[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 107 (Friday, July 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8329-S8335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WORK OPPORTUNITY, AND MEDICAID RESTRUCTURING 
                              ACT OF 1996

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will now resume consideration 
of S. 1956, which the clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1956) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to 
     section 202(a) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
     fiscal year 1997.

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       Murray amendment No. 4903, to restore funds for the summer 
     food service program for children.
       Faircloth amendment No. 4905, to prohibit recruitment 
     activities in SSI outreach programs, demonstration projects, 
     and other administrative activities.
       Breaux amendment No. 4910, to ensure needy children receive 
     noncash assistance to provide for basic needs until the 
     Federal 5-year time limit applies.
       A motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act with respect 
     to consideration of amendment No. 4910, listed above.
       Faircloth amendment No. 4911, to address multigenerational 
     welfare dependency.
       Biden-Specter amendment No. 4912, in the nature of a 
     substitute.
       A motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act with respect 
     to consideration of amendment No. 4912, listed above.
       First modified amendment No. 4914, expressing the sense of 
     the Congress that the President should ensure approval of 
     State waiver requests.
       Harkin amendment No. 4916, to strike section 1253, relating 
     to child nutrition requirements.
       Santorum (for Ashcroft) amendment No. 4917, to ensure that 
     recipients of caretakers of minor recipients of means-tested 
     benefits programs are held responsible for ensuring that 
     their minor children are up to date on immunizations as a 
     condition for receiving welfare benefits.
       Wellstone-Simon amendment No. 4918, to require a report to 
     Congress on the impact of increased numbers of impoverished 
     children and recommendations for legislation to correct the 
     increase.
       A motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act with respect 
     to consideration of amendment No. 4918, listed above.
       Graham amendment No. 4921, to strike the provisions 
     restricting welfare and public benefits for aliens.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hutchison). The Senate will now proceed 
to 10 rollcall votes with respect to amendments offered on July 18, 
1996, with 2 minutes for explanation equally divided before each vote.
  The Senator from New Mexico is recognized.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, this morning the Senate will resume 
consideration of the reconciliation bill and begin a lengthy series of 
rollcall votes. There may be from 8 to 10 votes consecutively, in order 
this morning. Therefore, all Members should be prepared to remain in or 
around the Senate Chamber to allow these votes to be completed in a 
timely manner.
  Following these votes, the Senate will continue to debate amendments 
to reconciliation. However, any votes ordered on those amendments will 
be ordered to begin at 9:30 on Tuesday.
  I remind my colleagues, if they still intend to offer their 
amendments, those that were listed, they must offer them today or 
Monday.

[[Page S8330]]

  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all votes ordered after 
the first vote be reduced to 10 minutes in length, and that no second-
degree amendments be in order to any of those amendments in the voting 
sequence that is scheduled for today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 4903

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending question is on the Murray 
amendment. Under the previous order, the question occurs on amendment 
No. 4903, offered by the Senator from Washington [Mrs. Murray].
  The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  Mrs. MURRAY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington is recognized.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, since last night when I offered this 
amendment, I have been contacted by a number of Members from both sides 
of the aisle who would like to work with me to perhaps come to an 
agreement on this issue. I ask, therefore, unanimous consent to 
withdraw the amendment at this time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered. The amendment is withdrawn.
  The amendment (No. 4903) was withdrawn.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, before you call the next amendment, I 
understand the next scheduled amendment, under the order, would have 
been a Faircloth amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.
  Mr. DOMENICI. It is now my understanding that is being worked out and 
the Senator seeks, and I understand it is all right with the minority, 
that that amendment be set aside until Tuesday. Then we would proceed 
to the Breaux amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOMENICI. So I propose that as a unanimous-consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, Senator Breaux was not aware he would 
be up first, so I suggest the absence of a quorum for a couple of 
minutes so he can be advised.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Senator Breaux has arrived. I think under our 
sequencing and the order, we have Senator Breaux's motion to waive the 
point of order that is up now, and there are 2 minutes on each side.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Equally divided.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Two minutes equally divided.
  Mr. EXON. May I clarify one point. As I understand it, the Breaux 
amendment will be the first amendment that will be voted upon; is that 
right? That will be a 15-minute vote? Have we ordered 10 minute votes 
thereafter? Is that the order?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes. That is the order.
  Mr. EXON. Thank you.
  Mr. BREAUX addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana is recognized.
  Mr. BREAUX. I thank the Chair.


