does not have more experience than the other--I think it will be difficult to finish tonight. If we can, we will work with you. I think it is extremely difficult to finish tonight.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, this morning we came to the floor and were confronted with a situation where we tried to get an extension of a highway bill. That was objected to by the senior Senator from the State of Missouri. We talked a little bit at that time, and what we talked about is, basically, if there is no extension given--which has been cleared on our side, by the way--there will be some 5,000 Federal employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation laid off. They may be able to wait until Monday, but certainly they will be able to wait no longer.

What does this mean? It means new highway and bridge projects will be shelved. It will stop reimbursement payments to the States for projects already incurred. It will halt safety grants to the States. It will stop work on transit construction in the Nation's cities and towns. It will interrupt enforcement of motor carrier safety regulations. It will disrupt inspection efforts at our Nation's borders. All we are asking is a temporary extension.

I said this morning, and I say tonight, Senator Inhofe has been a real soldier. He has been with us every step of the way to get a highway bill that is meaningful. No one can question the conservative credentials of Jim Inhofe from Oklahoma. The Senator from Oklahoma is noted for being a person who watches where the money is spent. But he recognizes the bill we reported and passed in the Senate, a bill that was some $318 billion, is legislation that is important for the country. It is important for the State of Oklahoma. It is important for the State of Nevada. It is important for the State of Rhode Island. It is important for the State of Virginia, and every other State I see represented on this Senate floor--which is no other State at this time.

This is something we have to do. I think it would be a terrible shame, and I can't imagine the reason that my friend, the distinguished senior Senator from Missouri, has used for wanting to object to this extension.

He says: I want a conference appointed.

Mr. President, we have said there are other ways of arriving at this. There are other ways of having legislation approved by the body, by the House, and sent to the President.

I have in my hand bills enacted into law without using conferencing. This is an effort to negotiate differences in language between the House and the Senate. We have, just in the 108th Congress, 21 different measures, important measures: TANF, military family relief, Tax Relief Act, veterans' benefits, and many other pieces of legislation--18 others, to be specific.

I think it is a tightrope I would not want to go to Nevada on, saying that I objected to the highway bill and I am closing the Department of Transportation because the minority won't agree to a conference. I don't think that is very good reasoning. I think the people of the country would also think it is not good reasoning.

We have worked, in a bipartisan manner, to produce a highway bill in the Senate. That legislation achieved 76 votes. We received a letter from 20 Republican Senators, dated today, supporting the Senate funding levels. These are Republican Senators, 20 Senators. These are Senators, any one of which----

I am happy to.

Three hours. Pastore works 3 hours after we take up a measure. So that wouldn't apply here.

I appreciate my friend's interest.

Certainly, I understand that totally. Mr. President, the reason I understand that is the legislation that is before this body, this Internet legislation, has so many ramifications that are important to what is going on in the country today. One of the things going on in the country today is how we have improved the way we work on transportation generally. But for the high-tech industry we couldn't do many of the things that are done today. There are many different things we do today that we didn't do 5 years ago, or even 10 years ago as a result of computerization.

The vehicles on the roads now, with some exceptions in the State of Nevada, Department of Transportation vehicles, have computers in them. So I have no qualms, using my hour's time on this legislation, talking about the importance of the highway bill and, of course, the fact is, with the highway bill there are many high-tech propositions that would be affected by this underlying legislation.

Mr. President, I have a letter. I would read all the names, but, frankly, I can't read them because I can't read some of the signatures. But I do see one signature that jumps out at me: Elizabeth Dole. She has been Cabinet Secretary two or three times, but one of those times she was a Secretary. In one of our President's Cabinets she was Secretary of Transportation.

Elizabeth Dole is one of those supporting the $318 billion bill. Virtually every Senator on the Democratic side supports it. That is 69 votes right there.

I hope what we are doing today is only for a short time. We need in the worst way to find out a way of getting Senator Bond to agree to this extension. This Nation expects nothing less.

The Republican leadership is going to meet today or tomorrow and talk about what they think should be the size of this bill. The vast majority--far more than 67 Senators, the veto-proof number of Senators--believe we should have a higher number.

It is very clear. If a bill came to the Senate or the House with $318 billion for highway transit, we would override any veto of the President. Why? Because this bill does not raise the debt. It is paid for out of trust fund money, and revenue streams are already in place.

