Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I have been informed that the Department of Defense does not support the Bingaman amendment, the pending amendment No. 1830. It has bipartisan support.

Let me explain to the Senate why there is opposition from the Department. At the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Presidential Executive Order 132-89, dated March 12, 2003, authorized global war on terrorism, Expeditionary and Service Medals for members of the United States Armed Forces who have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism around the world as defined by Department regulations on or after September 11, 2001.

This was created and tailored to recognize both combat and noncombat operations not just in a single campaign or country but worldwide. To be eligible for the Expeditionary Medal, service members must have served within the area of eligibility. However, initially approved operations for Expeditionary Medals are Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Battle stars for the Expeditionary Medal are provided for service members who engaged in combat against the enemy in the area of eligibility. Because antiterrorism operations are global in nature, the area of eligibility for an approved operation may be deemed to be noncontiguous. The combatant commander has authority to award medals for personnel deployed within his or her theater. There is a separate medal called the Service Medal that provides commanders the flexibility of recognizing supporting personnel and will not be restricted by geographical boundaries. Unlike the Expeditionary Medal, the Service Medal includes not only support for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom but also Operation Noble Eagle and airport security operations from September 27, 2001, to May 1, 2002.

The Department urges against the establishment of an Iraqi Freedom Medal for two reasons. First, it is redundant with the global war on terrorism medal in its purpose. Second, it is divisive in that it values participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom as being more worthy of individual recognition than Operation Enduring Freedom. In other words, there are people who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, there are people who have served in Afghanistan and not Iraq, and Iraq and not Afghanistan.

The whole concept of this global war against terrorism is that there are also combatants in the Philippines and in Indonesia and other places throughout the world. I don't know how many there are, but I have been told some of the global war on terrorism medals have been awarded.

The problem about the Bingaman amendment is, what happens to those people who received those medals? Do they give them back? Do they also get an Iraqi medal of freedom? What happens to the people from Afghanistan? As I understand it, I could be wrong, but it covers only the Iraqi liberation medal.

But not Afghanistan.

So the best advice I can give the Senate is this: If the Senator from New Mexico wishes a vote, I certainly will not oppose that and will join in requesting a vote. However, I will say no matter what happens here, whether the Senate approves or disapproves, the subject matter will have to be dealt with in conference because it is a matter that has been raised, and it is of great significance.

I talk too much about my own service in World War II, which was sort of insignificant, but I got a CBI medal--China, Burma, India--but I spent only a day or two in India and an hour or two in Burma. We all thought we should have had a China medal, but the powers that be gave us a China-Burma-India medal. The powers that be right now are the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is not a political issue is what I am trying to tell the Senate. This is an issue that arose out of an initiative from the Joint Chiefs of Staff themselves, is what I understand.

They decided this current situation is so global in nature that people are moved from one area to the other in terms of expertise and need, that there ought to be a medal for the period we are in right now which is really a global war on terrorism, and as such I am inclined to support that concept. I will vote against the Bingaman amendment. But I have a feeling it will pass because I think everyone would like to be on record now of recognizing the need for medals.

That would be my last comment to the Senate. The Senator from Hawaii is not here, but I do remember on two occasions when I have been with him when he has raised the question with the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Where are the medals?

People, as they come home from a combat such as we are involved in now, may or may not be eligible for the Purple Heart. The concept of these other medals, however, has not settled down yet. I think as our men and women in the Armed Services start coming home, they should be recognized for their service with something of distinction, such as the medal of the type we are talking about, either the Global War on Terrorism Medal or the Expeditionary Medal, or the Service Medal, whatever it is. As a matter of fact, if they have been there, I would give them all three. Redundancy is not a crime in terms of medals for service in uniform in combat, as far as I am concerned. But I do think it has to be sorted out. The people who already have the Global War on Terrorism Medal, who fought in Iraq, may want the Iraqi medal. On the other hand, people who fought in Afghanistan may very much want the Global War on Terrorism Medal. It is something I think really requires pretty cautious thought in the Department of Defense and the Senate. I intend to join in asking for a vote on the amendment at the proper time and hope we can vote on it right after the vote that is set at 2:30 today, and then move on with further business of the Senate.

Mr. President, I would so move and ask unanimous consent it be in order at this time to order the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I would like 2 minutes on each side.

