Floor Statements

Mr. President, tomorrow we will begin consideration of the GSP and Trade Adjustment Assistance bill. We will work on amendments to the bill and notify Senators when votes are scheduled.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the provisions of S. Res. 271, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Charles Percy of Illinois.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no votes today. The next vote will be on Monday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m.

We believe we will begin consideration of the trade adjustment assistance bill on Monday. We are working on procedures to get to that today.

We have a lot to do. Next Friday, we have to have a continuing resolution passed in this body. We had a good week this week. We were able to get the highway bill extended for 6 months, the Federal Aviation Administration for 4 months, and, of course, we were able to have that significant vote on FEMA legislation so vitally important to our entire country. It is interesting to note that the President has had emergency declarations of disasters in 48 States. The Presiding Officer's is one of those that did not have one, as well as the State of Michigan.

Mr. President, H.R. 2587 is at the desk and is due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I would object to any further proceedings in regard to this matter at this time.

Mr. President, today we pay tribute to the American men and women who traveled abroad to defend this great Nation but never returned home to our shores. We also honor those who have suffered as prisoners of war. We are grateful to them every day. Today, which is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we dedicate our remembrance to their sacrifice.

I had the good fortune to be appointed in 1992 by Majority Leader Mitchell to be a member of the Select Committee on MIA/POW. The committee was chaired by John Kerry, and it was a wonderful experience for a number of reasons, not the least of which was to watch Senator Kerry because I really, frankly, didn't know him very well. I had been in the Senate for a few years, but when you work here, sometimes you don't really understand how good people are until you work with them on a really close-knit basis, as I did with him because of that appointment.

He did a magnificent job of chairing that committee. Of course, he had some standing to look at what went on in Vietnam since he was wounded three times and had a number of Silver Stars for his heroism in Vietnam. But legislatively that was a great experience for that year, to look to see what had happened in Southeast Asia all over, not only Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, but people who had been taken prisoner of war and certainly, if not, were missing in action. It was a good experience for me, and I will always remember that. So this day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, recalls those memories of many years ago of the hearings we held and the evidence we gathered to make a decision as to what really took place there.

More than 83,000 Americans are missing from World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, and, of course, the gulf war. There are also soldiers, sailors, and marines reported missing from our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that are going on right now. We should not and we will not rest until we have accounted for every missing American serviceperson who has fought to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Although they are missing, they are not forgotten.

It is difficult to comprehend the suffering of families who have lost loved ones. I am hopeful and somewhat confident that it is a comfort to them today to know we give thanks and praise for their dedication to the ideals upon which this Nation was founded. That is why today we commemorate the sacrifices made by those families as well as the soldiers they loved.

I also give thanks for the brave men and women who wear the uniforms of the U.S. armed services today, including more than 2,000 Nevadans currently deployed around the world--not in the service but Nevadans deployed around the world. Anything worth having, of course, is worth defending, and our freedom is one of the most precious.

So today we thank those volunteers who have placed themselves in harm's way to protect this great country. Many of them have paid the ultimate price for our liberty. So today and every day they have the thanks of a grateful Nation, but especially today, for their faithful and selfless service to their country.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 166,

Mr. President, I have a cloture motion at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived and at 5:30 p.m., Monday, September 19, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2832.

Mr. President, first of all, I want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand that I do not like the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, the Korea Free Trade Agreement, or the Panama Free Trade Agreement. I will vote against them. But I have been asked on numerous occasions to move these trade matters to the floor.

That is what I have agreed to do, and I am going to do that. But it is very difficult for me to understand, when my Republican colleagues, the Chamber of Commerce, and others support these trade agreements, and they want them done, and now when I want to move to them, I cannot do it. It is hard to comprehend that we have to file cloture on a motion to proceed to an agreement we have. The agreement we have is that we are going to do trade adjustment assistance, and a few other stops in the middle, and then we are going to do the free trade agreements. Again, this is the pattern we have experienced for the last 8 months. It doesn't matter what it is.

This is something they agreed with. We are attempting to move to the free trade agreements and they are stopping us from doing that.

I hope the American people get the picture, and I am confident they are getting the picture more clearly every day. There isn't a thing we can bring up here that they don't stall to the very limit of the procedures here. Again, we are going to move to the free trade agreements. The first part of the deal is trade adjustment assistance. We have to invoke cloture to do this. I think that is a travesty and it is too bad.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, September 19; that following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business until 4:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 166, H.R. 2832, the GSP Act, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided and controlled between Senators Baucus and Hatch or their designees.