Not only do we have a lot of people supporting this legislation, as I indicated earlier today--and it is now in the Record--but we have hundreds of organizations that support this legislation: U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Laborers International Union of North America; Associated General Contractors--they are not together very often on anything-- American Road & Transportation Builders Association; International Union of Operating Engineers; American Public Transportation Association; National Asphalt Pavement Association; National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association; Association of Equipment Manufacturers; American Waterways Operators; Air Transport Association; and Waterways Work.

These are only a few of the hundreds of organizations that want us to proceed.

I hope we can do this. It would be a shame to lay off 5,000 people. The impact it would have on their immediate families is important. But the impact it would have on this country--we are just beginning to come out of a recession, so I am told. We are really fighting for jobs. One way to work to have more jobs is to keep the highway program going.

This legislation that is before the Senate is about as high tech as you can get. We know for every $1 billion spent in infrastructure development, 47,500 jobs are generated. That is important. That is only for direct jobs, and thousands of other jobs are spun off from that.

I hope we can move forward. I understand the importance of consumer- friendly legislation. Let us please not have an objection to this legislation.

I am not going to ask unanimous consent until Senator Bond has some knowledge that I will do that. But I will do that later in the day.

I appreciate everyone's courtesy. I know they stretched the rule a little bit for me. I am very grateful. Even though the highway bill is high tech, I am not sure it is that high tech.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, we have a bill that is about to be completed, and I do not want to interfere. I have a statement that will take a few minutes. But I want the Record spread with the fact that after I do object, sometime before the day is out I will renew my request for the 2-month extension together with a statement.

So at this time, I say to the two managers of the bill, do you want to do something on this bill that is now before the Senate? I ask, through the Chair, the distinguished chairman of the Commerce Committee, are you ready to do something right now on the bill? Otherwise, I will give my statement.

As I said to the Chair, I do not want to take away from moving this bill forward if people are ready to do something. But we are waiting for Senator Feinstein, I understand.

Mr. President, I will speak very briefly. When she shows up, I will finish within a couple minutes.

I object.

Mr. President, this will be the third extension of this very important legislation. The first extension was the 5-month extension. We did that because we could not get our act together: Senator Inhofe, Senator Jeffords, Senator Bond, and this Senator. As a result of that, we got a commitment from the majority leader and the minority leader we could take up this bill at a specified time in February. Everyone lived up to that agreement, and we did that. Within almost a record period of time, we passed this very important legislation. So that was the reason for the first extension.

The second extension was necessary because the House had not yet done their legislating. We asked for a 2-month extension on this matter on February 27.

At that time Senators McCain and Lieberman objected to that extension because they had some problems with the 9/11 Commission. As a result of that, a number of us came to the floor and said: How could Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman do such a thing? And in the process, statements were made, some of which were by the distinguished Senator from Missouri.

I quote from the Congressional Record of that date. I will not read the whole statement. I will read that which is pertinent. This is a quote from the distinguished Senator from Missouri:

What the Senators from Arizona and Connecticut are doing is

seeking to hold hostage the whole highway program in the

United States.

I agree. That is what is happening now.

The Senator further went on to say:

This extension expires on Sunday.

Just as it does now.

If we fail to extend this, there will be a shutdown of any

further contract authority for Federal aid highway projects

and a shutdown of payments for work already contracted for by

the States and performed by contractors. This means no

further projects can be approved or awarded. It also means

that not only the Federal Highway Administration but also the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal

Motor Carrier Administration, as well as the Bureau of

Transportation Statistics, will cease operation.

Skipping:

Not only are we talking about people's livelihoods, we are

shutting down the Federal agencies, which will have an

adverse consequence for our Nation's highways, motor carrier

safety, and consequentially for the condition and operation

of our Nation's surface transportation system.

Skipping down two more paragraphs:

Jobs will be lost in the private sector. An extension is

bad enough, but a complete disruption of the program when

there are crucial job needs across the country will have an

economic impact on the families directly, and on the economy.

Next paragraph:

We need the extension to stop playing politics with

people's jobs in this most important legislation.

I will shortly.

I could not have said it better myself. That is what we are facing right now. We are facing a shutdown of jobs. We will furlough 5,000 people in the agencies that were referred to on February 27 by my friend.

The people of this country should understand there are different ways of getting a bill to the President's desk. It is not necessarily with a conference. I have told Senator Inhofe and Senator Frist that does not mean we are not going to go to conference.

I say to my friends, anyone within the sound of my voice, if conferees were appointed right now, immediately, the first thing we would do is say: OK, staff, majority staff, minority staff, majority and minority staff from the House, get together and work on this. See what you can come up with. Bring it back to us. That would take a couple of weeks to do that.

