[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST

  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
resume consideration of the defense authorization bill; that the 
pending amendments be set aside; that Senator Levin be recognized to 
offer his B-2 amendment; that there be a time limitation for debate of 
3 hours on his amendment, that upon the use or yielding back of 2 hours 
this evening of that time, the amendment be laid aside and Senator 
Warner be recognized to offer his amendment regarding military COLA; 
that there be a time limitation for debate of 2 hours on his amendment; 
that upon the use or yielding back of time on that amendment this 
evening, the amendment be laid aside and Senator Nunn be recognized to 
offer a military COLA amendment; there be 30 minutes for debate on that 
amendment; that when the Senate completes its business tonight, it 
stand in recess until 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 1; that following the 
prayer, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in 
the day; that the Senate then resume consideration of the defense 
authorization bill; that Senator Nunn's amendment No. 1852 and Senator 
Dole's amendment No. 1851 then be modified so that they are each 
freestanding first-degree amendments with both pending at the same 
time; that the time between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. be for debate on 
the two Bosnia amendments; that at 9:30 a.m. the Senate resume 
consideration of Senator Levin's B-2 amendment; that there then be 1 
hour remaining for debate on that amendment, with 40 minutes under 
Senator Levin's control and 20 minutes under Senator Nunn's control; 
that at 10:30 a.m. the Senate vote on or in relation to Senator Levin's 
B-2 amendment; that upon the disposition of that amendment, the Senate 
vote on Senator Nunn's Bosnia amendment; that upon the disposition of 
that amendment, the Senate vote on Senator Dole's amendment; that upon 
the disposition of that amendment the Senate vote on or in relation to 
Senator Warner's COLA amendment; that upon the disposition of that 
amendment, the Senate vote on or in relation to Senator Nunn's COLA 
amendment; that upon the disposition of that amendment, the Senate vote 
on the conference report to accompany H.R. 4454; that no other 
amendments be in order prior to the disposition of the above 
amendments; that all times for debate be equally divided in the usual 
form, except where noted; and that these votes occur without any 
intervening debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. NUNN. Reserving the right to object, and I will not object.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I also reserve the right to object.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Virginia. 
Did he have an inquiry?
  Mr. WARNER. Yes. Reserving the right to object, I address the 
question both to the distinguished chairman and to the majority leader.
  I have discussed from time to time with the chairman of the 
committee, the Senator from Georgia, that the Senator from Virginia 
would like an up-or-down vote on his COLA amendment, and it is not 
clear from this exactly what would be the procedure. At least I am not 
able to, to my satisfaction, determine just how this would be handled.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, pursuant to this agreement, a tabling 
motion would be in order, if offered, to the amendment.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, would the distinguished leadership, both 
the majority leader and the chairman, consider allowing the Senator 
from Virginia to have just an up-or-down vote?
  Mr. NUNN. Yes. The Senator and I talked about not having a substitute 
amendment. The way this is stated, we would vote independently on our 
amendments. There would be no substitute. I would also be willing not 
to make a tabling motion.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank the distinguished chairman.
  Mr. President, it would be my understanding that in such places as 
appropriate in this time agreement, it would be amended to reflect that 
the Senator from Virginia would have----
  Mr. MITCHELL. If the Senator will yield, I think I can take care of 
that by asking that with respect to the COLA amendments and the B-2 
amendment, if agreeable to the distinguished manager, that the words 
``or in relation to'' be stricken so that it would then be understood 
and required under the agreement that there would be votes on the 
amendments, and they would not be subject to a tabling motion.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank the majority leader. I have a further question. 
Would it also be permissible that the vote on the amendment of the 
Senator from Virginia precede a vote on the amendment of the Senator 
from Georgia?
  Mr. MITCHELL. I did not hear the last inquiry.
  Mr. WARNER. I think the Senator from Georgia is prepared to respond.
  Mr. NUNN. I believe the order of votes in the request reflects that 
we would vote on his first. I believe that is right. That was the 
intent, of course, to have your vote first.
  Mr. WARNER. Then, Mr. President, if I might have the second question, 
the reference to the Bosnia section. Is the Senator Nunn amendment the 
one that the distinguished chairman from Georgia and I have worked on?
  Mr. NUNN. Yes.
  Mr. WARNER. It is the same basic amendment as changed pursuant to our 
agreement.
  Mr. NUNN. It is the Nunn-Warner-Mitchell----
  Mr. MITCHELL. Kassebaum.
  Mr. NUNN. Kassebaum amendment.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, if I may comment, there have been some 
minor language changes, I believe, and we are trying to get a copy of 
those to give them to our colleagues on the other side. I was going to 
modify the agreement further to permit modification of both of the 
Bosnian amendments prior to the close of business this evening. So it 
is our intention to exchange the current status of the document at the 
close of business this evening.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank the distinguished majority leader and the 
distinguished chairman.
  The modification to the Nunn-Warner agreement that I have seen thus 
far is quite satisfactory, and I will most willingly participate in 
most other amendments that need be considered.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I have to withhold for a moment on the 
agreement because we have another inquiry from someone not present to 
which I must respond. So I will for the moment withdraw the request and 
I will after dealing with the additional inquiry again propound the 
agreement.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wish to tell the distinguished majority 
leader the Senator from Virginia is satisfied.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, assuming the distinguished majority leader 
and others and Chairman Nunn of Georgia pursue the agreement along 
lines here, it calls upon the Warner COLA amendment for 2 hours.
  I simply wish to assume that I would half of that, which would be 1 
hour. I know the distinguished Senator from Maryland [Mr. Sarbanes] is 
anxious to speak.
  But I wish to tell the leadership I do not know at this moment of 
others. Therefore, I would like to put the Senate on notice that the 
Senator from Virginia may not require his full hour on his COLA 
amendment.
  I know that the leadership is trying to expedite the bill tonight. So 
I wish other Senators who do wish to speak on the COLA proposition of 
the Senator from Virginia might come forward.
  I see the distinguished Senator from South Carolina wishes to speak.
  So, therefore, we may not require the full hour.
  I think the Chair, and I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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