           Motion To Waive The Budget Act--Amendment No. 4910

  Mr. BREAUX. Madam President, my colleagues, what we are trying to do 
with welfare reform is very simple. I think we can all agree we should 
be tough on work, we should be good for kids. Everybody knows we should 
put work first, but in doing that we should not put children last.
  I am afraid the Republican bill, without my amendment, does exactly 
that simply because of this. The Republican plan says that after you 
take the parent off of AFDC assistance, you forget about the children. 
You absolutely forbid the State in their own wisdom to determine 
whether they should give any assistance to the children who are 
innocent victims of welfare at the sins of the parents. We should not 
be punishing the children for what their parents have not done 
correctly.
  So let us be as tough as we can on work, make the parent go to work, 
but when the parent is taken off welfare, for God's sake, can't we as a 
nation at least allow the States to use their block grant money to 
provide the things that a child needs in order to survive in this 
country? That is the issue. Are we going to disregard the children? Or 
are we going to help the children while we are so tough on the parents? 
My amendment, I think, should pass.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mr. ROTH addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware has 1 minute.
  Mr. ROTH. Madam President, I strongly oppose the Breaux amendment 
which would seriously undermine the real 5-year time limit on welfare 
assistance. One of the most important features of welfare reform is 
that recipients must understand that public assistance is temporary, 
not a way of life.
  Opponents of the 5-year time limit would have the American people 
believe this bill would abandon children. This is simply not true. 
Families and children would still be eligible for food stamps, 
Medicaid, housing assistance, WIC, and dozens of other means-tested 
programs.
  Let me reiterate that S. 1956, the bill before us, is identical to 
H.R. 4 on this issue when it passed the Senate on a vote of 87 to 12 
last September. The Senate rejected amendments to weaken the 5-year 
time limit then, and it should do so again.
  If States want to use vouchers to provide services beyond the time 
limit, they could do so with State funds or with title XX funds of 
social services block grants. The State can also exempt 20 percent of 
the caseload from the limit for those truly hardship cases. I urge the 
defeat of the amendment.
  Mr. DOMENICI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, this is a new mandate, extremely 
costly, a huge new bureaucracy; and nothing in the bill prohibits the 
States from using their own money to do this.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, the bill provides for a lifetime limit 
of 5 years for welfare benefits. This means that there is an actual 
drop-dead date so that families are held truly accountable for their 
choices. Knowing that there is a concern for those who are unable to 
work, the bill allows a 20-percent hardship exemption from the lifetime 
limit.
  Working Americans live in a system where if they don't show up for 
work, they are not paid and are likely to lose their job. They want 
welfare recipients to live with that same reality. Taxpaying Americans 
don't understand why their hard work is subsidizing those who are not 
working.
  According to the mail I receive in my office, working Iowans believe 
that welfare recipients ought to have to work also. And they believe 
welfare recipients should not be able to receive benefits forever.
  Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, the Personal Responsibility, Work 
Opportunity, and Medicaid Restructuring Act of 1996 will dramatically 
improve our welfare system. By requiring able-bodied welfare recipients 
to work, it will encourage welfare families to move from dependency to 
self-sufficiency. In addition, adult recipients who refuse to engage in 
required work will have their benefits reduced, and individuals will be 
able to receive federally funded benefits for more than 5 years, or 
fewer at the option of the State. In recognition of the fact that not 
all families will be able to enter the work force effectively, the 
States are given a 20-percent hardship exemption to the 5-year limit on 
benefits.
  Today, my colleague, Senator Breaux, introduced an amendment which 
would have provided vouchers of those families which were denied cash 
assistance as a result of these limitations. Because this provision 
would undermine the important goal of encouraging families to work and 
move off welfare, and because the most troubled families will be 
protected by the hardship exemption, I have decided to vote against the 
amendment. This vote does, however, raise a number of issues which 
should be addressed by the conference committee, including the impact 
which ending cash benefits may have on foster care costs in the States, 
and the impact of the benefits limitation on children.

