Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mr. Frist pertaining to the introduction of S. 2381 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

For the information of my colleagues, we should have a vote somewhere in 25 minutes or so. Depending on the outcome of that vote, there may be another vote, either a roll call or voice vote, after which we will go back to lobbying reform. I need to talk to the floor managers. I would expect we will not have more rollcall votes after we finish these next two votes shortly. But I do want to talk to the managers. So what I will do is ask unanimous consent which, in essence, will be 20 minutes of debate equally divided and then we should have a rollcall vote. And then I will be talking to the managers about what we will be doing after that tonight. I don't expect rollcall votes after we handle these next two.

I ask unanimous consent that there now be 20 minutes equally divided between Senator Snowe or her designee and Senator Ensign or his designee on the pending second-degree amendment, followed by a vote in relation to the amendment with no intervening action or debate; provided further that immediately after that vote, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the underlying Kyl amendment, as amended, if amended, with no further intervening action or debate.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, 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.

Amendment No. 2899

Mr. President, I understand that we are now prepared to agree to the Kyl first-degree amendment without a rollcall.

Mr. President, I now make a point of order that the Inhofe amendment, No. 2898, is not germane.

Mr. President, I believe we are ready to proceed to passage. That will not require a rollcall.

Mr. President, first I want to thank my colleagues for their cooperation in bringing to a resolution what has been more difficult than I thought it would be, addressing the LIHEAP issue.

We have achieved passage, and we are now ready to resume the lobbying measure.

I know Senator Reid is prepared to lay down his amendment tonight. Senators will be able to debate that amendment tonight, and we will set a vote on the Democratic leader's amendment sometime tomorrow morning.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

I ask unanimous consent there now be a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006. I am proud to say there are over 20 Senators who have joined me as original cosponsors of this legislation, including our colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kerry. I wish to thank Senator Kerry for his support, and for the support of all of the other original cosponsors who have joined me on this significant legislative reform proposal.

The legislation itself is long overdue. It is an authority provided in one version or another to 43 Governors today. It is an authority that has been requested by at least 11 Presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

The Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006, first outlined by President Bush yesterday, when enacted will provide the President and the Congress with a tool to surgically remove specific spending and targeted tax benefits from broader enacted legislation. Unlike the line item veto legislation that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 1998, this is clearly constitutional.

The legislation builds upon current Presidential rescission authorities changing the current process to require Congress to act, one way or the other, on the President's proposed removal of items in enacted law. This new procedure guarantees an up-or-down vote on the President's proposed rescissions, without amendments.

I was trying to think how to describe this procedure when people ask, and one might think of it as similar to the Armed Forces BRAC Commission process. I am really talking about the approach, the procedure itself. By that, I mean that the President proposes and the Congress, under expedited procedures, within 10 days, approves or disapproves of the legislation that rescinds spending, including both appropriation items or entitlement spending. The one spending program which would be exempt from this process is Social Security.

The legislation is balanced in that it would also allow the President to eliminate revenue-losing provisions that provide Federal tax benefits to 100 or fewer beneficiaries or provide temporary or transitional relief to 10 or fewer beneficiaries.

I am encouraged by the broad bipartisan support for this reform legislation. I hope this Congress will act on the bill to provide us another tool to control unnecessary and wasteful spending in tax expenditures. It is just good government.

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

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006. I am proud to say there are over 20 Senators who have joined me as original cosponsors of this legislation, including our colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kerry. I wish to thank Senator Kerry for his support, and for the support of all of the other original cosponsors who have joined me on this significant legislative reform proposal.

The legislation itself is long overdue. It is an authority provided in one version or another to 43 Governors today. It is an authority that has been requested by at least 11 Presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

The Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006, first outlined by President Bush yesterday, when enacted will provide the President and the Congress with a tool to surgically remove specific spending and targeted tax benefits from broader enacted legislation. Unlike the line item veto legislation that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 1998, this is clearly constitutional.

The legislation builds upon current Presidential rescission authorities changing the current process to require Congress to act, one way or the other, on the President's proposed removal of items in enacted law. This new procedure guarantees an up-or-down vote on the President's proposed rescissions, without amendments.

I was trying to think how to describe this procedure when people ask, and one might think of it as similar to the Armed Forces BRAC Commission process. I am really talking about the approach, the procedure itself. By that, I mean that the President proposes and the Congress, under expedited procedures, within 10 days, approves or disapproves of the legislation that rescinds spending, including both appropriation items or entitlement spending. The one spending program which would be exempt from this process is Social Security.

The legislation is balanced in that it would also allow the President to eliminate revenue-losing provisions that provide Federal tax benefits to 100 or fewer beneficiaries or provide temporary or transitional relief to 10 or fewer beneficiaries.

