[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11702-S11703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1296

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
turn to the consideration of the conference report to accompany the 
Presidio parks bill; that the conference report be considered as having 
been read; and that immediately following the reporting by the clerk, 
the conference report be immediately recommitted to the conference 
committee.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, on behalf of this side of the aisle, I 
object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I can be heard further on this, time has 
not run out. There is still time for us to get this conference report 
that affects 41 States and contains 126 parks and public land 
provisions. The Senate must recommit the conference report back to the 
conference committee in order to correct a tax matter which has now 
been cleared, I believe, in the House.
  So it would allow us to get this very important piece of legislation 
through the process. If there is some other way it can be done, we have 
a couple of days, perhaps, in which we can pursue it.
  I, again, repeat my great concern that this major preservation 
legislation, affecting so many areas, so many States appears to be in a 
position of being killed for no apparent reason that I can figure out. 
In fact, when I first talked to my Democratic colleagues about this, I 
think they were surprised that it was being objected to. I know the 
Presidio provision, for instance, is supported by the Senators from 
California.
  For some reason, the administration has problems with this bill. They 
object, for instance, to the project in Utah called Snow Basin, which 
is an important part of where the Olympics will be held. I asked Chief 
of Staff Leon Panetta last night, ``Do you want to be involved in 
stopping a project which has been broadly supported in the area and is 
going to be critical to the next winter Olympics?'' I think he didn't 
realize that it had that ramification. But for some reason, it 
continues to be objected to.
  Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I wonder if the Senator will yield for just a moment, 
because clearly the Utah Olympics and the Snow Basin exchange that is 
in

[[Page S11703]]

this are in jeopardy. It simply will not happen, and, of course, the 
motivating section was the Presidio. That is not included. Sterling 
Forest, I might add, in New Jersey and New York, is not included. It is 
my understanding the appropriators chose to put in Mount Hood in honor 
of Senator Hatfield, as well as very early this morning adding the San 
Francisco Bay cleanup, which was part of the Presidio omnibus package 
and now will be moving evidently on a separate track.

  Unless the administration sees fit to lift their hold, the Presidio, 
Utah Snow Basin, Sterling Forest, and all those 126 will be lost, and 
we will have to start again in the next Congress. Evidently, the San 
Francisco Bay cleanup has gone on the appropriations process, as well 
as Mount Hood. So that is what we are left with.
  I thank the majority leader.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, will the majority leader yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I will be glad to yield.
  Mr. FORD. I think negotiations are still available. I hope we can use 
the same procedure we did with the Kassebaum-Kennedy bill: have an 
agreement before it is referred back to conference. I think that is 
still doable. I would not say to my friend to throw it over his 
shoulder and forget it, that is the end of it. I think we ought to 
continue to try to work it out and have an agreement worked out prior 
to sending it back. I think it can be worked on.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Let me say we stand ready. We spoke with the White 
House last night about the 46 items they found objectionable and 
potentially subject to veto, and we are still awaiting word back from 
the White House on those. So I appreciate the response of the majority 
leader and the response of the Senator from Kentucky. Again, we stand 
ready to respond.
  Mrs. BOXER. Will the majority leader yield to me for a moment?
  Mr. LOTT. Yes, I will, Mr. President.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I thank all the parties. I think we should 
not let this moment go by, I say to my majority leader, because I do 
believe there are so many wonderful things in the package that have 
been assembled by the Senator from Alaska. I know he has invested 
himself personally in the Presidio. He has been out there and he has 
shown, by his presence there, the bipartisan support we have out there.
  This is one of the few issues where we have President Clinton, we 
have Senator Dole, we have Vice President Gore and Vice Presidential 
candidate Kemp all in agreement. We have Frank Murkowski and Barbara 
Boxer agreeing that we have to do something with this Presidio.
  I talked with Congressman Miller this morning. I know he is trying 
hard to come up with a compromise. I just think, knowing all of you as 
I do, there has to be some way we can reach agreement. I stand ready to 
help in any way. Please contact me at any point in the negotiations if 
I can be of help.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator.

                          ____________________