[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 98 (Friday, June 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7221-S7225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will now resume consideration of the DOD bill, which the clerk 
will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1745) to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
     year 1997 for military activities of the Department of 
     Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
     activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
     personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed 
     Forces, and for other purposes.

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       Nunn amendment No. 4367, to require the President to submit 
     a report to Congress on NATO enlargement.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

[[Page S7222]]

                           Amendment No. 4387

   (Purpose: To ensure fair and equitable pricing of equipment to be 
provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina under current drawndown authorities)

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I offer an amendment which would express 
the sense of the Senate that the price of defense articles transferred 
to Bosnia be priced at the lowest fair price in order to maximize the 
amount of equipment provided under the Bosnia drawdown authority.
  I believe this amendment has been cleared by the other side.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 4387.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following 
     new section:
       Sec.   . It is the sense of the Senate that, 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to 
     maximize the amount of equipment provided to the Government 
     of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the authority contained in 
     Section 540 of the Foreign Operations Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-
     107), the price of the transferred equipment shall not exceed 
     the lowest level at which the same or similar equipment has 
     been transferred to any other country under any other U.S. 
     government program.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I urge the Senate adopt this amendment.
  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, this amendment has been agreed to. I urge 
its passage.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Objection. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Objection.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the call of the roll.
  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without 
objection, it is so ordered.


                Amendment No. 4177, As Further Modified

            (Purpose: To provide for defense burdensharing)

  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Harkin, I ask unanimous 
consent amendment No. 4177 offered by Senator Harkin, as modified, and 
previously adopted, be further modified by the language in the 
amendment I am sending to the desk.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without 
objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4177), as further modified, is as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1044. DEFENSE BURDENSHARING.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States continues to spend billions of 
     dollars to promote regional security and to make preparations 
     for regional contingencies.
       (2) United States defense expenditures promote United 
     States national security interests; however, they also 
     significantly contribute to the defense of our allies.
       (3) In 1993, the gross domestic product of the United 
     States equaled $6,300,000,000,000, while the gross domestic 
     product of other NATO member countries totaled 
     $7,200,000,000,000.
       (4) Over the course of 1993, the United States spent 4.7 
     percent of its gross domestic product on defense, while other 
     NATO members collectively spent 2.5 percent of their gross 
     domestic product on defense.
       (5) In addition to military spending, foreign assistance 
     plays a vital role in the establishment and maintenance of 
     stability in other nations and in implementing the United 
     States national security strategy.
       (6) This assistance has often prevented the outbreak of 
     conflicts which otherwise would have required costly military 
     interventions by the United States and our allies.
       (7) From 1990-1993, the United States spent $59,000,000,000 
     in foreign assistance, a sum which represents an amount 
     greater than any other nation in the world.
       (8) In 1995, the United States spent over $10,000,000,000 
     to promote European security, while European NATO nations 
     only contributed $2,000,000,000 toward this effort.
       (9) With a smaller gross domestic product and a larger 
     defense budget than its European NATO allies, the United 
     States shoulders an unfair share of the burden of the common 
     defense.
       (11) Japan now pays over 75 percent of the nonpersonnel 
     costs incurred by United States military forces permanently 
     assigned there, while our European allies pay for less than 
     25 percent of these same costs. Japan signed a new Special 
     Measures Agreement this year which will increase Japan's 
     contribution toward the cost of stationing United States 
     troops in Japan by approximately $30,000,000 a year over the 
     next five years.
       (12) These increased contributions help to rectify the 
     imbalance in the burden shouldered by the United States for 
     the common defense.
       (13) The relative share of the burden of the common defense 
     still falls too heavily on the United States, and our allies 
     should dedicate more of their own resources to defending 
     themselves.
       (b) Efforts To Increase Allied Burdensharing.--The 
     President shall seek to have each nation that has cooperative 
     military relations with the United States (including security 
     agreements, basing arrangements, or mutual participation in 
     multinational military organizations or operations) take one 
     or more of the following actions:
       (1) Increase its financial contributions to the payment of 
     the nonpersonnel costs incurred by the United States 
     Government for stationing United States military personnel in 
     that nation, with a goal of achieving the following 
     percentages of such costs:
       (A) By September 30, 1997, 37.5 percent.
       (B) By September 30, 1998, 50 percent.
       (C) By September 30, 1999, 62.5 percent.
       (D) By September 30, 2000, 75 percent.
     An increase in financial contributions by any nation under 
     this paragraph may include the elimination of taxes, fees, or 
     other charges levied on United States military personnel, 
     equipment, or facilities stationed in that nation.
       (2) Increase its annual budgetary outlays for national 
     defense as a percentage of its gross domestic product by 10 
     percent or at least to a level commensurate to that of the 
     United States by September 30, 1997.
       (3) Increase its annual budgetary outlays for foreign 
     assistance (to promote democratization, economic 
     stabilization, transparency arrangements, defense economic 
     conversion, respect for the rule of law, and internationally 
     recognized human rights) by 10 percent or at least to a level 
     commensurate to that of the United States by September 30, 
     1997.
       (4) Increase the amount of military assets (including 
     personnel, equipment, logistics, support and other resources) 
     that it contributes, or would be prepared to contribute, to 
     multinational military activities worldwide.
       (c) Authorities To Encourage Actions by United States 
     Allies.--In seeking the actions described in subsection (b) 
     with respect to any nation, or in response to a failure by 
     any nation to undertake one or more of such actions, the 
     President may take any of the following measures:
       (1) Reduce the end strength level of members of the Armed 
     Forces assigned to permanent duty ashore in that nation.
       (2) Impose on that nation taxes, fees, or other charges 
     similar to those that such nation imposes on United States 
     forces stationed in that nation.
       (3) Reduce (through rescission, impoundment, or other 
     appropriate procedures as authorized by law) the amount the 
     United States contributes to the NATO Civil Budget, Military 
     Budget, or Security Investment Program.
       (4) Suspend, modify, or terminate any bilateral security 
     agreement the United States has with that nation.
       (5) Reduce (through rescission, impoundment or other 
     appropriate procedures as authorized by law) any United 
     States bilateral assistance appropriated for that nation.
       (6) Take any other action the President determines to be 
     appropriate as authorized by law.
       (d) Report on Progress in Increasing Allied 
     Burdensharing.--Not later than March 1, 1997, the Secretary 
     of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on--
       (1) steps taken by other nations to complete the actions 
     described in subsection (b);
       (2) all measures taken by the President, including those 
     authorized in subsection (c), to achieve the actions 
     described in subsection (b); and
       (3) the budgetary savings to the United States that are 
     expected to accrue as a result of the steps described under 
     paragraph (1).
       (e) Report on National Security Bases for Forward 
     Deployment and Burdensharing Relationships.--(1) In order to 
     ensure the best allocation of budgetary resources, the 
     President shall undertake a review of the status of elements 
     of the United States Armed Forces that are permanently 
     stationed outside the United States. The review shall include 
     an assessment of the following:
       (A) The alliance requirements that are to be found in 
     agreements between the United States and other countries.
       (B) The national security interests that support 
     permanently stationing elements of the United States Armed 
     Forces outside the United States.
       (C) The stationing costs associated with the forward 
     deployment of elements of the United States Armed Forces.

