[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 82 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5577-S5584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   1997 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR RECOVERY FROM 
  NATURAL DISASTERS, AND FOR OVERSEAS PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS, INCLUDING 
                            THOSE IN BOSNIA

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am pleased to join the distinguished 
chairman of the committee, Senator Stevens, in urging the Senate to 
adopt the disaster assistance supplemental appropriation bill upon its 
receipt from the House. The funding levels contained in that bill are 
the same as those adopted by the Senate in the conference report on 
H.R. 1469 on June 5 by a vote of 67 to 31. That conference agreement, 
however, also contained a number of extraneous provisions to which the 
President objected and which he advised would cause a veto. Upon 
receipt of the conference agreement to H.R. 1469, the President did, in 
fact, veto the measure. Subsequently, continuous efforts have been 
ongoing to resolve the differences on those extraneous provisions in a 
way that will allow the disaster assistance funding contained in this 
supplemental to reach the hundreds of thousands of victims of the 
recent disasters that have beset the Nation over past months.
  In all, 33 States will be eligible for the disaster assistance funds 
provided in the bill. As explained in more detail by the chairman, 
title I of the bill contains appropriations totaling $1.8 billion in 
support of our men and women in uniform engaged in peacekeeping 
operations around the world, particularly in Bosnia. Title II of the 
bill contains disaster assistance appropriations for a number of 
departments and agencies throughout the Federal Government with 
jurisdiction over the emergency relief efforts. Those appropriations 
total some $5.5 billion. The bill also contains an appropriation of 
over $937 million for veterans compensation and pensions.
  In all, the bill totals some $8.6 billion, the budget authority of 
which is fully offset by the rescissions of appropriations which are 
also contained in the bill.
  Regarding the extraneous matters which caused the Presidential veto, 
it is my understanding that they have all been resolved to the 
satisfaction of the administration and in a way which will allow the 
President to sign this bill. While I regret that the enactment of this 
disaster assistance appropriation bill has required many weeks and a 
Presidential veto in order to achieve its ultimate enactment, I 
recognize that the proponents of the extraneous provisions that caused 
the delay feel very strongly about the merits of their provisions, and 
I appreciate their willingness to allow the removal or modification of 
them in a way that will allow this bill to go forward so that its 
benefits can then be forthcoming to the American people for whom they 
are intended.
  In closing, Mr. President, I urge all Members to support the bill, 
and I congratulate the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, 
Mr. Livingston, and my House counterpart, Mr. Obey, for their efforts 
in reaching this agreement, as well as the distinguished chairman of 
the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr. Stevens. In addition, I also 
thank our distinguished minority leader, Mr. Daschle, who has worked 
tirelessly day and night in resolving these issues. The majority 
leader, Mr. Lott, is also to be commended for his efforts on this bill.
  How much time do I have, Mr. President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia has 29 minutes 
and 30 seconds.
  Mr. BYRD. I thank the Chair. I yield to the distinguished Senator 
from North Dakota, 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. CONRAD. I thank the ranking member of the Appropriations 
Committee, Senator Byrd.
  Mr. President, this legislation comes as an enormous relief. As the 
occupant of the Chair knows well, I have come to the floor many times 
to plead with my colleagues to deliver this assistance and deliver it 
as quickly as possible. We have been hung up here, now, in the 54th day 
since the dikes broke at Grand Forks. A town of 50,000 was completely 
evacuated; tens of thousands of people still, today, are not back. We 
have people still who are sleeping on cots, living in cars; thousands 
of people who are wondering when is help going to come.
  We heard over the weeks that there was money in the pipeline. I can 
tell you, from a local perspective, the money has not been getting 
through that is necessary for rebuilding and recovery. So this 
legislation that has now come from the House represents an incredible 
victory for the people in the disaster areas because the offending 
provisions, those that caused the President to veto the bill, are now 
removed. What we have is a clean disaster relief bill, which is what 
the people of the disaster areas have asked for sincerely, and in many 
ways with, I think, real patience, because 54 days have elapsed before 
we are finally going to see this legislation pass and be signed by the 
President of the United States. Mr. President, a clean disaster relief 
bill, thank goodness; many of us wondered if this day was going to come 
and here it is. This bill represents real help that is going to make 
the difference, a real difference in the lives of people.
  I just remind my colleagues, this is what we look at in Grand Forks 
today. This is the rubble that is left by the devastation of downtown 
Grand Forks. Remember, we experienced a multiplicity of disasters. We 
had, first of all, 10 feet of snow this winter, the most snow we have 
ever had, followed by the most powerful winter storm in 50 years that 
eliminated electricity for 80,000 people for more than a week, followed 
by a 500-year flood, by far the worst flood ever in our history. It was 
absolutely devastating. Then, in the midst of that, a fire that burned 
much of downtown Grand Forks.
  I tell you, we began to think this was apocalyptical. But still, 
today, we are living with the results. This is the picture of just one 
boulevard. On every street in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, this is 
what you see: The rubble piled, 5, 6 feet high. You can go down the 
streets and you can see what kind of washer and dryer everybody had in 
Grand Forks, because they are all out in the boulevards. Every item of 
personal furniture and clothing is out on these boulevards. People left 
at 1 o'clock in the morning with only the