[[Page S8331]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question occurs on agreeing to the motion 
to waive the Budget Act in relation to the Breaux amendment No. 4910. 
The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] and the 
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 51, nays 47, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 205 Leg.]

                                YEAS--51

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Byrd
     Chafee
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Heflin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnston
     Kassebaum
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Snowe
     Specter
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                                NAYS--47

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Campbell
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Faircloth
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Kempthorne
     Kyl
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Roth
     Santorum
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Nunn
     Pryor
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 51, the nays are 
47.
  Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted 
in the affirmative, the motion is rejected. The point of order is 
sustained and the amendment falls.


                           Amendment No. 4911

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question occurs 
on the motion to table amendment No. 4911 offered by the Senator from 
North Carolina, [Mr. Faircloth].
  The Chair recognizes Senator Faircloth for 1 minute.
  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Madam President, the welfare bill before us requires 
that minors must live at home with a parent as a condition of receiving 
assistance.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If the Senator will withhold, the Senator 
cannot be heard. The Senate will come to order.
  The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Madam President, this amendment states that if that 
parent is currently receiving welfare benefits and has been for the 
last 3 years, then the minor may not receive cash benefits. If the 
parent is currently receiving welfare, and the minor child is herself 
alone living at home, then we are requiring that three generations of 
welfare recipients live under one roof.
  My amendment would ensure that when we require three generations of 
welfare recipients to live under one roof, and there is a clear history 
of welfare dependency in that household, then we will only send one 
cash check.
  My amendment is not intended to reduce benefits, and it does not 
prohibit the State from providing assistance in any noncash form--food, 
whatever. The amendment simply would limit the amount of cash that is 
given to households with three generations of welfare where there is a 
clear history of welfare dependency.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California is recognized for 
1 minute.
  Mrs. BOXER. Thank you, Madam President.
  The underlying bill denies assistance to teenage moms who do not live 
at home. Democrats agree with this. We have this in our bill. But what 
the Faircloth amendment says is, you will be denied assistance as a 
teenage mom if you live at home if the home you are living in has 
received welfare.
  I have to say this: This Faircloth amendment sets up two categories 
of teenage moms, one category that gets aid when they live at home and 
one category that does not.
  I thought we were for family unity. I think that is the question 
Members must ask themselves: Are we for family unity? If we are, we 
should vote down the Faircloth amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment 
of the Senator from North Carolina. On this question, the yeas and nays 
have been ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn], and 
the Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor], are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Grams). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber who desire to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 21, nays 77, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 206 Leg.]

                                YEAS--21

     Ashcroft
     Byrd
     Coverdell
     Faircloth
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Kyl
     Lott
     Mack
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Shelby
     Smith
     Thompson
     Thurmond

                                NAYS--77

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Brown
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Burns
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Conrad
     Craig
     D'Amato
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Frahm
     Frist
     Glenn
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gregg
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Heflin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnston
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lugar
     McCain
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Simpson
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Nunn
     Pryor
       
  The amendment (No. 4911) was rejected.
  Mrs. BOXER. 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.
  Mr. DOMENICI. May we have order, please, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Can we have order in the Chamber, please.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, Senators have asked how much longer will 
we be voting. It looks to me, if we can stay close to the 10 minutes, 
we will be out of here before noon.
  Can I ask, how long did we take on the last vote?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Approximately 12 minutes.
  Mr. DOMENICI. We have six amendments remaining, so if we can stay 
near the 10 minutes, you can do your own arithmetic. It looks to me 
like an hour and 30 minutes is what it would take. We never get it done 
that efficiently, but that is sort of what you ought to be looking at.
  Regular order.