Then we would work through whatever they couldn't work through themselves. Finally, the Members would agree on certain things. Then if there were things we could not agree on, we would take it to the full conference.

We are weeks and weeks away from that if we appoint a conference right now. The point is, we are not appointing conferences right now because, as I said before, we have on many occasions, more than 20 times already in this year's Congress, passed legislation by what we call preconferencing it. It does not matter what you call it.

I have the same goal as the Senator from Missouri. We want a highway bill. I appreciate and admire and respect his energy in helping arrive at this bill where we now have a bill that is good

for the American people, a 6-year bill, $318 billion that is good for roads and transit.

I hope the Senator has made his point, but I do believe we need to get this short 2-month extension done and then if there is something that comes up in 2 months that the Senator thinks we are not making progress on the legislation, then he may want to try something such as this again.

I yield to my friend who said he had a question.

Mr. President, in answer to the Senator from Missouri's question, I certainly understand the point he is making. I simply do not agree.

I, therefore, at a subsequent time before we adjourn this evening, will ask unanimous consent that the Senate pass a 2-month extension, something the House has already done.

At this time Senator Feinstein has arrived and I would only end by saying that I personally would not want to return to Nevada, recognizing that I would not agree to a 2-month extension. In Nevada, it would wreak havoc with the growth of the State there.

The fact is, even where there is not rapid growth, as in Nevada, there are repairs that must be done. The construction season is upon us. Some of these projects will never go forward.

Amendment No. 3105 to Amendment No. 3048

Reserving the right to object, I direct this question to the manager of the bill, Senator Dorgan. Is that correct, that all amendments have been offered?

I would say also to the two managers of the bill, then we should be advised there will be at least two more votes, perhaps on Feinstein and final passage.

I would say also to my two friends, I always like to have the trains run on time. This is excellent work. I appreciate this. I thought it couldn't be done today. I have no objection.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Objection.

I announce that the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Breaux), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Breaux) and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Incline High School on its victory in the Nevada ``We the People'' competition.

This accomplishment reflects not only a lot of hard work by the individual participants but also the strong commitment to academic excellence of all the students, instructors, and administrators of Incline High School.

I am pleased to be able to recognize the individual members of the team on their achievement: Bradley Allured, Jason Beavers, Nicholas Bohn, Jessica Corpuel, Joseph Driver, Alexander Heilig, McKenna Hollingsworth, Joshua Hub, Ansley Kendziorski, Elisabeth Komito, Ashley Nikkel, Laura Pillsbury, Robert Rappaport, Catherine Serrano, Tira Wickland, and Beate Wolter.

I also note the efforts of their teacher Milton Hyams, their coach Robert Heilig, and their peer tutors: Ashley Hanna, Daniel St. John, and Jonathan Shoop.

I am sure that I speak for the entire Incline High School community in thanking the ``We the People'' program's district and State coordinators, Dan Wong and Judy Simpson, for their work in helping give the students the opportunity to participate in this great competition.

Created in 1987, ``We the People'' promotes civic competence and responsibility among our Nation's elementary and secondary students. Its innovative curriculum enhances student understanding of the history, principles, and institutions of American constitutional democracy.

The instructional program culminates in a simulated congressional hearing and a nationwide competitive program for high school students. Attracting the participation of more than 26 million students and 80,000 educators, the ``We the People'' program has expanded the civic knowledge of our students, cultivated a new generation of leaders, and highlighted the tremendous potential of our Nation's youth.

Please join me in congratulating Incline High School for its commitment to academic excellence, and its victory in the Nevada ``We the People'' competition.

Mr. President, I also extend my appreciation to Senator Bond. This is not a time to declare winners or losers. This is part of the legislative process. Senator Bond is an experienced legislator. He is a former Governor. He knows the importance of the highway bill. I am confident the resolution of this matter that we have worked out in the last several hours will be good for the country and certainly will be good for the 5,000 people who work at the Department of Transportation.

Mr. President, I would also like to spread across the Record of the Senate our congratulations and appreciation for the work that Tom has contributed to this institution. Especially late in the session, when we are at home, he and the other enrolling clerk are working long, long hours after we have left, long after we have left, very tedious, very difficult, but a very important job to make sure the work we do here winds up in the final record--in the law books, in effect--the way it is supposed to be. It is an art that has been developed over these many years, and we are very appreciative of all that Tom Lundregan has done for not only the Senate but the country.