[[Page S5578]]

clothes on their backs, because the dikes failed at that hour.
  Again, this is another typical street. You can see the junk piled all 
up and down the streets of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, ND. These 
people are living through a slow-motion disaster because the disaster 
occurred, the natural disaster, but now we are still living with the 
results. That is why this money is so desperately needed.
  I can tell you, there are many people we want to thank. Senator Byrd, 
the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, has been a staunch 
ally throughout this fight. We deeply appreciate, Senator Byrd, your 
assistance, and the assistance of your able staff--Jim English I want 
to name specifically, because he has been a rock. We will never forget 
the assistance that you, Senator Byrd, have provided and that Jim 
English has provided as well.
  I also want to thank the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 
Senator Stevens, because he, too, listened and heard our plea. And we 
appreciate it very much.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who seeks time? The Senator from West Virginia 
is recognized.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, first of all I thank the distinguished 
senior Senator from North Dakota for his kind words concerning me, and 
especially with reference to my very capable staff.

  How much time does the Senator from Minnesota require?
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I have had a chance to speak on this 
often. Five minutes, I think, will do it.
  Mr. BYRD. I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished Senator from 
Minnesota.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota is recognized.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I don't have any rehearsed remarks. I 
am trying to think exactly what to say. I want to thank my colleague 
from North Dakota, both Senators from North Dakota, and the Senators 
from South Dakota. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
  I certainly want to thank the minority leader, Senator Daschle, who 
has done a great job.
  Jim English, I am going to say the same thing about you. I want to 
thank Jim for just incredible work. Larry Stein has been phenomenal as 
well.
  I would like to thank Sarah Neimeyer who has worked with me in my 
office.
  We have had so much help. Senator Byrd, thank you so much for your 
support. And I would like to thank my Republican colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle for their support.
  Finally, we have come together. Finally we are going to pass a 
disaster relief bill. Mr. President, all I can say right now is that 
this has been a long and sometimes bitter fight. I wish it had not been 
such a long, protracted fight. I wish it had not been a bitter fight. I 
do not think I am in the mood at all to point fingers today. I think it 
is better just to say to everybody here, we finally have come together.
  Senator Stevens, thank you for your help. And I think that what 
matters is not who wins or who loses here in the Senate or in the 
House. I don't really care. I don't think it's very important. But I do 
think the people back in Minnesota and the Dakotas win, and that does 
matter a great deal to me. People are trying to get on with their 
lives. They are trying to rebuild their lives. And they need the 
certainty. They need the certainty of knowing whether or not this 
assistance is going to be available. I think, finally, today, as a 
Senator from Minnesota, I can look people in the eyes, go back home and 
meet with people and say, ``This is passed, the help is going to be 
forthcoming. I hope and pray that this will help you and this will help 
your children and this will help your families.''
  I am proud of my colleagues on this side of the aisle. I thank 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their support now. 
Finally, we are together. I am proud of my Democratic colleagues 
because I think we did the right thing. I think we used the rules of 
the Senate. The expert--I have to get his attention--the expert who 
knows more than the other 99 Senators combined is Senator Byrd.
  Senator Byrd, I want to get your attention. You do not have to 
respond. I would say I am proud of my colleagues, I am proud of the 
Democrats. I said one of the things I am most proud of is I think we 
did the right thing to be out here fighting for people, and I think it 
was important to use the rules of the Senate to fight for people. I was 
saying that you are, of course, the master teacher to all of us. Again, 
I thank you for what you have taught us.
  It feels good to be able to know the process and use the rules, if 
you can use your leverage to fight for people. I think we did that. But 
I think most important of all, it is the people who will benefit. We 
have come together, finally, finally. I think the U.S. Senate, and I 
hope the House of Representatives and therefore the Congress, will look 
good to people after what has been a terrible period of time. I do not 
believe the last several weeks have been a good several weeks for the 
Congress. They have not built up a lot of respect for our institution. 
People have not been able to understand the delay. I think, in a way, 
this is an important victory for people in our States and it is also, I 
think, a very good thing that finally, finally the U.S. Senate has come 
through for people.
  Mr. President, I have spoken many, many, many, many hours, have given 
enough speeches to probably deafen all of my colleagues and I do not 
need to say any more. I am so pleased, I feel so good that we finally 
are able to pass this bill and we are finally going to be able to help 
people--really good people who really need the help.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who seeks time?
  The Senator from Alaska is recognized.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from 
Minnesota.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska yields 5 minutes to 
the Senator from Minnesota.
  The Senator from Minnesota is recognized.
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I am very pleased that Congress and the 
President have finally agreed to the compromise proposal I offered 
earlier this week to smooth the way for passage of emergency flood 
relief for the people of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
  My compromise calls for separate votes on the emergency disaster 
relief bill and on legislation to protect the American people from a 
Government shutdown. Today's vote confirms that was the best way to 
build the necessary consensus in Washington to deliver flood relief as 
quickly as possible.
  The people of my home state of Minnesota have been waiting with 
increasing impatience for Washington to stop talking about delivering 
recovery aid and finally do something about it.
  They have been waiting for Congress and the President to work 
together to finally bridge the gap that led to the veto that now holds 
up flood relief. I am pleased to say that today, the waiting ends and 
the rebuilding process can move ahead.
  This flood recovery aid means more to us in Minnesota than simply 
dollars. It sends the message that the people of Minnesota and the 
Dakotas, who have endured so much during this critical time, have not 
been forgotten by Washington, and that the promises made by Congress 
and the President to our States will be promises kept.
  But our work does not end with this vote. Once we pass this bill and 
the President signs it into law, we must keep a watchful eye to ensure 
that the recovery and rebuilding process in Minnesota and the Dakotas 
can go forward without any further delays caused by gridlock in 
Washington.
  That is why I believe that Congress must pass the Government Shutdown 
Prevention Act, which will protect Minnesotans from a Government 
shutdown as we rebuild our State from the damages caused by the flood.
  Under my proposal, which we will adopt today, we can have that vote, 
free from any procedural delays, and give the people of Minnesota and 
the Dakotas that important assurance.
  Mr. President, this has been a stressful time for individuals, 
families, farmers, and businesses in the Midwest devastated by the 
flooding. The delays from Washington did not help anybody.
  But with this agreement today, we have reduced the chance that a 
manmade disaster this fall, in the form of a Government shutdown, will 
follow the natural diaster that victimized so many people this past 
spring.

