Floor Statements

Mr. President, at this point, I will respond to my friend from Kentucky, the distinguished Republican leader.

We have something new in town that has been going on now for almost 11 months, and that is we are paying for things. That is the reason the Clinton economic machine worked as well as it did. When we had a new program, we paid for it. When taxes were decreased, we paid for that.

We are going to go ahead and do the AMT fix, but we are going to do it by paying for it. We cannot continually run this country in the red. I repeat what I have said on a number of other occasions. When President Bush took office 7 years ago, we had a $7 trillion surplus over 10 years. He has driven us into near bankruptcy as a result of his fiscal irresponsibility.

We are responsible. We are going to fix AMT before the end of the year, but we will do it the right way; we are going to pay for it.

Mr. President, what is the pending legislation?

Thank you, Mr. President.

We have the farm bill before us. We have been trying for a week to do amendments on the bill. The Republicans have said that because this bill is being handled in such an unusual procedural way, they are not going to let us move forward on this bill.

This bill is being handled similar to every farm bill in the last 30 years. In that entire period, there has only been one time that a nongermane amendment was offered, and that was on the last farm bill when Senator Kyl offered an amendment dealing with the estate tax. It was a sense-of-the-Senate resolution. That is it.

So for the minority to cry about this is simply that they are crying about something there is no reason to cry about. We want to move this bill. I had a conversation this morning right over here on the floor with the distinguished Republican leader and the ranking member of the committee, Saxby Chambliss. At that time, as I understood the conversation, the Republicans had 10 amendments they wanted to do. Let's look at them. We have some we want to do. Let's pare them off, set very short time limits on them, and move this bill.

This is an important bill. If this bill does not move forward--a bill that is being treated similar to every other farm bill in recent history--the reason it is not going forward is the Republicans. If they do not want a farm bill, why don't they say so. They can explain to all the farm organizations around the country that they did not want a farm bill, they wanted us to extend what is now in existence. If that is what they want, why don't they say so?

It is unfortunate we have been unable to move forward on these amendments. The first amendment pending is a bipartisan amendment offered by Senator Dorgan. It is a good amendment. It is one that should be debated and voted on. Another amendment is a complete substitute--that is my understanding--and Senator Lugar and Senator Lautenberg want to do that amendment. Let's debate it, find out what the will of the Senate is, and move on. But to be in this position is really unfair to farm State Senators, to farmers and ranchers, to the Senate, and to our country. If you are unwilling to fight, just say so. If you don't want this bill to come forward, just tell us that. Don't play these games that they are not treating us right procedurally. This is the way this bill is always handled.

So I just think it is something we need to do. It is an important piece of legislation. The committee, on a bipartisan basis, reported this bill out with an overwhelming vote. This is not a Democratic bill; it is a bill reported out by the Agriculture Committee on a bipartisan basis. So I hope this afternoon we can get some work done on the farm bill.

I am happy to yield to my friend, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. President, I would say to my friend that we have, as I understand it, 22 amendments upon which the 2 managers have agreed.

We could take care of those very quickly. There are amendments that, in the minds of the managers, improve the bill. We should get those done. We are unable to move on anything.

The calendar dictates a lot of what happens here in Washington in Congress. We have a limited amount of time. We have 3 very short weeks when we come back after Thanksgiving before Christmas. I say to my friends, we are not going to have time to work on the farm bill when we come back after Christmas. We don't have time. We have to take care of all of our appropriations matters. The funding for this Government runs out on December 14. We have some must-do things that run out at the end of this year. So the record should be spread with the fact that Senate Democrats have been willing and terribly interested in moving this farm bill. If it doesn't go forward, the blame is at the doorstep of my Republican colleagues.

We are in the majority. We Democrats are in the majority, but it is a slim majority. The way the Senate operates, the Republicans can stop us from doing a lot--not everything but a lot. But I would bet, if there were a fair vote and not some arm-flexing exercise, that a vast majority of Democrats and Republicans want this farm bill to move forward. Are they asking me--is this what they are asking--to file cloture on this bill so we can have a cloture vote on it Thursday? Is that what they want? Is that what we are going to be relegated to, filing cloture on this bill without having heard a single amendment? And why? Because they won't let us. Is that what they want? If cloture fails--I know it will fail, not because of Democrats but because of Republicans. We know we have broken records here in this year of this session of Congress by having to file cloture 52 times. Only one of those cloture motions was a bipartisan effort. We did it once. That is all. So I am very disappointed because I don't see what the Republicans are going to gain.

