[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 49 (Thursday, March 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4049-S4050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND RESCISSIONS ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. PELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. PELL. Madam President, I do not believe that this is the 
appropriate vehicle for offering this amendment today.
  I am supportive, as I know we all are, of making sure that the Senate 
is kept appropriately informed on the administration's efforts to 
stabilize the Mexican peso. But I do not believe that the amendment as 
currently drafted properly balances the Senate's right to information 
with the administration's requirements to carry out its 
responsibilities to implement this program with another sovereign 
government.
  Madam President, I would also call to the attention of my colleagues 
that this amendment in the form of a resolution is to be the subject of 
a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting next week. I believe 
that the committee markup is the more appropriate forum to work on some 
of the difficulties posed by this amendment.
  I know that the Department of Treasury has some difficulties with the 
amendment as it is currently drafted and has requested to meet with 
Senator Brown's staff and other interested staff to discuss changes in 
the amendment. In fact, both sides have already agreed to meet tomorrow 
to try to work some of this out.
  [[Page S4050]] I would urge the Senator to consider withdrawing this 
amendment and sitting down with Treasury representatives to work out 
language that meets the Senator's needs but also addresses some very 
legitimate concerns of the Department.
  Let me repeat, this is identical to legislation that has been 
scheduled for markup this coming Monday in the Foreign Relations 
Committee, on which the Senator from Colorado sits, and contributes a 
great deal.
  While I understand the Senator's desire to have this legislation 
acted on quickly, I think it would be a very unfortunate precedent to 
preempt the Committee markup in this way.
  We also have the point that this is, after all, authorizing 
legislation being attached to an appropriations bill. So I hope that 
this could be withdrawn with the understanding that it would be taken 
up again next week or the week after.
  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I appreciate the very thoughtful comments 
of the Senator from Rhode Island. He, as always, makes such a valuable 
contribution in the Senate's deliberations. I think he makes a very 
valid point with regard to the deliberations of the committee and 
certainly that would be the normal process that I would want to follow. 
Indeed, my observation is correct that it is scheduled for markup in 
committee.
  There are several factors that make me want to move ahead with the 
process right now. That is, first of all, the urgency of getting this 
information while billions of dollars of American taxpayers' money is 
being committed. My sense is it is very important in terms of timing to 
get this enacted as quickly as possible. But I want to pledge to the 
Senator that any adjustments that are made in markup, I will--along 
with, I know, others and I hope many will be active in--be urging the 
conferees to adopt so that, first, the deliberations of the committee 
are not overlooked but are incorporated in this by the conferees; and 
second, that we move along quickly.
  The second aspect I might note here is that we have been working with 
the Treasury people. I want to pledge myself to work with them in terms 
of fine-tuning reporting requirements.
  But most of all, I want to know also another factor. This obviously 
involves more than simply the Foreign Relations Committee. The bulk of 
the bill is really the work of Senator D'Amato and his Banking 
Committee. He has been a guiding light in the effort to get the facts 
out in this area.
  So it is my sense that it is appropriate to move ahead with the 
legislation at this time simply because it is so urgent to be getting 
accurate answers and accounting while literally billions of dollars are 
flowing out of U.S. coffers.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Gregg be added 
as a cosponsor of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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