[[Page S5579]]

  Again, I am pleased that we could work out this agreement and act on 
my proposal to pass emergency flood aid to Minnesota and the Dakotas. 
With this compromise, the blame game can end and the rebuilding can 
continue. It is time to move forward.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gorton). Who yields time?
  Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask the distinguished Senator from Alaska 
if he has any problem with my yielding time at this point?
  Mr. STEVENS. I am happy to have him yield time.
  Mr. BYRD. I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished Senator from North 
Dakota [Mr. Dorgan], and I am going to be off the floor temporarily 
because I have someone waiting in my office down below. In the 
meantime, I ask Mr. Dorgan to yield time on my behalf.
  Mr. DORGAN. I will be happy to do that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, this is an occasion of some happiness for 
those of us who have spent a substantial amount of time in the Senate 
pushing very hard to try to get a disaster relief bill finished.
  I today compliment the Senator from Alaska, Senator Stevens, the 
Senator from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, and other members of the 
Appropriations Committee. I have said repeatedly that when this 
legislation passes, it will contain a substantial amount of assistance 
for those who have been hit by natural disasters, especially for those 
in our region who were devastated by the circumstances of blizzards, 
floods, and then fires.
  There have been a substantial amount of impatience on my part and the 
part of many others in Congress in the recent 3 or so weeks. We have 
been impatient because we have constituents who have been impatient. We 
know that their lives have been on hold, decisions have not been able 
to be made on a timely basis.
  My colleague, Senator Conrad, my colleagues, Senator Wellstone, 
Senator Grams and others, Senator Daschle and Senator Johnson from 
South Dakota, we know from going home, our citizens who are victims of 
these disasters have, in many instances, been living in other 
communities with relatives, in tents, in camper trailers, in shelters, 
on cots, and they have been very concerned about the inability to put 
their lives back together. We have repeatedly pushed for a timely 
resolution for this matter.
  Today, it appears that we will see a piece of legislation through the 
Congress, and it is my hope to be invited to participate tomorrow 
morning in a bill-signing ceremony. I hope that President Clinton will 
have a brief ceremony to sign this legislation, after which a 
substantial amount of help will be available to people of our region.
  What kind of help is it? Well, it is a substantial amount of money to 
help people who lost their homes. In Grand Forks, ND, alone, 600 homes 
have been totally destroyed, another 600 to 800 homes have been 
severely damaged. Those families are not back in their homes and will 
not be back in their homes. Many of those homes will never again be 
inhabited, and those families need some help. This legislation reaches 
out to them to say we want to help you.
  The legislation includes some resources for people who have lost 
livestock in the blizzards this winter. A substantial number of 
blizzards paralyzed our State. The last blizzard was the worst blizzard 
in 50 years. We had cattle on their feet suffocating from snow, and 
white-out conditions where they could breathe nothing but snow. I 
mentioned the other day that a fellow was in a community and someone 
said, ``Well, what are you going to be doing next?'' He was a rancher. 
He said, ``Well, I'm going home to shoot some calves.'' He had to shoot 
calves because these are calves whose feet were frozen in the blizzard, 
cows whose udders were frozen in the blizzard, cows froze to death 
standing up, cows froze to death in stock ponds when ice gave way and 
the cattle died in the ice cold water.
  I don't need to describe in any greater detail the ravages of 
blizzard after blizzard after blizzard, the last being the worst 