No other motions in order, and up or down on the amendment. But I would like 2 minutes for

the Senator from New Mexico and for myself, and the vote to occur after the already scheduled vote. I ask that it be in order to ask for the yeas and nays now.

I do request the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. I understand the Senate will stand in recess at 12:30.

I yield the floor.

I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

This is a very serious amendment.

Parliamentary inquiry. There are 2 minutes on each side on the Bingaman amendment?

Does the Senator wish to speak first?

I will yield our time to Senator Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. President, there is substantial interest in this amendment. I don't know if the Senator wishes to have any more time.

Reserving the right to object, I will object because--I do object.

Time has expired.

Mr. President, I call for a vote.

I opposed this before. The Department opposes it. I call for a vote.

Parliamentary inquiry.

Parliamentary inquiry: What are we voting on now, Mr. President?

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry: What is the procedure now?

Vote on Amendment No. 1830, Division II

Mr. President, I simply say that I am sorry about this recent dispute. In the period of time before lunch, I made a statement, based upon a memo we got from the Department of Defense, that pointed out that the medals in question were authorized by the President at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

They had two reasons to oppose this Iraqi freedom medal. First, it is redundant to the general war on terrorism medal; second, it is devisive in that it inherently values participation in the Iraqi operation as opposed to Afghanistan and all others. In particular, the Department pointed out that, under the Global War on Terrorism Medals, there is an Expeditionary Medal that goes to those who serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in those places where there has been combat in the war against terrorism. The other medal is a Service Medal to recognize those people who are supporting personnel. It is not restricted by geographical boundaries. It is not only for the support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; it also applies to Operation Noble Eagle and airport security operations from September 27, 2001, to May 1, 2002.

The Senate has defeated a proposal to go on record to issue an Iraqi medal only to those who served in Iraq, and the Department has taken the position--that is what really caused consternation because they want medals to recognize specific and general sacrifices and contributions made by all Armed Forces in the efforts to combat terrorism in all forms throughout the world, both in current and future operations.

The Expeditionary Medal will continue to be issued to those who participate in the global war against terrorism and are involved in combat operations. I think what the Department has done at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is inherently fair and proper. I want to reassure those who supported the position I enunciated and are opposed to this amendment, I believe you have done the right thing by those people who are in uniform and are sacrificing themselves and really exposing themselves in harm's way throughout the world.

Mr. President, I thank the distinguished leader.

I ask unanimous consent that there now be 30 minutes for debate in relation to the Stabenow amendment, with 20 minutes under the control of Senator Stabenow and 10 minutes under my control; provided that following the debate time, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the amendment, with no amendments in order to the amendment prior to the vote; that following that vote, the time until 6:30 this evening be equally divided in the usual form in relation to the Dorgan amendment No. 1846; and that the vote occur in relation to the Dorgan amendment at 6:30 p.m., with no amendments in order to the amendment prior to the vote.

Madam President, I yield the Senator 5 minutes of my time.

Madam President, do I have 10 minutes remaining?

Madam President, the Senator from Michigan has been talking about veterans health care and school construction. We are talking about Iraq and how to get our people home. We get them back by assisting the Iraqis in taking over the management of their own country. We do that by providing an infusion of capital to help restore that government to operation so it can take over and provide the security services, provide for the economic management services, and provide the army. It takes money to do that.

As I pointed out before we went on recess, the President has chosen a unique approach. We could have gone in with the military and occupied that country for 4 to 5 years, as we did in Germany and as we just did in Kosovo. We are still bringing people out of Bosnia and Kosovo because we did not do that. This time we are going in to try to help them get in the position to take care of themselves and bring our people back.

This is at the request of the other side of the aisle. The President has sent us a unique supplemental. The Democratic Party commanded that the President give us a budget for 2004 for Iraq. This is it.

No President has done this in history. President Clinton did not do it. In fact, President Roosevelt did not do it. President Eisenhower did not do it. President Johnson did not do it.

This President budgeted ahead of time for war, for a concept of finishing what we started. Part of what we started was to put in place a government in Iraq that would not be the despotic regime of Saddam Hussein.

Argue all you want about the need for money. I agree, there is certainly a need for more money for veterans health care. I disagree about the statement concerning the need for new public school facilities. I am informed that in 2002 alone, school districts completed $11.7 billion of new construction.