[[Page S7223]]

       (D) The alternatives available to forward deployment (such 
     as material prepositioning, enhanced airlift and sealift, or 
     joint training operations) to meet such alliance requirements 
     or national security interests, with such alternatives 
     identified and described in detail.
       (E) The costs and force structure configurations associated 
     with such alternatives to forward deployment.
       (F) The financial contributions that allies of the United 
     States make to common defense efforts (to promote 
     democratization, economic stabilization, transparency 
     arrangements, defense economic conversion, respect for the 
     rule of law, and internationally recognized human rights).
       (G) The contributions that allies of the United States make 
     to meeting the stationing costs associated with the forward 
     deployment of elements of the United States Armed Forces.
       (H) The annual expenditures of the United States and its 
     allies on national defense, and the relative percentages of 
     each nation's gross domestic product constituted by those 
     expenditures.
       (2) The President shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     review under paragraph (1). The report shall be submitted not 
     later than March 1, 1997, in classified and unclassified 
     form.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. I support the amendment. I would like to point out that 
after this amendment technical correction is made, the Senator from New 
Jersey has made it clear that he will block further progress on the 
Department of Defense authorization bill. The Senator from New Jersey 
can speak to it for himself, as to why he chooses to block a bill 
concerning the defense and security of the Nation on Friday of the 
beginning date of recess.
  As I say, I do not pretend to describe it. I think it is 
irresponsible. I think it is unnecessary. We worked very, very hard on 
this bill for months of hearings, of markup. We have been on this bill 
now for many, many days. We are nearing the end. And the Senator from 
New Jersey has decided that he will prevent this body from moving 
forward.
  I hope whatever problems that he has can be resolved, but I believe, 
if I might say, from a personal standpoint, this is sort of an 
indicator of a very unpleasant kind of environment that has begun to 
permeate this body. The Senator from New Jersey has the right, as a 
Senator, to block this legislation and suggest the absence of a quorum. 
He has that right. I do not deny him that right.
  But I, frankly, am befuddled as to why he would want to block 
legislation that concerns the welfare of hundreds of thousands of young 
men and women in the military. It has enormous impact for the security 
of this Nation. Frankly, I think the American people might deserve an 
explanation from the Senator from New Jersey as to why he chooses to 
block a bill that has to do with the defense and security of this 
Nation. I regret it. I hope he will reconsider his blockage of further 
progress on this bill, as it is important to the lives of hundreds of 
thousands of young Americans who are members of the military as well as 
the security of the country.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, lest it be misunderstood, the 
insinuation that I have just heard that I want to prevent the armed 
services from doing their job, prevent the authorizing legislation from 
going through, is hardly the appropriate characterization of the 
condition we are in.
  The Senator from New Jersey reserves his right, as a U.S. Senator, to 
take an action to respond to an action that was begun on the Republican 
side. Last week we had a resolution developed, enthusiastically 
supported by both sides of the aisle, to caution the Arab countries 
surrounding Israel not to gang up on Israel, not to start with 
bellicose statements, making demands that were unrealistic before the 
Government could even be formed. But someone on the Republican side 
chose at the last minute, Friday last, within 10 minutes of the time we 
were ready to recess for the weekend--chose to put a hold on it. The 
suggestion was the resolution that I wrote--that my name be dropped and 
others' substituted. Silly, petty stuff.
  So, when there is an accusation here--and I think I have served this 
body well--coming from a distinguished Senator like the Senator from 
Arizona, no one challenges his right to say what he chooses and to 
stand up proudly as someone who served his country well. By the same 
token, in fairness, no one has a right to assail my motives. This is 
very clear. You have never, never seen Senator Lautenberg on this floor 
stopping action in the 14 years that I have been here. So it has to be 
an unusual condition that would occasion this.