Mr. President, the next rollcall vote will be on Monday at 5:30.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. President, I yield the floor to the Senator from Rhode Island at this time.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business for 1 hour. The majority will control the first half and the Republicans will control the final half.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.J. Res. 66, which is a joint resolution regarding Burma sanctions and the legislative vehicle for additional FEMA funding. The filing deadline for all first-degree amendments to the substitute amendment and to H.J. Res. 66 is 1 p.m. today. I filed cloture on the substitute amendment and on H.J. Res. 66 last night. If no agreement is reached, there will be a cloture vote on the substitute amendment on tomorrow morning. We hope to reach an

agreement to complete action on the joint resolution as well as FAA and highway extension today. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

Remembering Senator Malcolm Wallop

Mr. President, Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming is a man with whom I served in the Senate for approximately 10 years. He represented the State of Wyoming. During that time, I can remember the work he and Alan Simpson did together--Alan Simpson, another retired Senator from Wyoming. Senator Wallop died yesterday. He was 78 years old.

Senator Wallop was a fine man. His roots in Wyoming stem back to pioneer ancestors in the Big Horn. Although he was born in New York, he served his country admirably in the Army and then worked for many years as a cattle rancher and businessman before running for office. He was extremely good friends with the great Nevadan Paul Laxalt.

There were occasions when Malcolm and I didn't agree on political issues, but he was always an agreeable man, a very fine man. I honor his service today, both as a soldier and a Senator, and certainly will miss him, as everyone in Wyoming will and all of his colleagues who worked with him here in the Senate.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Mr. President, in my office right across the hall, I have a wonderful picture painted by a Nevadan. It is a big painting, and it shows this handsome young man on this horse with all the trappings of a horse that is really nice, a nice horse and a beautiful saddle, and all the adornments on this man's clothes are good. I am sure the painting didn't take into consideration how he really looked when he arrived in the Las Vegas Valley because this man, Rafael Rivera, was the first non-Indian to see the Las Vegas Valley, and I am sure he was worn out and tired because he was basically lost. He was part of a Spanish expedition, and he left them almost 100 miles from where he wound up in Las Vegas. But for us, Rafael Rivera is the person who founded Las Vegas. He was able to see this beautiful place in 1829, and as a result of that, we have a number of facilities named after Rafael Rivera, as well they should be, in Las Vegas Valley.

The picture is painted perfectly. It shows Las Vegas Valley's Sunrise Mountain. The difference is, there are no people there. Now there are 3 million people in Nevada, and we have little Sunrise Mountain there. In the painting, there is no one or anything around it, but of course now there are buildings and hotels and lots of activity there.

Today, though, Mr. President, I join more than 50 million Hispanic Americans in the United States in marking the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month. This celebration of history and culture lasts through October 15. So I look forward to the opportunity of bringing Hispanic heritage and all it has to Nevada and the rest of the country to honor the contributions of a population that is such an integral part of our national identity. For hundreds of years, Latinos have helped shape the face of this Nation.

I wrote a history of my birthplace, Searchlight, NV, and one of the interesting things I found in my research is that the railroad was built into Searchlight in the early 1900s, it is 26 miles, and it was a difficult railroad to build, but it was basically built by Mexicans who had come to the United States to do the labor that it took to do that. Some 7,000 of them built that railroad. It is not very long--26 miles long--but it took a lot of work to get it done.

So everyplace you go in America, everyplace especially you go in the West, you find contributions made by Hispanics. They have made contributions in the battlefield, in the workplace, and the classroom. They have spurred progress in the laboratory, playing field in all athletics, and, of course, in the halls of justice. They have shaped the way we farm and the way we do business. They have influenced our art and our literature. Construction sites of casinos and shopping centers around the State of Nevada--they have contributed mightily to that work that is being done and has been done.

The language has even influenced the name of the State of Nevada, which means ``snow covered.'' Las Vegas means ``the meadows'' in Spanish.

Hispanic Americans have also played an important role in this Nation's Armed Forces, as I mentioned just a minute ago. They have served in every conflict since the Revolutionary War. Nearly 30,000 of them have fought for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and are still fighting. I thank them for their brave and dedicated service.

Every year, Latinos help propel contributions to our economy. More than 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses employ millions of Americans and provide crucial goods and services.

Mr. President, before leaving the subject of veterans and the good things they do, I want to make sure the Republican leader recognizes that we all celebrate a Kentuckian who today is going to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for this 23-year-old boy, in the fields of Afghanistan, saved the lives of about 40 soldiers--1 person. They had a wonderful piece on public broadcast today about his courage and what he did--of course wounded himself, but he carried people to and from battle and saved the lives, as I indicated, of a couple score of people. His name is Dakota Meyer. So I congratulate the Republican leader for having such fine people come from the State of Kentucky.

Today, the Senate recognizes the commitment of more than 50 million Hispanic Americans, family, community, and country. And that is the way it should be.

Mr. President, I want to spread on the record how much I appreciate the support of the Republicans in allowing us to be able to get on the FEMA bill. We are on that bill now. We have some amendments pending. If we are not able to work out an agreement on that today, we will have votes on a number of cloture issues relating to that most important legislation affecting millions of Americans who have been devastated by Mother Nature.

