[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BLANKET HOLDS ON ENERGY COMMITTEE BILLS

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I rise today to inform my colleagues of my degree of 
frustration with the gridlock that has occurred this entire Congress 
preventing passage of virtually every bill reported by my committee, 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. As chairman of that 
committee, I obviously have the obligation of moving the bills out. I 
have attempted to do that.
  I think it was the night before last, Mr. President, that the 
minority leader, Senator Daschle, expressed similar frustration over an 
objection from this side of the aisle to a judicial nominee. You can 
imagine my frustration when a few Senators from the Democratic side 
have prevented passage of all 72 bills from my committee currently 
pending on the calendar. Those objections, Mr. President, were not 
based on the merits of the bills being held; they were based on a 
problem with some other bill. So we have this chain of ``you are not 
going to support my bill unless your bill passes.''
  I think it is fair to note that during part of the last year and a 
half, all of my committee bills were being held not because of any 
inaction by the Senate or my committee, but the excuse was the House 
was not acting quickly enough on some matter of interest. There are 
many, many items that are very important to Senators. I want to get 
them cleared and get them out.
  For example, Sterling Forest, my good friend Senator D'Amato has been 
urging me, clear Sterling Forest. The New York Times has taken up the 
charge. I certainly want to see Sterling Forest cleared. I want to 
support the position of my friend, Senator D'Amato from New York, who 
responded to the editorial of the New York Times as it affects New 
Jersey, as it affects New York. We attempted to clear that, along with 
the Utah ski bill, and a couple of small native items for Alaska.
  I cannot recall how many holds--it was like a rabbit trail. You could 
not keep up with it fast enough. Once we attempted to clear them, one 
hold would go on, someone would attempt to remove the hold, and, bingo, 
it is back on. My good friend from Utah, Senator Bennett, spent endless 
hours trying to clear that. This is a blatant abuse of the whole 
process. It has to stop. I know the leadership feels that way. The 
Members are going to have to recognize a few realities.
  Over the past several months, I have been working with my House 
counterparts to put together a package in conference on the Presidio 
bill. It has virtually everything in it. Everybody is not going to like 
everything in it, but there is virtually something in it for every 
Member. If you want to get behind this bill and get these land issues 
passed, you are simply going to have to recognize that we will have to 
keep the bill together.
  Due to the holds and the situation of the Senate, the process has 
become cumbersome, to say the least. Virtually everyone who has a parks 
or public lands bill introduced in the House or Senate wants to be 
included in any package that is moving.
  On the other hand, if I try to move an individual bill separately, 
Members think the Presidio package is dying and want to be included in 
the measure, as well. So what we have, Mr. President, is gridlock. I am 
not going to point fingers. It is just the reality.
  Mr. President, frankly, I have had it. Unless those Members who have 
blanket holds on Energy Committee bills, unless they lift those holds 
and allow me, as chairman, to work the system, to start moving 
individual bills and packages where appropriate, no bills are going to 
move. That would be a shame, Mr. President, because these bills affect 
our Nation's parks, public lands, our forests. They are good public 
policy, and they are good for the environment.

  I want to also add one more thing, because there is some confusion 
about the interests of the Senator from the State of Alaska. The 
Tongass is not part of this package. There is a proposal to allow an 
extension, for 15 years, of a competitive timber contract with the 
Forest Service for Louisiana Pulp Co., Louisiana Pacific Co. The 
rationale behind that, or the necessity, is that they are prepared and 
required, under the new laws governing effluent and air quality, to 
invest roughly $200 million in converting this plant--which, I might 
add, is our only year-round manufacturing plant--in southeastern 
Alaska, upon which 2,000 jobs are dependent. They simply must have a 
contractual commitment from the Forest Service for supply of raw 
material.
  Now, why is that different in Alaska? It is different in Alaska, Mr. 
President, because we have no other source of timber. There is no 
private timber. There is no State timber. It is all owned by the 
Federal Government, and their current contract is about to expire.
  I ask unanimous consent to have 1\1/2\ more minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. If the 15-year contract is not extended, this plant--
the only manufacturing plant, with 2,000 jobs--will be lost, and the 
pulp timber will be exported out of the State, which is really a 
travesty.
  Now, that is the interest of the Senator from Alaska in this package. 
So, Mr. President, I hope that clears up any doubts in the minds of 
anybody relative to the environmental aspects of the merits of this 
contract. This is to provide a chlorine-free new mill to replace the 
old one. But it can only happen if there is a contractual commitment 
for timber, because nobody is going to spend $200 million without an 
assured supply and a contract with the Federal Government.
  So I am committed to moving these bills. My committee has held 
hearings on these bills and held the markups. I have supported and 
voted for each of these bills. I am not the problem, Mr. President. But 
unless these holds are lifted, I don't see how I can be part of the 
solution. So I urge my colleagues--particularly the leadership--to do 
what they can to end this gridlock. It just has to be stopped.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

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