The recent study of the General Accounting Office and the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that schools are in better condition than they have been in the past; 81 percent of the schools reported their buildings were in adequate or better condition, 84 percent reported them to be in adequate or better condition. It is a minority of schools that are not in adequate shape.

One place where there are no schools without our assistance is Iraq. How will our men and women come home unless the schools are functioning, unless the police are functioning, unless the army is functioning, unless the economy is functioning? That is the way to get them home.

If we do not provide this $20.3 billion, we can increase the money for the occupation and occupy that enormous

country for 4 to 5 years. We know what it is costing. Look at the budget we have: $66 billion for defense, $20.3 billion for assisting Iraq to become a nation. The $66 billion will go on and on and on, a demand for more and more money for the military in Iraq unless we take the action the President has requested and provide the $20.3 billion necessary. The amendment of the Senator will take over $5 billion out of that. It will cripple that program.

We will have to send more and more people in uniform to do for Iraqis what they could do for themselves if they had the money to start their economy, start their security systems, start their military systems, start their whole governmental systems and make them work. That is what we should do. Some people call it nation building; I call it nation reconstructing. But in any event, it is an absolute necessity at this time to put the Iraqis back in control of their own affairs. It will not happen if the Stabenow amendment is adopted.

I yield back the remainder of my time. I move to table the amendment of the Senator, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

I move to reconsider the vote and move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I would like to yield to the Senator from Nevada for purposes of offering some amendments, and then I would like to get a time agreement, if we can, on the amendments that we are going to lay down and debate tonight.

Mr. President, we are preparing a unanimous consent request. May we----

Mr. President, I would like to start the process of having amendments offered from this side, too. So we are going to have two from that side. Can we reserve a time for people to offer amendments over here and decide about--I do not have any problem with Senator Durbin offering an amendment, but the order of presenting them we will decide tomorrow.

Let me yield to the Senator to offer amendments.

And may I ask Senator Corzine to hold off until we get an agreement concerning these two amendments we are going to consider?

Mr. President, I have no problem with Senator Corzine, Senator Reed, and Senator Durbin offering their amendments, but in the line here of being pending, of amendments being set aside temporarily, I would like the right tomorrow to suggest the order in which these will be presented following the votes on Senator Corzine's and Senator Reed's amendments.

It is just an understanding. I do not ask unanimous consent.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of the Iraq supplemental on Wednesday, there be 4 minutes equally divided prior to the vote in relation to the Corzine amendment No. 1811; provided further that following that vote there be 7 minutes for debate in relation to the Reed amendment No. 1834, with 5 minutes under the control of Senator Reed and 2 minutes under the control of the chairman; further, that following that debate the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Reed amendment, with no amendments in order to either amendment prior to the votes.

Mr. President, as I understand it, we have announced there will be no more votes tonight. Senator Corzine will offer his amendment first, and then Senator Reed will offer his amendment. We will vote on those amendments tomorrow. I am informed there probably will be a morning hour after our convening at about 9:30. We will announce that schedule later. That means the first vote will take place sometime around 10:40.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 14, 2003, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the nominations of the Honorable Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., of Massachusetts, to be Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; the Honorable Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and the Honorable Paul S. Atkins, of Virginia, to be a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (T. Doc. 103-39).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Dirksen 628 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittees on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Terrorism: Radical Islamic Influence of Chaplaincy of the U.S. Military and Prisons,'' on Tuesday, September 14, 2003, at 10 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Witness List

Panel I: Mr. John Pistole, Assistant Director of Counterterrorism, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC.

The Honorable Charles Abell, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense, Washington, DC.

The Honorable Harley Lappin, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Washington, DC.

Panel II: Dr. Michael Waller, Annenberg Professor of International Communication, The Institute of World Politics, Washington, DC.

Mr. Paul Rogers, President, American Correctional Chaplains Association, Waupun, WI.

Mr. President, for the reasons previously stated on this side, I move to table Senator Biden's amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Before the Senator leaves, Mr. President, could we explore a time agreement on the amendment?

Mr. President, we have a Senator's agreement that we are going from side to side. We have another amendment ready to go. We would be happy to proceed. The Senator from Colorado wants to speak for 10 minutes on the bill itself, but I should think we could get a time agreement.