I am encouraged by the broad bipartisan support for this reform legislation. I hope this Congress will act on the bill to provide us another tool to control unnecessary and wasteful spending in tax expenditures. It is just good government.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 7, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., to receive testimony from combatant commanders on their military strategy and operational requirements, in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the Future Years Defense Program.

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 March 7, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Assessing the Current Oversight and Operation of Credit Rating Agencies.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 10 a.m. on Rural Telecom.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate and on Tuesday, March 7 at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to discuss the goal of energy independence.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 10 a.m. in SD- 430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, to hear the legislative presentation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The hearing will take place in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 7, 2006, at 2:45 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on the nuclear weapons and defense environmental cleanup activities of the Department of Energy in review of the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years nuclear security program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 8. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate then proceed to a period of morning business for up to 30 minutes, with the first 15 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee and the final 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee; further, that the Senate then resume consideration of S. 2349, the lobbying reform bill.

Mr. President, the Senate will resume consideration of the lobbying reform bill tomorrow. Senators who have amendments to this bill should be working with bill managers, as they are trying to expedite the amendment process. Senators should expect full days this week as we work toward passage of this bill.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it be in order for the Democratic leader to offer an amendment to the lobbying reform bill, and following his statement, the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. President, today, following my remarks and the remarks of the Democratic leader, we will start a period of morning business. We are expecting that around 2 o'clock today we will begin consideration of the lobbying reform bill. The two bills were reported last week--one by the Rules Committee and the other by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. We will proceed to the Rules Committee bill and offer a substitute amendment which is a combination of these pieces of legislation. I hope Senators will take advantage of the opportunity today to come down and give statements on lobbying reform.

This afternoon at 5:30 we have three votes on three district court judges. I am not certain we will need a rollcall vote on each of these. But at this point Senators should anticipate up to three rollcall votes at 5:30.

I should remind our colleagues that we have a cloture motion filed on LIHEAP, which was introduced by Senator Snowe. That cloture vote will occur tomorrow morning. I hope cloture will be invoked and we can complete that bill as quickly as possible and then return to the consideration of the lobbying reform legislation.

We will have votes over the course of the week. I anticipate it is going to be a busy week, requiring a lot of work on the lobbying reform, on LIHEAP, and other issues that come forward. There are 2 weeks remaining before our next recess. Another issue we will be dealing with in committee this week is the budget. We will be dealing with that before we leave, and issues such as the debt ceiling as well will be dealt with before we leave--a whole range of issues. It will be a busy week as we go forward.

Let me turn to the Democratic leader--I have a brief statement on lobbying reform--if there are any thoughts or questions or comments about scheduling or issues.

Mr. President, we do not know yet. We will have some idea by later today. But I hope cloture will be invoked and that we can complete it as rapidly as possible.

Mr. President, today the Senate is taking another step forward to make our Government more transparent and more accountable. It will be a very important debate on very substantive issues, issues that affect the operation of this body and our relationships to outside groups.

We will begin debate on the comprehensive lobbying and ethics reform legislation. Over the last few months, we have made steady progress.

The Senate was first to develop a plan. It was the first to establish a working group to examine the issue. It was the first to hold committee hearings and to have a markup--two markups. And today we will be the first to

bring a comprehensive lobbying reform package to the floor.

I wish to in particular thank our colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Santorum, for his willingness to lead a lobbying reform working group. He has hosted numerous meetings over the last several weeks and spent countless hours on this issue. We are where we are today in large part because of his commitment and his leadership. I wish to recognize him for that.

I also appreciate the work of the chairman and chairwoman of our Rules Committee and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Chairman Lott and Chairman Collins. They have worked expeditiously, both in discussions and holding hearings and markups, so we could in response to my request have available for floor consideration today legislation that centers on commonsense reform. There will be a lot of debate and there will be a lot of discussion, but I think the issues have been laid out and laid out well. Those two chairmen will be comanaging the bill from our side of the aisle, since each of those committees brought forth that legislation from their respective committees.

So that everyone understands how we expect to proceed, we will begin debate on S. 2349, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act. The first amendment offered will be a substitute, incorporating the joint text of both the bills reported by the Rules Committee and by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

I have asked the two managers to move forward in as efficient a way as we possibly can in order to achieve that goal of completing this legislation this week. It is going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of working together, and a lot of cooperation in order to accomplish that. Chairman Lott and Chairman Collins are committed to this timeframe. I encourage all of our colleagues to work with them to ensure that we can accomplish this goal.

If Senators have amendments--and I recognize there will be a number of amendments--I urge them to discuss those amendments, the nature of those amendments, and make the language available as soon as possible with the managers. Let us keep amendments on the issue that is at hand, the issues surrounding ethics and lobbying. Tying up the bill with unrelated amendments, which we call nongermane amendments, is not in anybody's best interest. So let us stay on the bill as much as we possibly can.