           Motion To Waive The Budget Act--Amendment No. 4912

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question now 
occurs on agreeing to the motion to waive the Budget Act for the 
consideration of amendment No. 4912 offered by the Senator from 
Delaware, [Mr. Biden]. There are 2 minutes of debate equally divided.
  Mr. MOYNIHAN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, may I point out that yesterday 46 
Democrats voted for an amendment by our distinguished Democratic leader 
which had a conditional entitlement. It maintained for a period of 5 
years a right of a child to some public support if needed. This measure 
would abolish that entitlement in title IV of the Social Security Act, 
an entitlement which is provided for the aged, the unemployed, for the 
disabled. We would only strip the Social Security Act of the provision 
for children. I hope Democrats, who put that legislation in place 60 
years ago, will not vote to repeal it today. It is not reform. It is 
repeal.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

[[Page S8332]]

  Mr. DOMENICI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. What bill are you referring to, I ask the Senator from 
New York, this bill that is pending or the underlying bill?
  Mr. MOYNIHAN. I spoke of Mr. Daschle's amendment yesterday, and I 
spoke to Mr. Biden and Mr. Specter's amendment today.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I see. All right.
  Mr. BIDEN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. BIDEN. I believe I have 1 minute in support of this legislation. 
I said yesterday the Biden-Specter bill is a question of, is it better 
than the underlying bill? The underlying bill does the same thing the 
Senator just suggested that this bill does. The differences are, we 
save $53 billion. There is $3 billion in work funds for the States, 
individual responsibility contracts, no food stamp block grants, as the 
underlying bill has, and the State option for vouchers, among other 
things.

  I think this is a much preferable bill than the underlying bill, and 
I would encourage my colleagues to vote for the Biden-Specter 
amendment, which is better known, quite frankly, as the Castle-Tanner 
bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has elapsed.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Wait a minute, Mr. President. I do not believe that our 
time has elapsed. Nobody authorized the Senator from New York to speak 
in opposition. He spoke. I did not object. I was, but I saw he was on 
the right track.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If that is the case, the Senator from New 
Mexico has 1 minute.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I yield to the distinguished Senator from Delaware [Mr. 
Roth].
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I strongly oppose the Specter-Biden 
substitute. While it does include some of the provisions of S. 1956 
such as ending the individual entitlement, it stops far short of the 
goals of welfare reform. The Specter-Biden substitute is $10 billion 
short on savings and short on time limits. It has an open-ended 
contingency fund. It does include, however, a liberalization on 
Medicaid benefits in which Medicaid could be extended to illegal 
aliens.
  I would like to clarify that our legislation does include 
transitional Medicaid benefits for 1 year for those families leaving 
welfare. It also includes emergency Medicaid coverage for illegal 
aliens which is current law.
  Mr. President, I urge defeat of the Specter-Biden amendment. I yield 
back the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time for debate has elapsed. The question 
is on the motion to waive the Budget Act for consideration of amendment 
No. 4912.
  The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] and 
the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
who desire to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 37, nays 61, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 207 Leg.]

                                YEAS--37

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Heflin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Johnston
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Specter
     Wyden

                                NAYS--61

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Bradley
     Brown
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Faircloth
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kennedy
     Kyl
     Leahy
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Shelby
     Simon
     Simpson
     Smith
     Snowe
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner
     Wellstone

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Nunn
     Pryor
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, there are 37 ayes, 61 nays. 
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in 
the affirmative, the motion is rejected. The point of order is 
sustained, and the amendment falls.
  Mr. DOMENICI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. How much time did we use on that amendment?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We used over 13 minutes.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Regular order, Mr. President.