blizzard in 50 years, and then the flood that resulted from 10 feet of 
snow, 3 years' worth of snow dumped on our State in 3 months. The 
result: a disaster of significant proportions that has upset the lives 
of so many thousands of families.
  The creation of this bill then was a response to that, and although 
we have gone through enormous angst as a result of delay, today, when 
this aid begins to flow, we say thanks to a lot of folks who joined 
hands in this Chamber, on the Appropriations Committee and off, in the 
leadership, who said we want to be part of a solution.
  I know, as I said earlier today, I have worn out my welcome on the 
floor of the Senate. I know there are some here who are tired of seeing 
me on the floor, tired of hearing my message and hope that they will 
not have to suffer much more--the constant drumbeat and the constant 
urgency that I express on behalf of my citizens, but I make no apology 
for that. I came here to represent a group of people who need help, and 
I am pleased that help will be in this legislation when it passes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota controls time on 
his side.

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I yield myself 1 additional minute.
  The point I was making was while we feel very strongly about these 
issues, because our constituents are involved--and they are not just 
constituents, they are people, families trying to put their lives back 
together--at the end of the day, when the day is done and the job is 
done, and this will at least complete this portion of the job for a 
Congress responding to this disaster, we must stop and say thank you 
for the help that others have given us.
  As we proceed to begin to rebuild and to recover and to have families 
put their lives together and to have communities rebuild, we will 
undoubtedly see things that need to be done in next year's 
appropriations bills, as well.
  Mr. President, today when this passes, on final passage, and 
tomorrow, when the President signs this legislation, I will be 
enormously pleased that finally disaster relief will be available to 
many Americans who desperately need it.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time? The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I want to give a little history of what 
we are dealing with in this 1997 supplemental appropriations bill.
  In February of this year, we received a request for $2.1 billion from 
the President to deal with the funding that had been advanced in the 
Bosnia peacekeeping efforts overseas in a way that would repay the 
funds to the various accounts in the Department of Defense from which 
those moneys were taken. That was $2.1 billion, as I said.
  That February budget request also contained mandatory veterans 
compensation and pensions of $800 million and other requests, mainly a 
WIC request, women, infants, and children request of $.1 billion. It 
was $100 million. The total of the budget request in February was $3 
billion. There was no disaster attached to that request.
  We received a formal request on March 19 for $2 billion related to 
the disasters. Again, on April 23, we received a request of $300 
million. And on June 9, we received a major request of $2.4 billion. 
Again, Mr. President, that was June 9. Our total formal budget request 
that is covered by this bill is $7.7 billion. Some of those amounts we 
had anticipated in the bill that was presented to the Senate 
previously, but the formal budget request was received June 9 for more 
than 25 percent of this bill.
  I have seen and heard people on the television telling us how we 
should be getting on with our work. As a matter of fact, I think in 
terms of supplementals, for us to handle supplemental requests from 
March 19, April 23, and June 9 by today, which is June 12, I think is 
not tardy. We have had informal OMB reestimates of $400 million since 
those others were received. We had an informal increase for mandatory 
veterans compensation and pensions reported to us on June 3, another 
$200 million. The total Presidential request before the Senate is $8.2 
billion. This bill is $8.9 billion.