  Mr. President, I want to move this bill along, I want to get it out 
of the way, but I want someone on the Republican side of the aisle to 
come up and tell me why there is a problem just because it has a New 
Jersey attachment. That is hardly the way we do business here. It is a 
vendetta against the State; it is a vendetta against the Senator. I am 
not going to put up with it.
  Unfortunately, we have to call attention to things sometimes. I have 
seen the Senator from Arizona and others on that side of the aisle take 
advantage of the process to make sure that their voices and their 
concerns were heard. And so it is. Thank you, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coverdell). The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, as the Senator from New Jersey knows, when 
I prefaced my remarks, I fully acknowledged the right of the Senator 
from New Jersey to exercise his rights as a Senator. I respect those 
rights.
  The Senator from New Jersey has explained his reasons for not 
allowing the Senate to proceed with the Department of Defense bill. 
That is his right to do that.
  I state again that there is a great deal at stake here. There are 
issues that are important to the security of the country that we are 
considering. I am sure that the Senator from New Jersey would agree 
with that. I simply urge him to allow us to move forward and proceed 
with the orderly disposition of a bill that we have been on now since 
last Friday.
  Mr. President, what is the pending business?


                           Amendment No. 4387

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair advises the Senator from Arizona 
that amendment No. 4387 is pending.
  Mr. McCAIN. I urge adoption of the amendment.
  Mr. NUNN. I urge the adoption of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. 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. NUNN. 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. NUNN. Mr. President, this is the seventh day of debate on S. 
1745. We have been on and off this bill. There have been interruptions. 
But for the last 2 or 3 days, we have been on it most of the time.
  I would like to acquaint our colleagues, as everybody I know is 
prepared to try to leave town today, as to where we are on this bill.
  We have had 6 days of debate, with total time of debate 55 hours 10 
minutes. We have disposed of 111 amendments as follows: 91 were adopted 
by voice vote; 5 were adopted by rollcall vote; 1 was defeated by voice 
vote; 3 were defeated by rollcall vote; 5 were tabled by rollcall 
votes; 6 were withdrawn; 2 failed to be tabled by rollcall vote.
  There have been a total of 15 rollcall votes, including the cloture 
vote on June 26.
  Of the amendments, 63 were offered by people who were not on the 
Armed Services Committee; I believe 32 Democratic amendments, 31 
Republican amendments. Armed Services Committee members: 20 Democratic 
amendments, 28 Republican amendments.