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

Mr. President, after having consultation with the interested Senators, I make the following unanimous consent request: I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Colorado, Mr. Allard, have 15 minutes; the Senator from North Dakota, Mr. Dorgan, have 2 minutes; Senator Leahy have 5 minutes; the distinguished minority leader have 10 minutes; Senator Biden have 10 minutes; and there be 25 minutes under my control to be allocated to interested Senators on this side, if any, and that there be a vote in relation to the Leahy amendment, with no amendments being in order prior to the vote.

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

Mr. President, I am informed it will now be possible to yield back all the time on the Leahy amendment. The distinguished Senator from Vermont is here in the Chamber.

I yield any remaining time on our side on the Leahy amendment.

Mr. President, I move to table the Leahy amendment and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, it would be my purpose to try to see if we could have a specific time on this vote.

Six o'clock?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that this vote that has just been ordered occur at 6 p.m.

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, in just a minute we will start the vote on the

Leahy amendment, but I want the Senate to be on notice following this amendment there will be a vote on a Federal judge. That will be announced during the period right after this vote.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Calendar

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

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

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

There is one amendment that might still require a vote tonight. We think it will be worked out. So many people want to start this vote, I suggest we start it. If that amendment is worked out, there will be more votes tonight, but we should know before the rollcall is over. So I suggest we start the rollcall now.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

I yield all time on our side.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I yield our time.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Yes.

I ask unanimous consent that those amendments be set aside for consideration of the Dodd amendment.

Mr. President, I am indeed sorry that the Senator did not discuss it with us further before he offered this amendment. There is $26 billion in the 2004 bill the President signed the night before last for the Army. They could reprogram any money they need from the $26 billion.

We asked them in and we identified the needs in the Army. We took $952 million from other services and moved it to the Army. And we covered specific items that they identified in terms of their priorities.

What Senator Dodd's amendment does, though, is it adds money to accounts we have already plused up, and it takes it from money to bring the troops home. He has attacked the exact wrong part of the bill.

I wish I had more than 5 minutes, but I do not want to inconvenience my colleagues and keep them here too long tonight. People are missing planes because of this vote. And it is a vote that is duplicitous. It really is designed to reduce the $20.3 billion in the other part of the account.

We did get money for these people. We got money for every item that is on that list, and in the regular bill they have $26 billion. In addition to that, we added $952 million.

Now, I have been overseas. I said the other day, I remember going overseas, and on the way I bought boots. I did not like my boots. I bought shirts. I did not like my shirts. I bought gloves I would rather wear. Kids are kids, and they are going to buy what they want. This idea that they have to buy armor, armor is available on the basis of how rapidly it is produced. And we have put up money in here, more than enough to buy everything to be produced in this time that he mentioned between now and--what?--about 5 months away.

That is special money on top of the $26 billion that they could use if they want. It is in the O&M account. These are O&M items they are talking about.

Now, I do not believe we should do this at this late hour, try to take money out of one account and justify it by virtue of this litany of items that we reviewed. We did review it.

They brought us this list. The Senator has gone over this list of items that the Army would like to have in addition to what the Department of Defense gave them. We went over it and we agreed. We said: $952 million of this you should have had in the go-around in the Department of Defense. And we took it from the Air Force and from the Navy and from the Marines and put it here.

What we do miss is we do have $300 million for body armor in the rapid fielding initiative, and explosive and ordnance cleanup, $174 million for damaged equipment. We have $136 million for radios.

Now, the Senator mentions this $1 million for families. That is money that may be claimed--may be claimed. We paid $30 million for the people who came in and identified the two sons of Saddam Hussein. It may not be spent at all. It will only be spent if these people come in and disclose people we want to pick up that are worth the cost. What is the cost? Moving them out of the country forever. That is taking people and buying them a new life somewhere else because they have exposed themselves to death because they disclosed the location of some of these people.

I am appalled the Army would ask for this addition. We made an agreement with them. We took money from the other three services. And someone in the Army is going to answer to me. If it is really true someone in the Army went to the Senator from Connecticut and demanded more money than we gave them, after we gave them $26 billion in the regular bill, gave them another $952 million, almost a billion we took from other services, to come in and make this demand at this time, it is absolutely nonsense.

Anyone who comes back, I hope they understand they have been brought back to answer a political amendment. I am going to move to table it when the time comes. The Senator from Connecticut is my friend, but I have to tell you, to bring back people who have already gone home, some of them who missed planes in order to vote on this amendment at this time, is an absolute absurdity.

How much time do I have remaining?

I will reserve it.

The yeas and nays are not ordered until I speak.

