[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 31 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--PERMISSION FOR COMMITTEE TO MEET

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to meet during 
the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 12, for the purpose of 
conducting a full committee business meeting which is scheduled to 
begin at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this business meeting is to consider 
S. 104, to amend the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I object on behalf of two Senators.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could be further heard on this, and I 
will be relatively brief, I must say, I think this objection is, at the 
very least, very unfortunate. It has been my understanding that we are 
operating in good faith with respect to the confirmation of Mr. Pena 
and the markup of the nuclear waste bill.
  I have made a special effort to get this nomination up this morning. 
We had a lot of communication with the ranking member, the chairman and 
other Members interested in the confirmation of the Secretary of Energy 
designee, with the understanding, clearly, that the nuclear waste bill 
could go forward.
  Since this objection has now been raised, the Energy Committee cannot 
complete its business with respect to reporting out the nuclear waste 
bill today. It is my understanding they will reconvene tomorrow at 9:30 
in order to take action on this very important nuclear waste bill.
  I say again, I have been trying to be cooperative in trying to move 
nominations. I worked with those who had objections in the committee. I 
helped work out a process where the chairman could schedule this 
nominee for a vote, and then I worked with the other objections we had 
on this side of the aisle from the Senator from Minnesota, Senator 
Grams. He was able to make his remarks this morning.

  We agreed that we would have a vote at 12:30, or quarter to 1, I 
believe, now, all this under the assumption that we were working in 
good faith. Now we have an objection to the committee meeting to report 
out a bill which has overwhelming support of the full Senate and will 
have overwhelming support in the committee.
  This is not a good sign, but it is just one of many bad signs that we 
are seeing, in my view, from the standpoint of being able to work 
together for the good of the country. So it is a very unfortunate 
decision, and it will not be without consequences. I yield the floor, 
Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, as the majority leader knows, every 
Senator has a right to make such an objection, and two of our Senators 
decided to exercise their right. I think that has to be put into 
context that every Senator is sent here primarily to represent his or 
her constituency in his or her own State.
  I don't think the majority leader would suggest that Senators do not 
have the right to protect their constituency. I wanted to make that 
point because two Senators, who believe that this is not in the best 
interest of their State, had asked us to exercise their full and given 
rights as Senators to object to this meeting.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I understand that the Senate will vote at 
12:45.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I may speak until 
12:45 as if in executive session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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