Congressional Record, Volume 143 Issue 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)

[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8-S10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

UNANIMOUS-CONSENT AGREEMENTS

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, these unanimous-consent requests are those
of the standing orders--for example, the setting of leaders' time each
day--which are obtained at the beginning of each Congress which govern
our day-to-day activities. As in the past, these consents have been
cleared with the Democratic leader. Therefore, I send to the desk 11
unanimous-consent requests and ask for their immediate consideration en
bloc, that the requests be agreed to en bloc, and that the various
consents be shown separately in the Record.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the
105th Congress, the Ethics Committee be authorized to meet during the
session of the Senate.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the
105th Congress, there be a limitation of 15 minutes each upon any
rollcall vote, with the warning signal to be sounded at the midway
point, beginning at the last 7\1/2\ minutes, and when rollcall votes
are of 10-minute duration, the warning signal be sounded at the
beginning of the last 7\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that during the Congress, it
be in order for the Secretary of the Senate to receive reports at the
desk when presented by a Senator at any time during the day of the
session of the Senate.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the majority and minority
leaders may daily have up to 10 minutes each on each calendar day
following the prayer and disposition of the reading of, or the approval
of, the Journal.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Parliamentarian of
the House of Representatives and his three assistants be given the
privilege of the floor during the 105th Congress.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the
provisions of rule XXVIII, conference reports and statements
accompanying them not be printed as Senate reports when such conference
reports and statements have been printed as a House report unless
specific request is made in the Senate in each instance to have such a
report printed.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on
Appropriations be authorized during the 105th

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Congress to file reports during adjournments or recesses of the Senate
on appropriation bills, including joint resolutions, together with any
accompanying notices of motions to suspend rule XVI, pursuant to rule
V, for the purpose of offering certain amendments to such bills or
joint resolutions, which proposes amendments shall be printed.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, for the duration of the
105th Congress, the Secretary of the Senate be authorized to make
technical and clerical corrections in the engrossments of all Senate-
passed bills and resolutions, Senate amendments to House bills and
resolutions, Senate amendments to House amendments to Senate bills and
resolutions, and Senate amendments to House amendments to Senate
amendments to House bills or resolutions.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the
105th Congress, when the Senate is in recess or adjournment, the
Secretary of the Senate be authorized to receive messages from the
President of the United States, and--with the exception of House bills,
joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions--messages from the House
of Representatives; and that they be appropriately referred; and that
the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the Acting
President pro tempore be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills and
joint resolutions.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the
105th Congress, Senators be allowed to leave at the desk with the
journal clerk the names of two staff members who will be granted the
privilege of the floor during the consideration of the specific matter
noted, and that the Sergeant at Arms be instructed to rotate such staff
members as space allows.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the duration of the
105th Congress, it be in order to refer treaties and nominations on the
day when they are received from the President, even when the Senate has
no executive session that day.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I yield to the distinguished Senator from
West Virginia for some comments in regard to this particular resolution
prior to the time we go to the next one.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, have the unanimous consent requests been
agreed to, en bloc?
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Jeffords). They have been.
Mr. BYRD. I had hoped to be recognized before they were agreed to.
But I take the floor now just to inquire of the Chair and to inquire of
both leaders, during the leader time each day. are we talking about 10
minutes for speeches only? I do not think there has been any
controversial motion ever made during the 10 minutes of either leader's
time, and I think, for the Record, we ought to clarify this, that the
10 minutes are to be used for speeches or for unanimous consent
requests but that no motion will be in order during those 10 minutes
for either leader.

I say this because it seems to me--and I have not seen it happen, but
I think it could happen--during the 10 minutes if there were a very
controversial motion and a Senator or group of Senators were attempting
to hold the floor and not let that motion be made, their leader could
come in and claim his time, which he has a right to do, and during the
10 minutes I am concerned that he might make a controversial motion.
This might never happen, and there might be other ways--I am sure there
would be--to challenge that, but just in order that we do not have to
worry about it, I wonder if it is agreed that during the 10 minutes no
controversial motion will be made.
What is controversial? I should think we ought to know when either
leader seeks to make a motion. If the motion is likely to be
controversial, I hope that it would not be made during that period of
10 minutes.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this unanimous consent request is that the
majority and minority leaders may have up to 10 minutes each on each
calendar day following the prayer and the disposition of the reading of
or the approval of the Journal. It does not indicate any limitation as
to what may be done in that 10 minutes. This is the language that has
been used traditionally. It was taken from previous opening day
unanimous consent requests that are traditionally done en bloc as we
have done here today.
I know of no incident where this has been abused or any series of
abuses of this 10-minute time by the leaders, certainly not during my
time, and I do not remember it during Senator Dole's time. As far back
as I have knowledge, I do not think that has been done.
I know that the leaders, Senator Daschle and I, will work together
very carefully, and we have already indicated to each other we do not
intend to pull surprises. And certainly if we were going to make any
motion during that 10-minute period, we would have, I believe, an
obligation to notify each other of such a plan.
But I do feel that it is not limited to just debate only. I would
like to have the opportunity before we limit it in any way to go back
and look carefully at what the precedents have been and how it has been
dealt with in the past, and make sure we understand what we could or
could not do. We are in no way enlarging upon what has been done in the
past. Once again, in all due diligence and caution, I would want to
make sure we are not giving up a right that in fact the leaders may
need in the future.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I think the distinguished senior Senator
from West Virginia makes a very good point. I think the point of his
inquiry in large measure has to do with whether or not either side will
surprise the other with regard to tactics involving the leaders' time
that would in some way assist the leaders in doing something for which
there has not been proper notification. I believe, as the distinguished
majority leader has indicated, both sides are going to make a good
faith effort to assure that we are not surprised. I believe in this
case that effort will be practiced as well as promised.
I think there have been occasions, and I can recall vaguely the
occasions, where we have been working under a time agreement and, as a
result of negotiations between both sides, have come up with a
compromise substitute amendment, through a process that involves the
leaders, that may allow us to expedite the legislative process, wherein
the leaders will use their time to make the case involving that
particular amendment and then offer the amendment at the end of that
period of time as an alternative to the pending measure.
It would be my hope we could continue to work with that understanding
because on some occasions we are out of time, and were it not for the
leaders' time, we might not be able to address such a compromise. Of
course, we still have the avenue of asking for unanimous consent, but
the leaders' time gives us another option in that regard. So I think
the distinguished Senator from West Virginia is right on the mark with
regard to the concern he raises, and I think I am satisfied that I have
the assurances from the majority leader in this case there will not be
surprises and we will use this time prudently.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could be recognized for a moment more
before the distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia comments.
Mr. BYRD. Sure.
Mr. LOTT. I think that, once again, as we try very hard to make sure
we preserve the decorum we should have in this Chamber and we have kind
of gotten away from--the Senator from West Virginia has noted that fact
to me, and I have heard him--we are going to try some things to effect
that in fact and in appearance also. We have had a situation where
maybe too many staff members are getting in the Chamber and blocking
passages. We are going to try to address that.
Also, if we are going to be able to work together in a cordial and
civil manner, it is going to be important we be honest with each other
and fair and we notify each other when we are fixing to take action and
we not have surprises.
That is the way I intend to proceed. I am sure we will have some
bumps along the road. The Senate is an island of tranquility in many
respects in this city. We have heavy responsibilities on which we need
to act, and it is going to take give-and-take, cooperation, and I