I have not yielded back my time.

Mr. President, that is good for me. If you want to have a quorum, go right ahead. Go right ahead.

Mr. President, I want to point out the Army has all of this money in this supplemental without any directions in the bill. The line items the Senator mentions are specified in our report. They have entire discretion to use any money in this bill for the moneys he has asked for. But he wants to take it from the other money. This is a duplicitous amendment to take money from the second part of the bill and put it in the first.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I move to table the amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to table.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I am authorized by the majority leader to state that there will no more votes tonight. We have a series of amendments that we have agreed to accept by Senators Collins, Reed, Graham of South Carolina, Voinovich, and Murray. Some of these amendments are going to be proposed.

I have an amendment I will introduce. Those are the amendments only that will be considered now. There will be no votes on those.

I yield the floor.

We agreed to Jack Reed next.

We have no objection.

Mr. President, if I may speak for a moment.

We will be happy to accept this amendment. It has been modified, as has been indicated. I want to state to the Senate, however, although the Senators are correct, this adds to existing law.

Existing law at the current time requires competitive bidding on contracts. The contracts that are outstanding now that have been entered into by the United States and its entities in Iraq have been let on the basis of competitive bids. There have been lots of questions raised about that, but some of the contracts were outstanding before the contractors were sent to Iraq, and they were general services contracts, and those were extended to Iraq. But we are now putting, as the two Senators mentioned, additional emphasis on that, and I am pleased to accept the amendment on behalf of the Senate.

Mr. President, now Senator Daschle and Senator Graham will present their amendment.

Mr. President, we have worked on this amendment. There is a vast problem out there among Guard and Reserve people. We have a total force now in our military. We passed the concept that the Guard and Reserves are replacements for the regular services when they are sent overseas. The Guard and Reserves are sent overseas almost as much as the regular members of our military. They have volunteered to defend us, as the Senators have said. Their families need the same protection that we offer to those who volunteer in the regular services.

We have modified this amendment because we really basically want to see what happens when this change takes place. The cost of this amendment that we have put forward is approximately $400 million this year and by the following year it will be $500 million. We don't know how much it will really cost because we don't know how many will come forward and take this, as compared to what they are doing now as far as their medical is concerned. It is a contributory system for TRICARE, another experiment that we hope we will be able to get some track record on.

As I have become more familiar with the National Guard, it is very strong, and the Reserves, also. We want to assure that people will continue to maintain an interest in joining the Guard and Reserves. Most people don't understand that the transition from Guard and Reserves to regular services has reversed history. In days gone by, people came out of the military and entered the Guard and Reserves. Today many people enter the Guard and Reserves and then decide they are going to try to become career military. This will be an added inducement to get more people to enlist in the Guard and Reserves. It might have a reverse effect and we are not sure of that yet. This will give us a track record.

I am pleased to say that we have conferred with members of the Armed Services Committee on this amendment, and they have agreed we should go forward with it.

I am pleased to accept the amendment on behalf of the Senate.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Amendment No. 1821

Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, this is an amendment to delete a provision in the bill that required a report from the Department of the Interior. At the request of Senator McCain, I am removing that, and I ask unanimous consent to remove that from the bill before it goes to conference. I ask for its consideration.

Mr. President, the Senator is correct. We funded in this bill what we thought were a number of these upgraded Humvees that could be produced and were the stated demand of the Army at that time. This demand keeps going up as it is realized how much these Humvees need to be modernized. We have changed to deal with the circumstances in Iraq. They are very interesting modifications. We have both been briefed on them. Some of the modifications are still classified.

It is our intention to fund it. Coming out of conference, I will do my utmost to fund the number of Humvees that can be upgraded in a reasonable period ahead of time so we can meet this demand so that every group of the military that needs Humvees for their protection will be modernized and upgraded for self-protection. They do have to have some additional items. There are methods some of the terrorists have used to destroy Humvees that can't be defended against.

So it is our intention to modernize these Humvees. They were not defective. Some of the methods terrorists use are unique. We need additional protection from above, and from the side, and from the rear, and underneath the Humvees. We cannot turn them completely into shockproof tanks, but we are going to do our best. This is a No. 1 priority for the Senate, as far as I am concerned--that and the problem of finding these weapons caches and destroying them, or really making certain that the usable weapons, particularly hand-held weapons, are put under guard and assured that they will not get in the wrong hands.