    Motion to Waive the Budget Act--Amendment No. 4914, As Modified

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question now 
occurs on amendment No. 4914 offered by the Senator from Tennessee [Mr. 
Frist]. There are 2 minutes for debate equally divided.
  Mr. FRIST addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this amendment, submitted on behalf of my 
colleagues Senators Abraham, Bond, Santorum, Hutchison, and Thompson, 
simply asks for a sense of the Senate that the President ensure 
approval of the waiver requests of States such as Tennessee and 14 
other States which have waiver requests before the Department of Health 
and Human Services.
  On October 31, 1995, the President assured the Governors on that day 
that he would take care of these requests within 30 days. Mr. 
President, it has been 79 days for Tennessee. Others with waiver 
requests have been waiting as long as 2 years. Tennessee needs action. 
Michigan needs action.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
  Mr. DODD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, the Senate is not in order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. May we please have order in the Chamber so we 
can conclude these votes? Can we have order in the Chamber?
  The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, it is with reluctance that I rise in 
opposition to this amendment, because of my respect and affection for 
the Senator from Tennessee. But, this amendment would allow for waivers 
across the board in 16 States without any idea of what is in these 
waivers.
  I point out to my colleagues, that the administration has approved a 
record 67 waivers in 40 States. We've reduced welfare by 1.3 million 
people. The food stamp rolls are down. We are heading in the right 
direction.
  Today, however, we are debating a national welfare reform program. 
That should be our focus. The sense-of-the-Senate resolution that would 
approve waivers to 16 States without any idea what is in those waivers, 
I think is wrong, with all due respect. We don't have any idea what 
sort of impact these waivers will have on children, Mr. President.
  Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by my 
colleague from Tennessee. I am uneasy about this amendment because it 
would express the sense of the Congress that 16 welfare waivers should 
be approved, without us knowing what those waivers propose to do.
  The President already has approved a record 67 welfare reform waivers 
in 40 States. That's quite a record. Welfare caseloads are down by 1.3 
million people, food stamp rolls are lower, and child support 
collections are up. So a lot of progress has been made in recent years, 
States are experimenting, and we're debating a national welfare reform 
bill. I think we'd all like to see the passage of a bipartisan welfare 
reform bill that puts people to work and protects children.
  But this amendment asks us to give our approval to 16 different 
welfare plans without the benefit of knowing exactly what they propose 
to do. In my view, it should make us uneasy to approve 16 plans without 
knowing what the impact would be on the children in those States.

[[Page S8333]]

  Mr. President, my understanding is that in one of the State waivers, 
the State asks to set a 5-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits that 
would begin in 1987. That's a retroactive time limit. If this is true, 
a mother who had been off assistance for the last 4 years, but lost her 
job by no fault of her own, would be told she could have no assistance 
at all. What would happen to her children? We don't know, because the 
details of the plan do not accompany the amendment before us today.
  I understand that another waiver would terminate food stamp benefits 
if a mother does not comply with the work program. Now I know my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle have argued that kids won't 
be hurt by welfare reform after the time limit, because food stamps are 
still there. Not under this sort of waiver as far as I can tell.
  So Mr. President, I urge caution on this amendment. I also raise a 
point of order against the bill under the Byrd rule, section 
313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Budget Act, 
I move to waive the point of order against amendment No. 4914 to the 
bill. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion to 
waive the Congressional Budget Act with respect to amendment No. 4914, 
as modified. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call 
the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] and the 
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 55, nays 43, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 208 Leg.]

                                YEAS--55

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Faircloth
     Feinstein
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Heflin
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Roth
     Santorum
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner

                                NAYS--43

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Johnston
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Nunn
     Pryor
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this question, there are 55 yeas, the nays 
are 43. Three-fifths of the Senators duly sworn not having voted in the 
affirmative, the motion is rejected. The point of order is sustained, 
and the amendment falls.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Harkin 
amendment, which was next in line, be set aside and be reconsidered on 
Tuesday. He is in the process of negotiating. We did that for a 
Republican Senator.
  The next order of business is Senator Ashcroft, if this request is 
granted.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


