[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
       FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1994

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the pending 
business.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1491) to amend the Airport and Airway 
     Improvement Act of 1982 and authorize appropriations, and for 
     other purposes.

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       (1) D'Amato amendment No. 1775, to establish a special 
     subcommittee within the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
     Urban Affairs to conduct an investigation into allegations 
     concerning the Whitehouse Development Corp., Madison Guaranty 
     Savings & Loan Association, and Capital Management Services, 
     Inc. and other related matters.
       (2) Mitchell amendment No. 1776 (to amendment No. 1775), in 
     the nature of a substitute.

                Amendment No. 1776 to Amendment No. 1775

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The pending question is amendment 
No. 1776 offered by the majority leader, the Senator from Maine [Mr. 
Mitchell].
  The Senator from Maine.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam President, I note the presence of the 
distinguished junior Senator from New York on the floor. I would like, 
if I might, to direct a question to the Senator through the Chair.
  Madam President, the Senator has for some time been urging a Senate 
vote on the issue of hearings on the Whitewater matter. As the Senator 
knows, we were prepared to vote on Thursday. At that time he indicated 
that he and his Republican colleagues would not permit a vote to occur 
on Thursday. We were similarly prepared to vote on Friday. He indicated 
the same thing. It is now, of course, Tuesday. I inquire of the Senator 
whether it is his disposition and that of our Republican colleagues to 
permit a vote to occur on the pending amendment on the Whitewater 
matter?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. D'AMATO. Madam President, let me say that I want there to be a 
vote on the Whitewater hearings. Without getting into the merits of the 
amendment, I do not believe that this is the kind of hearing that the 
American people deserve. I could not participate in a limited hearing 
like this, to be quite candid with you, because it is not a hearing 
that will do justice to the process. It is not the type of hearing 
which is in keeping with the tradition of comprehensive, truly probing 
hearings that the Senate has had in innumerable instances. It is too 
circumscribed.
  However, having said that, I certainly think there will be a vote. I 
am not going to delay this. I believe there may be a vote sometime 
early this afternoon, when we come back from our respective caucuses. I 
will seek an opportunity to caucus with the Members on my side as to 
how they wish to progress. I am fairly certain that we will take this 
to a vote.
  It would be my recommendation that we offer amendments, continue to 
offer amendments until we can resolve some issues. Hopefully, the 
leadership can still work this out and resolve the differences between 
the pending amendment and that which the Republicans have introduced. 
That would be my hope.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam President, I, of course, would be perfectly 
agreeable to entering into an agreement now to have a vote at whatever 
time the Senator from New York chooses.
  Mr. D'AMATO. Let me say to the majority leader, I am not in a 
position to agree to a time certain for a vote until I speak to the 
caucus.
  It will not benefit any of us to delay the vote because only after 
the vote may we offer our amendments and possibly come up with a format 
in the process of negotiation, a format that will make it possible for 
us to set up a methodology for the hearings. But it would be my 
recommendation that we vote on this as soon as we come back in. I 
cannot agree to a time certain now but that is my recommendation. I do 
not mean to mislead the leader. I want to be very candid with him.
  (Mr. MATHEWS assumed the chair.)
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I will simply say that our colleagues 
should be prepared to have someone on the floor and debating, because 
if there is not anyone, the Chair will put the question, of course. It 
is the burden of those who do not want the vote to occur now or now 
agree to a time certain for a vote to debate the matter, and I simply 
want our colleagues to be on notice in that regard.
  We will be prepared to proceed and discuss the matter further 
following the recess, as the Senator from New York has suggested.
  Mr. D'AMATO. May I suggest this to the leader: That we put in a 
quorum call, and I would like an opportunity to consult with the 
Republican leader--maybe we can agree to a time certain--and some of 
the others. That would be my recommendation. I have an extra 20 
minutes, half hour.
  Mr. MITCHELL. That is perfectly fine.
  Mr. D'AMATO. Or maybe we can have a time for morning business.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Why do I not do that, and Senators can speak in morning 
business. I will wait to hear from the Senator from New York.
  Mr. D'AMATO. Fine.

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