I am disappointed, however, in one of our Republican colleagues who at this stage is holding up something that is so vitally necessary.

The House sent us two pieces of legislation that passed overwhelmingly in the House, one that will keep 1.7 or 1.8 million people working on highway and other construction around the country dealing with highways. That is an extension of 6 months. They also sent to us a 4-month extension, fully funded, of the Federal Aviation Administration, also vitally important.

Unless my friend, the junior Senator from Oklahoma, agrees to allow us to go forward, one Senator will stop 80,000 people from working. I hope he will reconsider. The issue he has presented is a little unusual. He says he doesn't like bike paths being part of the highway bill. Well, for most Americans they are absolutely important. They are good for purposes of allowing people to travel without burning all the fossil fuel on the highways.

I got up this morning very early, and I went out and did my exercise. I am not exaggerating, there were scores, at least 30 or 40 bikes--so scores may be a slight exaggeration--of people not just for exercise but traveling to work with backpacks on. That is what bike paths are all about.

We have told my friend the Senator from Oklahoma: If you don't like it, we will have a vote on it.

He said: I don't want a vote.

He said: Whatever I want, I want stuck in that bill.

We can't do that. That isn't what the House sent us, and we can't do that.

He said: Well, separate the two bills.

We have the bills from the House of Representatives. That is the arrangement we have made, and it is a good arrangement to get these two vitally important pieces of legislation passed so that we can keep people--almost 2 million people--working.

I am disappointed in that. I hope we can work something out during the day because it is really unfair for him to hold up this extremely important legislation.

There is not a State in the Union that does not have problems with 80,000 people laid off. In Nevada we have a new tower being built at McCarran Field. That is important. These people will have to stop working. That is wrong. One Senator? It is not fair to the Senate or to the country.

Will the Chair announce the business of the day?

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to commit and the pending amendments, with the exception of the Reid substitute amendment No. 602, be withdrawn, and the following amendments be the only amendments in order to the Reid substitute amendment No. 602: Coburn amendment No. 610 and Paul amendment No. 613; that the time until 4 p.m. be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees--and this will be for debate on the amendments and the joint resolution--with 30 minutes for Senator Coburn and 15 minutes for Senator Paul--and this 15 minutes will come from the Republican leader's time--and at 4 p.m. the Senate proceed to vote on the amendments in the following order: Coburn amendment No. 610, Paul amendment No. 613, and, finally, the Reid substitute amendment No. 602, as amended, if amended; that there be no amendments, points of order, or motions in order prior to the votes other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; that the amendments not be subject to division;

that all of the amendments be subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and, finally, if the Reid substitute amendment, as amended, if amended, achieves 60 votes, the joint resolution, as amended, be passed; if the Reid substitute does not achieve 60 affirmative votes, the cloture motions be withdrawn and the joint resolution be placed back on the calendar.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I am going to suggest the absence of a quorum, but in doing so, I ask unanimous consent that the time run equally for both the Democrats and the Republicans.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I object.

I object.

I object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me after consultation with Senator McConnell, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 167, H.R. 2887, the Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act; that the only first-degree amendments in order to the bill be the following: Coburn amendment regarding transportation enhancements, Paul amendment regarding limitation on highway trust funds, and the Paul amendment regarding FAA funding levels; that there be up to 2 hours of debate on the amendments, equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, prior to a vote in relation to the amendments in the order listed; that there be no amendment in order to any of the amendments prior to the votes; that the amendments be subject to a 60-vote threshold; that upon disposition of the amendments, the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; that there be no other amendments, points of order or motions in order to the bill other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum, and I ask unanimous consent that the time until 4 o'clock be equally divided between the majority and minority.

Before I recite the unanimous consent request that I hope will be approved, what we intend to do is have a vote on final passage of the joint resolution now before us, 10 minutes of debate, there will be votes on two amendments and then final passage. So we have four more votes and we should be finished.

I wish to express my appreciation to everyone. You will note in my last two speeches I made before the Senate yesterday and today, I said a lot of nice things about Republicans, the reason being that is how we have accomplished a lot. We got a decent bill from the House and we have been able to move forward on this legislation.

The Republican leader and I had quite a long conversation here in the well. We have a lot of work to do, but we want to do it together. So the cooperation we have had this week by both Democrats and Republicans has been extremely important.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.R. 2887

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by me, after consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 167; that the only first-degree amendments in order to the bill be the following, the text of which are at the desk: Paul regarding limitation of highway trust fund; Paul regarding FAA funding levels; that there be up to 10 minutes of debate on the amendments and the bill to be equally divided between Senators Paul and the majority leader or their designees, prior to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed; that there be no amendments in order to any of the amendments prior to the votes; that the amendments be subject to a 60-vote threshold; that upon disposition of the amendments, the Senate proceed to vote on the passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; that there be no other amendments, points of order or motions in order to the bill other than the budget points of order and the applicable motion to waive; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.