[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11511-S11512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wish to commend the senior Senator 
from Wyoming for an outstanding job on a bill that really will put 
teeth in the laws against illegal immigration into our country. He has 
been working for months in a bipartisan way to make sure that before 
the end of this session we did a meaningful job of addressing a 
terrible problem in my State and for the whole country, and that is an 
influx of illegal aliens that is causing the taxpayers of my State and 
our country millions of dollars.
  The senior Senator from Wyoming worked until late in the night last 
night trying to make sure that this bill stays together. All we have 
heard from the White House is that the White House objected to the 
Gallegly amendment, and beyond that would sign the bill that was indeed 
a bipartisan bill in both Houses of Congress.
  Today, we have a change of mood, and all of a sudden now the bill 
that will stop, or at least give us a chance to stop, the illegal 
immigration into our country is now being held up by the White House 
saying, no, we want you to take out title V. Now, title V would, in 
fact, take out the enforceability of the welfare reform bill that also 
passed this body and this Congress overwhelmingly.
  It is time for us to have an integrity in the system that says once 
you come to an agreement, it is an agreement, our word is good, and we 
go forward. We cannot have the goalposts changing every time we make an 
agreement. I believe that Senator Lott has really tried to work with 
his colleagues on the other side of the aisle to offer them all of the 
options to do what is the responsible thing that we must do in order to 
fund Government before October 1 when the fiscal year ends.
  A week ago, Senator Lott asked Senator Daschle if he would like to 
have a continuing resolution offered in which there would be six 
amendments on each side, and then we would pass the continuing 
resolution that would fund Government. That was rejected. Then another 
offer was made. Let us start debate on Tuesday on a continuing 
resolution to make sure that we do the responsible thing and keep 
Government going. Unlimited amendments on either side, but we finish by 
Wednesday night. That was rejected. The last offer was a Department of 
Defense appropriations conference report that all the other spending 
bills that are now outstanding would be put together with, and that has 
not yet been accepted.
  The time has come for it to be called what it is. That is a delay 
tactic, an inability to come to an end, a closure so that we can all do 
what is responsible, and that is fund Government.
  I think Senator Lott is trying very hard. Senator Hatfield was up 
until 4:30 in the morning this morning trying to negotiate in good 
faith with the White House and both sides of the aisle and both sides 
of this Capitol, trying to do the right thing, but has been thwarted at 
every step either by delay tactics during the process of handling

[[Page S11512]]

the appropriations bills for the last few months or delay tactics right 
now.
  Mr. President, we are trying. Our leadership is trying. We want a 
bill for illegal immigration that all of us have agreed to. Now is not 
the time for the White House to step in and change the level of 
negotiation. We were finished with negotiation. We agreed that the 
Gallegly amendment would be done separately. Now, all of a sudden, 
title V is supposed to be taken out of the bill and that takes a very 
important part out of the bill. I have a State that has 1,250 miles of 
border with Mexico. We are under siege, not only with illegal aliens 
but with drugs coming across the border and we need relief.
  Mr. President, I know my time is up. I am asking that the President 
of the United States work in good faith with Congress. We are trying to 
do the responsible thing. We do not have much more time. We have made 
offers but have been unable to gain their acceptance. Mr. President, 
now is the time for responsibility on a bipartisan basis. It is a two-
way street.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Warner and Mr. Graham pertaining to the 
introduction of S. 2143 are located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, immediately 
upon the conclusion of the remarks of the Senator from West Virginia, I 
might have 30 minutes to speak on another subject.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  The Senator from West Virginia is recognized for such time as he may 
consume.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the Chair

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