I thank the Senator for his willingness to accept our modifications, and I assure him we will keep on top of this. We will confer with the Senator because I know of his distinguished Army career. We are pleased to have his assistance on this matter.

I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Amendment No. 1808

Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk for Mr. Voinovich and Mr. Lott.

Mr. President, this is an amendment we discussed earlier on the floor. I was ready to offer it earlier but was prevented. The amendment would require a report from the President concerning the efforts of the United States to increase resources that are available in Iraq from other countries, and to do other matters, such as a description of the bilateral impact on the Iraq action, the question of forgiveness of debts, and other items that we believe are substantial and on which we should have a report from the administration. These reports request no later than 120 days.

I will state for the information of the Senate, there are several amendments we are looking at that deal with reports. It is my hope that the conference committee will have a report section. I see in some of these amendments not a conflict but an overlapping of requests, and the timing of them is different. I do not believe we should put a requirement on these people to report one week on one item, another week on another item, and another week on another item when they are all related. We should have quarterly reports from the administration on what is going on with both sections of this bill and how the money is being handled.

This is a bill that has considerable discretion because it is a supplemental bill. It is in addition to the enormous bill we passed and the President already signed. Therefore, there is a lot of discretion as to where the money goes. It is a mechanism to avoid what has been done in the past, as I have said repeatedly.

In the past, Presidents have dipped into the money available to the Department of Defense and have used it in other places. We have taken the occasion to provide the money in advance and have allowed discretion of the President to put it in the places where it is needed and tell us 5 days before that happens and report to us later on how the money was actually used. Those reports will come to us. I am sure we will keep very good track of the people's money as we proceed.

Mr. President, so far as I am concerned, that is the last item to be considered tonight.

I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, the leader will shortly make a statement concerning the bill. As the manager of the bill, we have an understanding that tomorrow there will be a period during which Senators may bring amendments to the floor and offer them so they will be in the queue, so to speak. There will be no consideration of any amendment tomorrow and no vote on any amendment tomorrow.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein.

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

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

Mr. President, I draw to your attention an important event that is taking place this Saturday, October 4 from 10 am until 5 pm--First Lady Laura Bush and the Library of Congress is holding the third annual National Book Festival on the National Mall.

The Library of Congress and Mrs. Bush have planned an enjoyable day of presentations by nearly 80 award-winning authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers.

Famous fiction, mystery and history writers will read from their works. Children's authors such as R.L. Stine, of the Goosebumps book series and actress and children's writer Julie Andrews will be among those participating. Storybook characters from PBS will stroll the grounds and greet young festivalgoers. There will even be special readings in the teens and children's pavilion by NBA players representing the National Basketball Association's ``Read To Achieve'' campaign.

Additional activities will include book signings, musical performances, storytelling, and panel discussions. I am especially interested to hear that specialists will be on hand from the Library's Veterans History Project to provide information about collecting oral histories of America's war veterans. There truly is something for everyone at this year's book festival.

The National Book Festival is free and open to the public and promises to be a wonderful family event. I hope that everyone will join Mrs. Bush and the Library of Congress on Saturday in celebration of the joy of reading.

For more information, you may visit the Library's Web site www.loc.gov> or call toll-free (888) 714-4696.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the attached statement from the Office of Compliance be printed in the Record today pursuant to Section 303(b) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1383(b)).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 2, 2003, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``The Implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Restoring Investor Confidence.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. on media ownership.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 2, 2003, at 2:30 p.m. on Amtrak.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at 1:30 a.m. to hold a Business Meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Cuba.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at a time and location to be determined to hold a business meeting to consider the nomination of C. Suzanne Mencer to be Director, Office for Domestic Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and House Committee on Energy and Commerce be authorized to meet for a Joint hearing on Managing Biomedical Research to Prevent and Cure Disease in the 21st Century: Matching NIH Policy with Science during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at 10 a.m. in SD-106.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

subcommittee on national parks

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at 10:00 a.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 524, to expand the boundaries of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield to authorize the acquisition and interpretation of lands associated with the campaign that resulted in the capture of the fort in 1862, and for other purposes; S. 1313, to establish the Congaree Swamp National Park in the State of South Carolina, and other purposes; S. 1472, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the construction of a statue of Harry S. Truman at Union Station in Kansas City, MO; and S. 1576, to revise the boundary of Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, and for other purposes.