  We really have had a balanced kind of approach to this, including 
balanced amendments and bipartisan amendments that were relevant to 
this bill. That is about balanced, too.
  I have not tried to keep score, but when we have amendments that have 
nothing to do with the jurisdiction of this bill or when we have things 
poured over on this bill that have no bearing, as we do right now at 
the moment, we

[[Page S7224]]

get delayed and it is very hard to finish this bill.
  Starting about 10 o'clock, everybody will be walking in demanding to 
know when we are going to finish this bill and when they can catch a 
plane. If they are really interested in doing that, then what they 
should do is--right now on our side, we have an amendment by Senator 
Conrad, an amendment by Senator Daschle, an amendment by Senator 
Feingold, an amendment by Senator Feinstein, two amendments by Senator 
Ford. Senator Harkin has one; Senator Johnston has two; Senator 
Lautenberg has one; Senator Levin has three; Senator Conrad has one.
  These are all amendments that are not worked out and appear to either 
have to be substantially altered or they will require rollcall votes 
and debate.
  We have two unanimous-consent requests which we are going to be 
posing in a little while. If those two consent agreements go through, 
then we have a chance of finishing this bill at a reasonable hour 
today. If they do not go through, no chance--no chance.
  In addition, though, if those two unanimous-consent agreements go 
through, we are going to have to have time agreements on these 
amendments. I believe there are probably three or four amendments on 
the Republican side of the aisle. We are going to have to have time 
agreements on them. The time agreements are going to have to be short, 
and by short, I mean 20 minutes each equally divided. If we do not, 
then there is not going to be any way to go home this afternoon. The 
majority leader will make that determination, not me. The floor 
managers will have recommendations to the majority leader and the 
minority leader, but they will make the decision.
  The majority leader has said over and over and over again he intends 
to finish this bill. I believe it, and I think that is the appropriate 
course. If we come back here with this bill hanging out there for the 
next 10 days, based on my experience, we will have an average of 40 new 
amendments a day that staff will be dreaming up, unless we send all the 
staff on vacation, which might be a good idea, because 40 amendments a 
day times 7 or 8 days, we will have somewhere around 300 more 
amendments to this bill. It will just grow and grow and grow. It is 
easy.
  We can easily spend the rest of this session on this bill. It would 
not be difficult at all. We can just say we will have all the 
amendments come on the armed services bill. We will take them all to 
conference. The Speaker will appoint the whole House of Representatives 
to the conference. We cannot get 435 people in the room, but here we 
go, because so many amendments do not have anything to do with this 
bill.
  When we get to conference, our conferees on the House side and Senate 
side cannot make decisions that relate to the Judiciary Committee or 
others. When people continue to put amendments that are not relevant on 
this bill, that is what happens, and we simply will not be able to get 
it done.
  If we do not get this bill passed, we will have a hard time passing 
the appropriations bill on Defense, and everybody knows we must pass 
these two bills.
  It is my hope, No. 1, that we can clear this immediate problem we 
have with the Senator from New Jersey and that we can move forward to 
get all these cleared amendments done by 9:30; otherwise, we are going 
to eat into time on the other side of the cloture vote.

  I have to tell everyone that, if we do not clear these amendments by 
9:30, any of them that are not only not relevant, but not germane--and 
that is a very technical term; a lot of them are not germane to this 
bill--they will be ruled out if cloture is invoked. So if cloture is 
invoked, we will have a lot of people who thought they had amendments 
worked out or who are getting them worked out, who will not be able to 
get them passed. That is another consideration.
  It is my hope, No. 1, that the Senator from New Jersey and the 
Senator from Texas will have a conversation and we can get that matter 
ironed out and moved forward and clear these amendments in the next 20 
minutes; No. 2, that we can get these two unanimous-consent agreements 
entered into as soon as the leadership is prepared to propose them; 
and, No. 3, that we can get this list of amendments and get a time 
agreement on every one of them. The time agreements are going to have 
to be anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes; otherwise, I hope no one 
will walk in at around 11 o'clock and say, ``Can I catch my 11:30 
plane?" because it will be beyond the ability of the managers of this 
bill to make that happen.
  Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New Jersey for permitting me 
to make those remarks.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. 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. NUNN. 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. NUNN. Mr. President, I am not calling an amendment up here, for 
the information of my friend from New Jersey. I just want to make it 
clear, Mr. President, we are voting on a cloture motion at 9:30. There 
is nothing I would rather do than invoke cloture, but I do not think we 
can do it at this stage, in fairness to our colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle. I will vote against cloture for that reason.
  No. 1, we do not have unanimous-consent agreements, that are very 
important, that relate to things beyond this bill, that relate to the 
whole ballistic missile debate, which we hope to have. We hope to lay 
down three different proposals on ballistic missile defense, including 
the Dole-Gingrich proposal, the Clinton administration proposal, and 
the proposal I will have. We think we are on the verge of working that 
out.
  We have also a couple provisions in this bill that, unless they are 
changed, this bill is very likely to be a veto candidate. All of us who 
want to see this enacted into law would like to see those changes so we 
do not go into the House conference with two provisions that are 
identical to the House provisions, which means that they would not have 
the flexibility of changing them, which means the administration is 
likely to veto any bill coming out. So changing those two amendments 
relating to missile defense and the ABM Treaty is also important. So 
without those unanimous consents we cannot do that. If we vote cloture, 
we are not likely to get the unanimous consents.
  In addition, we have 27 amendments that have been cleared on both 
sides. We had hoped to have all these done this morning, but they are 
not done because we have not been able to get them done.

