[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4325-S4327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     LEGISLATIVE LINE-ITEM VETO ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.


                 Amendment No. 356 to Amendment No. 347

  Mr. FEINGOLD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I brought up amendment No. 356 last 
night and it was laid aside.
  I ask unanimous consent that we return to that now. It is my 
understanding that the managers have no objection to the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. EXON. Please proceed. I was not aware that this had been cleared 
now. I have no objection.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. I will reiterate that there is no objection on either 
side to this. It has to do with changing the rules for emergency 
spending bills. It is making sure that extraneous matters are not 
attached to them, as has happened in the past. I understand both sides 
have agreed to voice vote on that.
  Mr. COATS. If the Senator from Wisconsin will yield, I just say to 
the Senator from Wisconsin that we think it is a meritorious amendment. 
It is consistent with the goals and the intent of the line-item veto 
legislation before us. We are happy to accept the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
  The amendment (No. 356) was agreed to.
   [[Page S4326]] Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the 
vote.
  Mr. COATS. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to thank the 
managers and all the people that were involved in this amendment. It is 
an excellent example of bipartisan cooperation to, in effect, try to 
prevent the pork from getting over to the President in the first place. 
The line-item veto is about getting rid of those items after the 
President has them on his desk. I think this will prove to be a useful 
tool in eliminating some of the things that have happened in Congress 
that have been held up really to public ridicule. I am grateful to the 
Senators who helped move it along.


                 Amendment No. 402 to Amendment No. 347

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now before the Senate is 
amendment No. 402.
  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to thank my friend 
and colleague from Wisconsin for an excellent amendment, well 
presented. I am very pleased that it has been accepted on the other 
side.
  We are moving along very well now. As I understand it, from 
conversations I have just had with the Senator from Indiana, the 
manager of the bill on the other side of the aisle, the lockbox 
amendment that I presented last night has now been cleared on each 
side.
  What is the pending business, Mr. President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's amendment No. 402.
  Mr. EXON. With that, I would like to call up that amendment for a 
vote at this time. We have finished debate on the amendment. I believe 
it has been cleared on each side.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, we have had trouble putting our fingers on 
402. I want to make sure amendment 402 is the lockbox amendment.
  Mr. EXON. I think we can assure the Senator that it is the Exon 
lockbox amendment.
  Mr. COATS. I had just heard a minute ago that it was not. That is why 
I wanted to verify that.
  We are satisfied, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
  The amendment (No. 402) was agreed to.
  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mr. COATS. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Indiana, the floor 
manager, for his help on this.
  Mr. President, I believe we have made really good progress. Last 
night and so far today, we have either adopted or tabled seven 
amendments. The majority has inquired with regard to three amendments 
on their side, and we are attempting to work those out.
  Beyond that, I think that there are in the neighborhood of only 8 or 
10 amendments left that I know of here. So that is excellent progress.
  I would simply take this opportunity to once again state what I 
stated this morning. And after my statement this morning, we had some 
good cooperation. So I would simply alert all Senators to the fact that 
we are now moving very, very aggressively and very, very quickly. I 
urge Senators who have amendments that are outstanding or, if there are 
any--hopefully, there are not--if there are any we do not know about, I 
think this would be an excellent time for Senators to come to the floor 
and offer any amendments that any Senator on either side of the aisle 
has on the measure before us so we can keep the momentum going and not 
get slowed down to where we sag back into situations that we have been 
in before on bills where we think we are moving and all at once we slow 
down and seemingly never get started up again.
  So I certainly urge any Senator, this is a very, very good time to 
come forward with the 8 or 10 amendments that we believe are serious 
amendments that are pending. This would be a good time to move on them. 
Certainly, it is not a time to go to third reading, but this is a time 
I think for everybody to understand that, with a little cooperation, we 
can stay away from any consideration of a cloture vote. As far as I 
know, the cloture vote has not been vitiated yet, has it?
  Mr. COATS. It has not.
  Mr. EXON. I am advised that the majority leader has not vitiated the 
cloture vote. That is currently scheduled, I believe, for 5 p.m. I 
believe we will not need that if the feeling of the majority leader is 
that we are making sufficient progress. But that is a possibility.
  So since it is now about 3:22, this would be a excellent time for 
someone to come over and offer an amendment. I would be very glad to 
have someone show up.
  I have been advised I was wrong on the 5 o'clock time. The 5 o'clock 
time was to have been for 1 hour of debate and the vote was scheduled 
to be at 6 o'clock, as presently scheduled.
  We hope somewhere along the line in the next hour or so we might have 
a chance of going to the majority leader and having that vitiated. But 
I think it all depends. The first thing the majority leader is going to 
ask is, ``Well, how are you coming along?'' I suspect my friend from 
Indiana would agree with that.
  Mr. COATS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I would agree with that. We obviously hope 
to be able to vitiate the cloture vote that is now scheduled for 6 p.m.
  We are making excellent progress on these amendments. We hope that 
Members will come to the floor and continue to offer amendments. Our 
goal is to expedite the debate and consideration of this bill that is 
before us.
  We have had considerable debate not only on this particular issue but 
on similar issues for the past several years. I think Members have had 
an ample opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions.
  We now actively encourage those amendments. Obviously, as the Senator 
from Nebraska said, the more amendments that we can consider before 6 
o'clock, perhaps the more favorable consideration the majority leader 
can give to that vote which is ordered for 6 p.m.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The absence of a quorum having been suggested, 
the clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                      Unanimous-Consent Agreement