           Motion to Waive the Budget Act--Amendment No. 4917

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question now 
occurs on amendment No. 4917, offered by the Senators from Pennsylvania 
and Missouri. There are 2 minutes for debate equally divided.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I rise with an amendment that would 
allow States to require welfare recipients to bring up to date the 
immunizations of their minor children. Immunizations in America are 
free to individuals who are on welfare. Yet we have a number of 
children who are, every year, afflicted with serious disabling diseases 
which will persist into disabilities of their adulthood for lack of 
immunizations.
  This amendment would simply provide States the authority, as it 
relates to programs which States share the cost of, and would require 
immunizations where the Federal Government funds the entirety of the 
welfare benefit. If you did not provide your children with the 
immunizations that were appropriate, you would have a 20-percent 
decrease until the children were properly immunized. This is in the 
interest of children.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I do not disagree with the thrust of what my 
colleague is saying, that parents should be responsible for immunizing 
their children. But I am afraid that we are aiming at the parents, but 
hurting the child. If the child is not fully immunized, to cut off that 
child from necessary food, medicine, or other resources is, I think, 
misguided.
  We need to encourage and promote immunizations, but we do not want to 
simultaneously deny a child--through the fault of the parent who does 
not get the child fully immunized--the benefit of the necessary 
nutritional and medical services they would otherwise get. That is the 
effect of this amendment.
  I respect my colleague's thrust, but do not penalize the child. The 
child would be the one to suffer. In cases where a child is behind in 
immunizations, that child could lose access to food and SSI for as long 
as a year while they catch up on their immunization schedule. 
Immunizations cannot be given all at once, I am told.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. DODD. I am happy to yield to the Senator.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Is the Senator aware there is a 6-month grace period?
  Mr. DODD. I respect that. My colleague knows, as well, that innocent 
children should not be penalized because their parents may be 
irresponsible. That is the net effect of this amendment.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. DODD. I yield to the Senator.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Is the Senator aware this is just a 20-percent decrease 
in the benefit for the 6-month interval?
  Mr. DODD. If it is a 5-percent decrease, why should an innocent child 
pay for the irresponsibility of a parent? That does not make sense. We 
ought to encourage immunizations, promote and do what we can. The 6-
year-old or 2-year-old child whose parent is irresponsible should not 
be denied nutrition and adequate medical benefits.
  I suggest, as well, the pending amendment is not germane. I rise to 
make a point of order that it violates section 305(b) of the 
Congressional Budget Act.
  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I move the point of order be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator request a rollcall?
  Mr. ASHCROFT. I do request a rollcall vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion to 
waive the Budget Act on amendment 4917.
  The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] and the 
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] are necessarily absent.
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 58, nays 40, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 209 Leg.]

                                YEAS--58

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Exon
     Faircloth
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kyl
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell

[[Page S8334]]


     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Robb
     Roth
     Santorum
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner

                                NAYS--40

     Akaka
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Heflin
     Inouye
     Johnston
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Nunn
     Pryor
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kyl). On this vote, the yeas are 58, the 
nays are 40. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn, not 
having voted in the affirmative, the motion is rejected. The point of 
order is sustained, and the amendment falls.


           Motion to Waive the Budget Act--Amendment No. 4918

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question occurs 
on the motion to waive the Budget Act for consideration of amendment 
No. 4918 by the Senator from Minnesota [Mr. Wellstone].
  The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, could I ask for order in the Chamber.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 2 minutes of debate equally divided. 
The Senator from Minnesota would like to be heard.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I am not going to speak until I have 
order in the Chamber. I would like for my colleagues to please listen.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Would the Senators take their conversations to 
the cloakroom?
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I am going to wait 
until we have order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. I know there are Members anxious to leave. The 
vote will not occur until the Senate comes to order.
  The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I would like to make a plea to my 
colleagues. Please err on the side of caution when we are dealing with 
the lives of poor children in America.
  This amendment says that Health and Human Services studies this 
legislation and if, God forbid, there are provisions in this 
legislation that create more impoverished children, their report comes 
back to us at the end of 2 years and we take action--quick action--to 
modify these provisions so that we can correct the problem.
  Democrats and Republicans: This is the right thing to do. We ought to 
evaluate the action that we are taking in this legislation. And God 
knows we ought to take the corrective action, if that is necessary, to 
make sure that we are not creating more poverty among children. This is 
the right thing to do. It is a fail-safe mechanism. It is a safety net 
built into the legislation.

