[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 110 (Wednesday, August 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       (1) Dole Amendment No. 2479, to provide for the termination 
     of the United States arms embargo of the Government of Bosnia 
     and Herzegovina no later than November 15, 1994
       (2) Helms Amendment No. 2480, to limit military assistance 
     and military sales financing to the Government of Colombia 
     until the President certifies that it is fully cooperating in 
     counternarcotics efforts.
       (3) Bumpers Amendment No. 2481 (to committee amendment on 
     page 37, line 7), to reduce the amount for the acquisition of 
     Milstar satellites.
       (4) Helms Amendment No. 2488 (to committee amendment on 
     page 2), to express the sense of the Senate regarding the 
     congressional timetable for considering health care reform.
       (5) Bumpers Amendment No. 2489, to reduce the amount for 
     the procurement of the Trident II Missile Program.


                       vote on amendment no. 2488

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on agreeing to 
amendment No. 2488 offered by the Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I support tabling this amendment. As it is 
drafted it is self-defeating and counter to the United States' efforts 
to combat international drug cartels.
  The amendment would prohibit us from appropriating some of the funds 
we spend to curtail the production and transport of illegal Colombian 
drugs unless the Colombian Government takes detailed, specific actions 
to change Colombian law. Whether or not these changes would be good or 
appropriate is not the question. Rather, the question is, is it wise to 
condition what we think is best in our own interests on changes the 
Colombian Government may or may not make? We do not give Colombia 
assistance to fight illegal drug cartels out of charity. We give that 
assistance because it is in our interest to do so. This amendment would 
be self-defeating. If we determine that such assistance is best for our 
antidrugs effort, then the funds should be appropriated. If, however, 
we determine that such assistance is not best for our antidrug effort, 
then they should not be appropriated. But if we tie our own hands by 
conditioning our antidrug efforts on whether or not Colombia makes the 
changes we tell them to make, that just doesn't make sense.
  Should many, many countries in the world make changes in their laws 
and conduct? You bet. Should countries that receive U.S. assistance 
make changes? You bet. But the nonhumanitarian assistance we give other 
nations is not given for their benefit, but for ours. Therefore I am 
not willing to allow another nation to determine whether we can 
appropriate funds that we think is in our best interest to do so. 
Therefore I urge the tabling of this amendment.
  Mr. INOUYE. I move to table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii is recognized to make 
a motion to table.
  Mr. INOUYE. I move to table.
  Mr. HELMS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  The result was announced--yeas 54, nays 46, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 268 Leg.]

                                YEAS--54

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boren
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Byrd
     Conrad
     Daschle
     DeConcini
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Heflin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Johnston
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mathews
     Metzenbaum
     Mikulski
     Mitchell
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Nunn
     Pell
     Pryor
     Reid
     Riegle
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Sasser
     Simon
     Wellstone
     Wofford

                                NAYS--46

     Bennett
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     Danforth
     Dole
     Domenici
     Durenberger
     Faircloth
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Jeffords
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Packwood
     Pressler
     Roth
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thurmond
     Wallop
     Warner
  So the motion to table the amendment (No. 2488) was agreed to.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mr. LEVIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  (Later the following occurred.)

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