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am absolutely committed to that approach. That will be the way I will
proceed with regard to this 10 minutes and everything else that I try
to do.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank both Senators. I am fully satisfied
with the colloquies that have resulted from my inquiry.
May I say to the distinguished majority leader that I do not believe
we had the 10 minutes for each leader back when I was the majority
leader the first time in 1977. I think this practice grew up in that
period or soon thereafter. But in any event, as I thought I said
earlier, I have never known--I cannot remember a time in which such a
provocative situation might arise. I have never known that to happen. I
have never known any majority leader or minority leader to transgress
upon the confidence of the membership in giving its acquiescence to the
request. It is just that I thought there could be such a situation. I
thought we ought to try to clarify it and thus prevent some future
misunderstanding. I am satisfied with what has been said.
While I have the floor, so that I will not impose upon the leaders
too much, there was a second request made, and it was agreed to, and I
just rise at this time to compliment the leaders on making this
unanimous consent request and also on the progress that is being made
and being discussed to which the majority leader has just referred,
anent disorder in the Chamber.
In recent years, we have allowed too much gathering of staffs and too
many conversations to go on in the rear of the Chamber, and it does not
do the Senate credit. I can remember when we had no benches; we even
had no seats in the rear of the Chamber. The staff stood when they came
to the floor. They stood or sat on the floor of the Chamber, which I
did not like. And it was for that reason that I had, when I was
majority whip, chairs brought into the Chamber and a large davenport so
staffs would at least have a place to sit.
And then, later, I had the gallery--this gallery here to the
northeast, I guess it is--assigned to staff. Then I had these handsome
benches and the bannister put back here so the staffs could be
appropriately accommodated. I am glad that the request includes the
words, ``and that the Sergeant at Arms be instructed to rotate such
staff members as space allows.'' I want to thank the leaders for
including that language.
I especially want to take the floor here so that the Sergeant at Arms
and all Senators--the leaders need our cooperation as well--so that the
Sergeant at Arms and all Senators will be well aware that when more
staff members are in the Chamber than the seating accommodations will
allow, then there is a special gallery for staffs, and I would hope
that the Sergeant at Arms would help us to keep the number of staff
people in the Chamber down. I assure both leaders they will have my
cooperation. I try, as I see that there are too many staff people--and
I have two or three staff persons--I try to send mine out so as to
leave only one. I am very much heartened by the letters that I have
received from both leaders in response to concerns such as this, that I
have expressed.
I foresee that we Senators are going to be even more proud of our
leaders in the future than perhaps we have been at some times in the
past. I see not only a willingness but a desire on the part of both
leaders to have Members speak to them about matters that concern us. As
I have noted, I followed through on that, and that has not been the end
of it. Both leaders have written to me to let me know that they are
aware of a matter and that they are working on it. I thank both, and I
think it is to the credit of the two leaders, and certainly will
redound to the credit of the Senate, if we can have better order in the
coming days.
I thank both leaders.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
Mr. LOTT. I thank again the Senator from West Virginia for his
comments. I am pleased that he noted this unanimous-consent agreement.
The Sergeant at Arms is on the floor. We have discussed this matter,
and we are undertaking procedures to set up this rotation of staff
members. We are making sure that Senators are informed of that. We will
remind Senators, probably on the 21st, of a number of these types of
things so that they will not be surprised, and call on Members on both
sides for their cooperation and courtesy. In fact, at the concluding
part of our unanimous consent request today I will make a few comments
about how we are going to try to reestablish some of the proper
procedures, respect for each other's needs as Senators, and call on our
Senators to be aware of that and to assist us as we try to do that. So
we are not going to forget and, while we are not going to be
dictatorial about it, we are going to try our very best to ask our
Senators to recognize this is in the best interests of the institution
and will allow us to do our work in a more efficient and effective way,
I do believe.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the leader. We owe it to the Senate, we owe it to
the membership, we owe it to the people of the United States of America
with whom the power resides.
I thank the leader.

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