  I hope--I hope--every Democrat and Republican will support this. We 
must do this if we are to understand what this legislation means and be 
able to take corrective action, if necessary, to help poor children in 
America.
  Please support this amendment.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I yield time to Senator Roth.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I oppose the Wellstone amendment. It is 
wholly unnecessary and unprecedented.
  In regard to studying welfare reform, this amendment is wholly 
unnecessary. The legislation is filled with studies, evaluations and 
rankings of successful and unsuccessful States.
  We absolutely want to know what works in welfare reform. But what is 
unacceptable and unprecedented is the rules given to the Secretary of 
HHS in sending recommendations to the Congress which must then be 
considered under expedited procedures in Congress.
  Let me point out that there were about 11.7 million AFDC recipients 
in 1990. In 1993 the caseload exceeded 14 million for the first time. 
The caseload was over 14 million again in 1994. Last year HHS told the 
Congress that, if we do nothing, there will still be more children in 
poverty. That is under the current welfare system.
  Again, we welcome the study. The legislation includes a study. But no 
Congress should yield its authority to a Cabinet Secretary for this or 
any other reason.
  I urge defeat of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion to 
waive the Budget Act for consideration of amendment No. 4918. The yeas 
and nays have been ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Colorado [Mr. Campbell] 
and the Senator from Wyoming [Mr. Thomas] are necessarily absent.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] and the 
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
who desire to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 46, nays 50, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 210 Leg.]

                                YEAS--46

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Harkin
     Heflin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnston
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Snowe
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                                NAYS--50

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Byrd
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Faircloth
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Helms
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kyl
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Roth
     Santorum
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner

                             NOT VOTING--4

     Campbell
     Nunn
     Pryor
     Thomas
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there are no other Senators wishing to 
vote, the yeas are 46, the nays are 50. Three-fifths of Senators duly 
chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is 
rejected. The point of order is sustained. The amendment falls.
  The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, this next vote on the Graham amendment 
will be the last vote ordered today, which means there will be no 
additional rollcall votes. However, we are going to remain in session 
to take up amendments. If Senators want to offer amendments, they have 
to offer them either today or Monday. We are going to be here a few 
hours to take amendments. We are putting a list together, to try to 
make some sense of this afternoon. If we start on our side and go to 
your side, we would ask the D'Amato amendment on work be in order. Then 
you have one immediately following that?
  Mr. EXON. I am certainly pleased to respond to my friend.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mr. EXON. At the present time we have three Democratic amendments in 
this order: Following D'Amato would be Feinstein, then Conrad, and then 
Graham. There may be some others. I would simply say to my colleagues 
on this side, at the present time we have seven Republican amendments 
and three Democratic amendments. This afternoon would be an excellent 
time to offer your amendment. If you would come to us, any Democrat, we 
could schedule you right after the Graham amendment.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I have some others to put in order, but I will do it 
after the vote.


                           Amendment No. 4921

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question occurs 
on the motion to table amendment No. 4921 offered by the Senator from 
Florida [Mr. Graham]. The yeas and nays have been ordered. Under the 
previous order, there will be 2 minutes of discussion equally divided.
  The Senate will come to order.
  The Chair was in error. The vote is not on the motion to table. This 
is an

[[Page S8335]]