Mr. President, I say to my friend, that was the culmination of weeks and weeks----

Of meetings between Democrats and Republicans to move this bill along.

I have great admiration for the Agriculture Committee for getting a bill out of that committee on a bipartisan basis. There are people who want very badly to try to improve this bill, but nothing will be done. It is Tuesday. We have this bridge thing coming, dealing with the Iraq war, tomorrow. Time is wasting. I am beginning to have my doubts, I say to everyone here, because of the intransigence of the Republicans, that we can do a farm bill.

Mr. President, I say to my friend, on the floor right now are farm State Senators--Arkansas, Georgia, North Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa--and in the back of the room is a State that does a lot of agricultural products, the State of New York. Now, as I look around this room, Senator Dorgan is an example. Senator Dorgan's amendment is pending--a bipartisan amendment. He supports this bill. It came out of committee, but he thinks it would be an improvement. Why shouldn't he have an opportunity to offer that amendment and have a debate on it? That is what this is all about. It is unfair to everyone concerned, as I have mentioned before, that we are not able to move on this important piece of legislation. I am from the State of Nevada. We grow alfalfa. We are the largest white onion producer in America. We grow garlic but mostly alfalfa and white onions. This bill is important to those farmers out there. There are things from which they will benefit. I just think it is too bad we can't move forward. This is a bill----

Oh, I am sorry. And Kentucky grows things too.

Mr. President, it would be untoward on the Senate floor to walk over and hug the Republican leader, but that is what I feel like doing. I agree with him 100 percent. I think we should try to get a number of amendments locked in, whether it is 5 or 50, whatever it is. I think we should get it done and start moving on this bill.

I have been, as my friend from Kentucky knows, in a minority position more than I would like to admit here in the Senate as the minority Democratic leader. I understand he has certain things to do within his caucus. Whatever was needed to be proven has been proven. Let's move forward on this bill as the Republican leader has outlined. We greet his suggestion with open arms.

I yield.

I would say to my friend, let's take one step at a time. He has made an offer, and let's see what we can do. He has indicated--the ranking member of the committee is here, you are here, and we will work on that and see if we can get something done in the next little bit.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 335, the nomination of Henrietta Fore to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. President, the nomination of Henrietta Fore was a little controversial, but it worked out just fine. This good Nevadan will have a good job. She will do her best. I am confident it will be one that the country will be pleased with.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 377.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I understand there are five bills at the desk and I ask for their first reading en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask for their second reading en bloc, but I object to my own request en bloc.

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

Mr. President, while my friend is on the floor and my friend from South Dakota is on the floor, through the Chair to my friend from Georgia, looking at these two lists kind of puts a smile on your face, because it is quite a list. There is a multitude of tax issues and a lot of things totally not relevant to this farm bill.

But I would say through the Chair to my friend that I am going to take a look at this--I have had some good meetings with my staff and Senator Harkin today--and make a decision about what we should do on this tomorrow. But the question I have of my friend from Georgia is how long do we have to work on this, work our way through these amendments? There are about 280 or 290 amendments. I sit here today and I say again, I have no doubt that the vast majority of the Democrats--with a significant majority of Democrats, with a handful of help from the Republicans, cloture would be invoked on this bill.

So I say to my friend, how long do you think we should play around with all of these amendments? Is there a magic number we need to have votes on some of them? When should I file cloture? If farm State Senators and if other Senators want a farm bill, time is wasting. We have a few more days left in this work period before Thanksgiving, and when we come back after Thanksgiving we have a very short 3 weeks to get all of the Federal Government's work done that has to be done before the calendar year ends. So I don't expect my friend to answer the question without talking to my counterpart on the other side, but I want him to think about how much longer do we do this little gesture we are going through here? We have wasted a lot of time. The question the Republicans have to make a decision on is do they want a farm bill? We want one. We want a farm bill. We will take the bill that came out of committee--the vast majority of us--but we know there are some amendments we need to do. I think it is important we do the Dorgan amendment. I think it is important we do the Lugar amendment. I do think the substitute and the payment limits are something we need to do, but I don't know how much more of this we should be concerned about.