  So everyone should know and be warned that if cloture were to be 
invoked, these amendments, I am informed, would not be germane, would 
not be in order, and could not be agreed to.
  We have an amendment by Senator McCain on Bosnia that we do not 
believe is germane; we have an amendment by Senator Exon on the Lincoln 
Airport we do not believe is germane; Senator Robb has an amendment on 
budget request displays we do not think is germane; Senator Sarbanes 
has an amendment that is on the Forest Glen Annex we do not believe is 
germane; Senator Bingaman has an amendment on the White Sands land 
exchange which is not germane.
  All of them are relevant to the defense bill, relate to defense, but 
they do not meet the technical definition of germaneness, which is very 
narrow, as Bob Dove, the Parliamentarian, knows, and the occupant of 
the chair from Georgia knows.
  We have an amendment by Mr. Smith which is not germane; we have an 
amendment by Mr. Johnston which is not germane; worked out, we can 
accept it, but it cannot be done if cloture is invoked. We have one by 
Mr. Domenici which is not germane, another one by Mr. Domenici not 
germane. Mr. Heflin has an amendment that is not germane; Mr. Lott, Mr. 
Exon, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Levin, Mr. Stevens, Mr. 
Domenici another one, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Smith, Mr. Robb, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
Smith, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Chafee, and Mr. Thurmond. We do not believe these 
are germane. There may be one or two of them we have on this list that 
are. But 95 percent of them are not.

[[Page S7225]]

  I want to inform our colleagues on both sides, if the cloture vote is 
passed, none of these amendments will be able to go on this bill. I do 
not have a problem myself, but I do think a lot of our colleagues will 
have a problem.
  I hope that cloture is not invoked. It is also my hope, though, that 
we are going to be able to get this list down and people are going to 
drop amendments and that we are going to break this impasse between the 
Senator from New Jersey and the Senator from Texas. I hope that can be 
done and that we can move this bill forward.
  It is also my view that a lot of these amendments, even those that 
look like they are going to take rollcall votes, are likely to 
disappear as the planes start flying out this afternoon. But if we do 
not get these unanimous consent requests, we are going to be here a 
long time, according to the majority leader, and we are going to be 
here tonight. So everyone should be on notice of that.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the Senator from New 
Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I, too, want to see this bill moved. 
There has been a lot of hard and very thoughtful work that has gone 
into it. We are at a time when passage, or at least an attempt at 
passage, would be the best order of business.
  Mr. President, this is the defense authorization bill. The effects of 
this bill begin on October 1 of this year. The results of the 
authorization that might pass here today will be put into place 
starting October 1, 1996, 4 months from now. So there is an urgency 
because of the amount of work that has gone into it.
  My friend and colleague, the Senator from Georgia, and the floor 
manager, Senator McCain, have worked very hard to get us to a point in 
time when action can be taken to resolve some differences. I would like 
that done. I feel badly that we are in this momentary state of 
suspension. When I hear from our friends on the other side that they 
want to work cooperatively, then I am prepared to move things along 
expeditiously.
  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. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
                                 ______
                                 

                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

NOMINATION OF ALFRED C. DeCOTIIS, OF NEW JERSEY, TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE 
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE FIFTIETH SESSION OF THE GENERAL 
                     ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination: Calendar No. 529, Alfred C. DeCotiis, of New Jersey, to be 
a representative of the United States of America to the 50th session of 
the General Assembly of the United Nations.
  I ask for immediate consideration of his nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Alfred C. 
DeCotiis, of New Jersey, to be a representative of the United States of 
America to the 50th session of the General Assembly of the United 
Nations.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the nomination be 
confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the 
President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the 
Senate then immediately return to legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nomination considered and confirmed is as follows:


                          department of state

       Alfred C. DeCotiis, of New Jersey, to be a Representative 
     of the United States of America to the Fiftieth Session of 
     the General Assembly of the United Nations.

  Mr. NUNN. I thank the Senator from Arizona for working this out. That 
was a big roadblock. I appreciate his diligence in doing that.

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