[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 41 (Monday, March 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

  The Senate continued with consideration of the bill.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I will be asking unanimous consent to 
modify my amendment, in language to be worked out amongst staff, that 
this amendment not be in application to reports that are triggered by 
specific legislation that is on the books.
  For example, the War Powers Act requires a report from the executive 
branch to the Congress, and there are certain pieces of legislation 
that are on the books and in law that require specific reports to be 
made in the event of certain actions or events taking place. In arms 
sales, there is a report that needs to be made to Congress in the event 
of an arms sale to certain countries under certain circumstances. So 
the staff understands and Senator Levin and Senator Roth understand.
  I ask unanimous consent that I may modify my amendment in a technical 
way to ensure that the language exempts those reports that are 
triggered by acts of Congress.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has a right to modify his 
amendment.
  Mr. LEVIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, let me thank, first of all, my friend from 
Arizona for this modification. His amendment is right on target. We 
should be sunsetting reports which are automatically and routinely 
filed. Many of them are not needed. We should sunset those reports 
after a period of time as his amendment does.
  On the other hand, we should not put into jeopardy those reports, 
such as the War Powers Act reports and arms sales reports, which are 
not those routine, regular reports that are automatic, but rather are 
triggered by events that are important to Congress, as indicated by the 
legislation that is already on the books.
  I wish to thank the Senator from Arizona for that modification.
  In addition, I believe that the Senator from Delaware will be seeking 
unanimous consent that I be allowed to offer an amendment--which I 
believe will be accepted--in the morning, which will eliminate a number 
of reports, I believe 200 reports, which have been cleared by various 
committees that are no longer needed.
  Senator McCain's amendment is a sunset amendment, a very important 
amendment. What my amendment does is take a smaller number of reports 
that are currently required which should no longer be filed, which take 
a lot of time and take a lot of money. We have methodically gone 
through, report by report by report, and have determined, I believe, 
from memory, that there are in the area of 200 to 300 reports that we 
can eliminate--not just sunset, but absolutely eliminate.
  I think the Senator from Delaware will be making a unanimous-consent 
request, if a unanimous-consent request is required--I am not sure what 
the status is--but will be offering a unanimous-consent request that 
would allow me to offer an amendment tomorrow morning, with 10 minutes 
of debate.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I say to my distinguished friend from 
Michigan that that is my intent.
  I, first of all, wish to congratulate the distinguished Senator from 
Arizona for his amendment, because I do think it is a valuable one. We 
look forward to seeing it adopted.
  I believe the proposal of the distinguished Senator from Michigan 
adds a positive factor. We are trying to work out a unanimous-consent 
that would allow him to bring it up the first thing tomorrow morning at 
10:30.
  I very much appreciate that.
  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. ROTH. 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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