I will have some meetings in the morning and we will report back to the ranking member of this very important committee.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Calendar No. 474, S. 589, be star printed with the changes at the desk.

Mr. President, I say to my friend, I am going to close the Senate. Does he want to say something?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14; that on Wednesday, following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that there then be a period of morning business for 60 minutes, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled, with the majority controlling the first half, and the Republicans controlling the final half; that at the close of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 2419, the farm bill.

Mr. President, if there is no further business, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I wish to turn to the distinguished Senator from Florida for just a minute. I ask unanimous consent that we not go to morning business until he completes his brief statement and I am recognized again.

Mr. President, before I turn to the Senator from Florida, I wish to say that I sit through these prayers every day. It is really good for me to do that. But the words that were uttered by Dr. Swanson this morning, as Johnny Cash says in that song, ``you've been reading my mail'' were really important to me, and I am sure every Senator listening to this prayer felt the same way I did. I am going to get a copy of that prayer and read it once in a while because he was talking about me when he gave that prayer and talking about Senator Nelson, Senator Baucus, and all of us.

Mr. President, this morning the Senate will be in a period for the transaction of morning business for 1 hour, with the first half controlled by the majority and the second half controlled by the Republicans. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the veto message on H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act. There is 30 minutes of debate on the veto message. Senators Boxer and Inhofe will control 7\1/2\ minutes each, and the other 15 minutes in support of the veto is under the control of the Republican leader or his designee.

For planning purposes, Members can expect a rollcall vote on the veto override about 11:40 this morning. As I have indicated, we will vote on the President's veto override. The House of Representatives voted yesterday 361 to 54 on the veto override.

This is one of the bipartisan measures we have done. We have had Senators Boxer and Inhofe working together on legislation, which any day should be a day of celebration, and they have worked so hard on this legislation. I am confident Members on both sides of the aisle will support the two managers.

Later this afternoon, we will receive the Defense appropriations conference report from the House which will include a continuing resolution to keep Government agencies funded until the middle of next month. We hope to reach agreement so we can dispose of that matter quickly and send it to the President today. It is essential we do this quickly so we can send our men and women in uniform, who have sacrificed so much in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world, the support they deserve. It is about $470 billion.

Finally, I have had some discussion with the distinguished Republican leader to try to work out an agreement to dispose of the Mukasey nomination. I thought I had that all worked out. Last night, a little wrinkle appeared, but I hope we can reach agreement on that today as well.

Mr. President, S. 2318 is at the desk. I ask for its second reading.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings at this time.

Mr. President, I am disappointed that we haven't been able to accomplish more on the farm bill. We have asked for amendments Senators want to offer. There have been a number filed. I have asked that Republicans come up with a list of amendments they would like to have considered. It appears there is no effort made to work out arrangements on the farm bill passing. I state for the record that every farm bill we have handled in recent decades has never had nonrelevant amendments. They have all been relevant, with one exception.

In 2002, the last one we did, we had one nonrelevant amendment. It was a sense-of-the-Senate resolution on the estate tax. That is it. So I don't know, maybe the Republicans don't want a farm bill. Maybe they have all cowered as a result of the President saying he was going to veto it.

As you know, the President has developed a new word in his vocabulary, and that is ``veto.'' For 7 years he was not able to mouth that word, but in the last few months, the last year of his Presidency, he has decided to do that. Maybe the Republicans don't want a farm bill. Maybe they want to join with the President and not have a farm bill. That certainly appears to be the case.

We have basically wasted the whole week with my friends on the other side of the aisle pouting about procedure. The procedure on this bill is no different than any other farm bill we have done in recent decades.

The State of Nevada would benefit a little bit from the farm bill but not much. I hope those constituencies who want a farm bill will start contacting Senators because the time is fast passing.