A final note. As we enter the debate--I think we will enter it--we are entering it in a tone of working together. It is not a partisan issue we are addressing. People expect us to work together to develop meaningful, nonpartisan solutions but bipartisan solutions to the real problems we know we will be addressing. Ethics is not a partisan issue. The rules apply, as they should, to every Senator and every staff member, regardless of party or stripe. No one gets a special exception.

That is the spirit in which we should approach this bill.

The rules we operate under are bipartisan. The reforms indeed are and should be bipartisan as well. It is my firm belief that as public servants we are obligated to protect the integrity of this fantastic, magnificent institution, and most importantly to represent the genuine interests of the voters--which is our responsibility--who sent us here.

It is time for us to reexamine the rules so that bad apples are exposed before they spoil the whole lot. That is why I have brought this bill to the floor now so we can address it right up front early on in this session. Taking these steps will go a long way to lifting the cloud that threatens to obscure all of our other efforts to offer meaningful reforms and solutions to the problems we now face and that face all Americans.

The issue is something very personal to me. I still consider myself a citizen legislator, coming here for a period of time and going back home. It causes me to reflect on my first vote as a Senator. It was on the Congressional Accountability Act, an act that ensures that Congress abides by the laws it passes.

I believe deeply that we serve the people--not the other way around, and that spirit will be the spirit I believe we will all put forth in this debate over the next several days.

We have a real opportunity before us--an opportunity to make government more transparent, more accountable, and to strengthen the American people's confidence in our body. Once again, I ask my colleagues to join together and deliver meaningful reforms, not only to fulfill our commitment to the American people but to protect and preserve the honor of this great institution we all have the privilege of serving.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of S. 2349, the lobbying reform legislation; provided further that the substitute amendment be agreed to, and that it be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendment.

I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, from the tender days of his youth growing up in Knoxville, Jack Hanna knew he was destined to work with animals. His commitment seemingly knew no limits as he would eagerly climb aboard public buses to nurture his budding interest by working at a local animal clinic for a meager $10 a week.

Yet back then, even he probably couldn't sense that his unique passion would one day blossom and inspire him to a career as an acclaimed author, television host and animal conservationist who would touch the lives of millions.

After stops at Muskingum College and then Florida, it wouldn't be long before the man now affectionately nicknamed ``Jungle Jack'' was serving as executive director of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. When he first arrived, the zoo was in poor shape. Attendance sagged, and the animal habitats were outmoded.

Yet over time, molded by his steady hand, the zoo was gradually revitalized and restored. And with Hanna at the helm, the Columbus Zoo grew into the world-class facility it is today.

He maintains a relentless travel schedule--wearing a beaten path to exotic locales all over the globe. But no matter whether he is visiting with the bears and whales in the frigid arctic or the cheetahs in the lonesome wild of Africa, he remains fueled by a genuine love of animals and a deep passion for sharing the majesty of nature with children and adults in communities throughout the world.

No matter whether an animal prowls, stomps, slithers or crawls, Jack Hanna craves the opportunity to share its unique importance with any and all who will listen. He is a fervent advocate for conservation, and his efforts have broadened the horizons of untold millions of readers, listeners and viewers.

While Jack Hanna is no stranger to big name stages--he is a regular on mainstream media shows like ``Good Morning America'' and ``The Late Show with David Letterman''--it is not the fame or excitement that has drawn him onto TV and into the homes of millions of Americans. Rather, it is the opportunity to educate people across the Nation about the magic and wonder of the animal kingdom.

He rejects the notion of his celebrity, insisting he serves only as an ``ambassador for animals in the wild.''

Not surprisingly, Hanna's altruism extends far beyond animal interests. He is passionate about addressing the needs of the human condition as well. He has shown a true commitment to helping communities in some of the most impoverished and war-torn regions of the world. During a recent taping in Rwanda, he reminded fans that ``if you don't help the people first, you won't be able to help the animals, either.''

Just last December he made a point of halting his manic travel schedule to share his love of animals with patients at the Walter Reed Medical Center right here in suburban Washington, DC. His eager and youthful style was a tremendous hit among the troops. The visit shared the healing presence of animals and buoyed some of our Nation's finest men and women's spirits.

The Knoxville News Sentinel aptly describes Jack as ``a whirlwind of activity, always on the go.'' But looking beyond his busy exterior, it is clear to all that Jack Hanna is a man of deep humility and genuine compassion.

His work has heightened appreciation for untold numbers of animal species from all regions of the world. And his efforts have enriched the lives of humans and animals alike. He is a special individual and an embodiment of the Tennessee volunteer spirit.

I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to have second-degree amendments to S. 2320 filed at the desk by 10:30 a.m.