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture 
motions on the majority leader's amendment be vitiated; that the 
following be the only first-degree amendments remaining in order to 
either S. 4 or to Senator Dole's amendment; that they be subject to 
relevant second-degree amendments following a failed tabling motion; 
that all amendments on this list must be offered by 10 a.m., Thursday, 
March 23; that upon the disposition of these amendments, Senator Dole's 
substitute amendment, as amended, if amended, be agreed to; that the 
bill be read a third time, and at that time there be 2 hours of debate 
under Senator Byrd's control; and that upon the conclusion or yielding 
back of that time, the Senate vote on final passage of S. 4, as 
amended, with the preceding all occurring without any intervening 
action or debate, and that no motion to recommit be in order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOLE. Let me indicate the list which I will send to the desk: One 
amendment by Senator Bingaman, two amendments by Senator Byrd, two by 
Senator Daschle, one amendment by Senator Murray, one amendment by 
Senator Exon, one amendment by Senator Glenn, one amendment by Senator 
Levin, one amendment by Senator Dole, one amendment by Senator Abraham, 
one amendment by Senator Murkowski, one amendment by Senator Hatch, one 
amendment by Senator D'Amato.
  These are relevant amendments. One is a substitute, others relate to 
authorized programs or exemptions, and one is a fencing amendment. We 
can provide further details if any of our colleagues want details on 
the amendments.
  [[Page S4327]] Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I commend many of the 
Senators whose cooperation was important in receiving this agreement.
  We started out with a large double-digit list and we are now down to 
virtually a single-digit list with as many Republican as Democratic 
amendments. I am very hopeful that we can work through these 
amendments.
  For the information of colleagues, I intend to offer our substitute 
this evening, and hope we can have a good debate on that. I am sure we 
can work through many of these, even with time agreements, but I do 
appreciate the accommodation by many Senators. I appreciated having the 
opportunity to work through this agreement with the majority leader.
  I think this will allow Members to do what we have indicated we would 
like to do, and that is reach final passage this week.
  I appreciate the cooperation of all Senators, and I look forward to 
the remaining debate on the amendments that have just been listed.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I thank the Democratic leader, Senator 
Daschle, for his cooperation. I think he is correct. I think it is in a 
condition now where it can be passed, maybe late tomorrow night if not 
sometime early Friday.
  I would hope following disposition, as I have not yet discussed it 
with the Democratic leader, one thing we have to do is the self-
employed tax matter. Maybe we could start on that Friday. I will 
discuss that with the minority leader later. I asked Senator Packwood 
to check with Senator Moynihan to see if they would be available on 
Friday.
  I would ask my colleagues if they have amendments, certainly, this 
would be a good time to offer amendments because the Democratic leader 
has indicated later today he will offer the substitute. I urge my 
colleagues on either side of the aisle if they have amendments, I am 
certain that the managers would be happy to engage them in debate. 
Perhaps we can dispose of four or five additional amendments before 
late afternoon.
  Mr. DASCHLE. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant 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.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  

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