up-or-down vote on amendment No. 4921, offered by the Senator from 
Florida, who will be recognized as soon as the Senate comes to order.
  The Senator from Florida is recognized.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, the issue presented by this motion to 
strike is a simple one. We have already spent weeks debating the issue 
of the benefits for legal aliens--legal aliens. On May 2, we passed a 
comprehensive immigration bill which outlined the restraints that we 
felt were appropriate. We are now coming, today, to essentially trash 
all of that work that we have done by developing an entirely new set of 
principles as it relates to the eligibility of legal aliens, a new set 
of principles that have gone unstudied and unexamined, but represent 
some very significant policy shifts. It moves away from the principle 
of restraining benefits by looking to the sponsor to pay for the 
benefits of the legal alien, and it represents outright bars to legal 
aliens, from political refugees and asylees, as well as those who came 
in with a sponsor. It substantially increases the shift of 
responsibility to local governments.
  Mr. President, we have already dealt with this issue. We should let 
the immigration conference come to closure and not impose a new set of 
unexamined, duplicative, and I consider inappropriate policies. It 
should now be rejected.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired. Who 
yields time?
  Mr. DOMENICI. I yield the time we have to Senator Simpson.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming is recognized.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, this will cost $16 billion. Our Nation's 
immigration law is very clear on one point. No one may immigrate to the 
United States of America if he or she is likely at any time to become a 
public charge. And the American public expects the newcomers will work 
and receive any needed support from the relatives who brought them 
here. Period. That is the law.
  There is considerable evidence that this promise of self-sufficiency 
is not being honored. That is why in the other bill we enforce the 
affidavit of sponsorship. The welfare reform bill contains provisions 
which ensure that immigrants are self-sufficient. The bill shifts the 
welfare costs from the American taxpayers onto those who sponsor their 
immigrant relatives to the country. The immigration bill is in 
conference. It is not in peril. We have resolved 150 items of the 
Senate issues, 120 House issues. We have three significant issues yet 
to be resolved. But these provisions on immigrant welfare are 
important. We cannot afford to have these reforms delayed, and the 
Graham amendment would do just that. The simple premise: Sponsor brings 
the immigrant, sponsor promises to pay, sponsor pays before the 
taxpayer pays.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, since 1882 Federal law has provided that 
probability of becoming a public charge is ground for immigrants' 
exclusion from the United States. Additionally, becoming a public 
charge which a noncitizen is currently a deportable offense.
  According to the Census Bureau, there were 23 million foreign-born 
persons in the United States in 1994, representing 9 percent of the 
population. That is the highest level in the last 50 years.
  Aliens over 65 are 5 times more likely to be on SSI than citizens 
over 65, making the program a retirement plan for elderly noncitizens. 
SSI applications by noncitizens grew 370 percent from 1982 to 1992 
versus 39 percent for citizens.
  Without reform, over 2 million noncitizens will continue collecting 
guaranteed cash welfare, health care, and food benefits, costing 
taxpayers more than $20 billion over 6 years.
  In this legislation, sponsors, not taxpayers, are held responsible 
for supporting noncitizens because sponsor agreements are made legally 
binding documents. Deeming is expanded to apply to most Federal 
programs. Both deeming and sponsorship continue until the alien becomes 
a citizen, unless the noncitizen has worked for at least 10 years.
  Most nonncitizens who arrive after the date of enactment would not be 
eligible for most Federal welfare benefits during their first 5 years 
in the United States.
  Refugees and veterans and their families and emergency medical 
services are excepted.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, most immigrants are hard working, and 
committed to self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, others have become 
dependent on a variety of Government benefits. The Personal 
Responsibility, Work Opportunity, and Medicaid Restructuring Act of 
1996 addresses this issue by limiting the eligibility of qualified 
aliens for certain Federal benefits, including SSI and food stamps. In 
addition, the legislation grants State authority to limit the 
eligibility of qualified aliens to certain State public benefits.
  My colleagues, Senator Graham, has offered an amendment which would 
remove these provisions from the bill. While I cannot support this 
amendment because it undermines the principle that individuals who 
immigrate to this Nation should be self-sufficient, I believe that the 
amendment is important because it draws attention to the plight of 
those hard-working immigrants who may need assistance as a result of 
events which are beyond their control. Therefore, I strongly recommend 
that the conference committee consider the needs of those immigrants 
who are committed to self-sufficiency but who are in need through no 
fault of their own.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, this will cost the taxpayers $16 
billion.
  I move to table the amendment.
  Mr. President, 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 question is on agreeing to the motion to 
table amendment No. 4921.
  The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Colorado [Mr. Campbell] 
and the Senator from Wyoming [Mr. Thomas] are necessarily absent.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Nunn] and the 
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] are necessarily absent.
  The result was announced--yeas 62, nays 34, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 211 Leg.]

                                YEAS--62

     Abraham
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brown
     Burns
     Byrd
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cohen
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Exon
     Faircloth
     Frahm
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Hatfield
     Heflin
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kassebaum
     Kempthorne
     Kyl
     Leahy
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Pressler
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Shelby
     Simpson
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner

                                NAYS--34

     Akaka
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Bradley
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Chafee
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Glenn
     Graham
     Inouye
     Johnston
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Lautenberg
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Pell
     Reid
     Sarbanes
     Simon
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--4

     Campbell
     Nunn
     Pryor
     Thomas
  Mr. BROWN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 60 
seconds as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.

                          ____________________