[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1210-S1211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CURRENT MILK CRISIS

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I send a resolution to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania has sent a 
resolution to the desk which will require a unanimous-consent request 
at this time.
  Mr. SPECTER. I understand that. I want to make a comment or two about 
it, and then I will make that unanimous-consent request.
  Mr. President, this resolution relates to a very urgent problem on 
milk pricing in the country, but especially in Pennsylvania, where 
Senator Santorum and I have been working with our farmers to try to 
find something to grant some immediate relief. This is a problem which 
exists nationwide, and we believe that we have found a way to deal with 
this issue in the short run as it relates to the price of cheese, which 
is an ingredient in establishing the price of milk.
  Yesterday, Secretary of Agriculture Glickman accompanied me to 
northeastern Pennsylvania. We have found that the Secretary has the 
authority unilaterally to change the price of milk if there is a 
different price for cheese other than that which has been established 
by the National Cheese Exchange in Wisconsin.
  This is a matter of some urgency, Mr. President, which is why I have 
discussed with the leadership the prospect of offering this resolution 
at this time.

[[Page S1211]]

  I ask unanimous consent that this resolution be taken up on a 20-
minute time limit, 10 minutes equally divided, with the yeas and nays 
on the vote. I submit this resolution on behalf of myself, Mr. 
Santorum, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Jeffords, and Mr. Leahy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. FORD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, on advice, I must object to the Senator's 
request----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. FORD. But I want to say why. We are attempting to clear it, and 
it is not something that I am objecting to lightly. So we are in the 
process of trying to get it cleared, and as soon as we do, we will lift 
the objection. So I must object at this time, Mr. President.
  Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The resolution will go over----
  Mr. BYRD. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Would the Senator withhold, please?
  Mr. BYRD. Yes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will please come to order. All of 
the conversations should stop. The Senator from West Virginia has been 
recognized.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I realize that the objection has already 
been heard. May I say, I have no objection to the resolution. But I 
hope the Senator, when he propounds his request again, will not include 
that provision in the request that states that there be a rollcall 
vote. That has to be done by a show of hands. I do not want us to get 
started with having rollcall votes by unanimous consent.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague from 
West Virginia for that suggestion. I shall incorporate that in my next 
unanimous-consent request.
  I understand the reasoning of my colleague from Kentucky. We had 
circulated this yesterday, so I thought there had been ample time for 
clearance. It is my understanding that this is an issue which will not 
cause regional friction, as do so many issues on milk pricing. It is an 
adjustment on price which will benefit all regions. So it would not 
customarily draw the objection. I understand it has not been cleared.
  I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be printed in the 
Congressional Record. And, the objection having been heard, I will 
reinstate the resolution at a time when it has been cleared.
  (The text of S. Res. 52 is printed in today's Record under 
``Submission of Concurrent and Senate Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SPECTER. I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is the Senator asking that all action be 
vitiated on this resolution?
  Mr. SPECTER. I am not asking that all action be vitiated to the 
extent that the resolution has been sent to the desk, and that the 
discussion has been held. I understand that I may not proceed now 
except with unanimous consent, and unanimous consent has not been 
granted. I understand why unanimous consent has not been granted. So I 
do not think I can do anything further, but I do not want to withdraw 
anything either.
  Mr. President, the fact is, I have submitted the resolution for the 
Record. I do not know that I need to do anything else since an 
objection was heard and I cannot proceed unless there is unanimous 
consent, which there is not.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania is advised this 
resolution will go to that section of the calendar that is entitled, 
``Resolutions and Motions Over, Under the Rule.''
  Mr. SPECTER. A point of information, Mr. President. Does that in any 
way prejudice my bringing it back to the floor when it has been cleared 
on both sides?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. It would require a unanimous-consent request 
again at that time.
  Mr. SPECTER. I understand that. It requires a unanimous-consent now. 
It would require a unanimous-consent at that time. I just do not want 
to prejudice my position on bringing it back up. Whatever is the 
appropriate procedural call, I am prepared to accept the ruling of the 
Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is understood.

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