[[Page S5580]]

  The $700 million comes about by the community development block 
grant, the CDBG moneys, for the disaster of $300 million. We have an 
SSI provision in this bill, supplemental amount for legal aliens of 
$200 million. There is an additional $700 million for the Federal 
Highway Administration, and other minor adjustments made by 
congressional amendments amount to $200 million. In other words, the 
total congressional impact on this bill is $700 million.

  The bill, for the first time in history, is totally offset. This 
report offsets in the Defense Department $1.9 billion. It offsets, in 
domestic offsets, $6.1 billion. There is an additional amount of 
mandatory spending, mainly veterans compensation and pensions, that is 
covered by the bill and amounts to $900 million. It does not score 
under the Budget Act. Those are moneys that were already covered under 
entitlement provisions.
  Mr. President, I made the statement before and I asked unanimous 
consent that the agreement that applies to this bill is that the 
statement of the managers that accompanied the conference report for 
H.R. 1469 would be the legislative history for this bill that is going 
to be presented to the Senate.
  The reason for that is that I did not want it to be just a statement 
of one person, myself, to make that legislative history. It is the 
statement of the Senate now on a unanimous-consent basis that the 
provisions of the managers' report that accompanied the former 
conference report, to the extent those provisions are in the bill, are 
the legislative history for this bill.
  There are three items that have been deleted from the bill: the 
continuing resolution language, the census language and the language 
that pertained to Revised Statute 2477, the right-of-way provision. I 
regret deeply being put in the position where that has to be withdrawn. 
We do, however, have a commitment from the President of the United 
States that within 180 days, there will be presented to the Congress a 
bill proposing a legislative solution to the problems that have beset 
the West since the announcement of the policy by the Secretary of 
Interior in January of the change in the historic concept that these 
rights-of-way were to be determined by State law and the statement of 
policy from the Department of Interior that says they have to be 
rights-of-way developed by vehicular traffic. Both of the changes are 
very oppressive, as far as my State is concerned, and we look forward 
to receiving the legislation that the President has committed his 
administration to submit to us on that subject, and I hope the Congress 
will act on that during this session of Congress.
  But, Mr. President, it is important that everybody understand that 
other than the three provisions that have been deleted from the bill, 
the managers' report that accompanied the conference report is the 
legislative history for this bill. There were conditions and terms set 
forth in that managers' report that we expect the administration to 
comply with. They are now listed as being the formal statement of this 
Senate as a whole on how the conference report is to be interpreted. I 
think that is only fair. That is what we intended in the event the 
conference report had been signed by the President. This is the same 
bill except for those three provisions.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
the fiscal year 1997 supplemental appropriations requests and 
congressional action.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


  FY 1997 Supplemental Appropriation Requests and Congressional Action

     [In billions of dollars, by fiscal year 1997 budget authority]

February budget: 
  Bosnia/peacekeeping..............................................2.1 
  Mandatory Veterans compensation and pensions.....................0.8 
  Other requests (mainly WIC)......................................0.1 
                                                               ________
                                                               
    Total February budget..........................................3.0 
Formal budget requests: 
  March 19, 1997...................................................2.0 
  April 23, 1997...................................................0.3 
  June 9, 1997.....................................................2.4 
                                                               ________
                                                               
    Total, including formal budget requests........................7.7 
Informal OMB reestimates (April 14, 1997)..........................0.4 
Informal increase to mandatory Veterans compensation and pensions (June 
  3, 1997).........................................................0.2 
                                                               ________
                                                               
    Total, President's request.....................................8.2 
Congressional adjustments (House and Senate floor amendments included 
    in conference agreement; plus conference adjustments): 
    Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).......................0.3 
    SSI--Legal aliens..............................................0.2 
    Federal Highway Admin. (non-add obligation limitation).......(0.7) 
    Other adjustments..............................................0.2 
                                                               ________
                                                               
      Total H.R. 1469 conference agreement.........................8.9 
Defense offsets...................................................-1.9 
Domestic offsets..................................................-6.1 
                                                               ________
                                                               
Mandatory spending, mainly Veterans compensation and pensions......0.9 
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from 
South Dakota, Senator Johnson.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from North Dakota. We 
have finally reached a point this afternoon that has been awaited for 
some time by the people of South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota, 
and 30 other States that have been seriously and negatively impacted by 
the blizzards and floods of this past winter and spring. It had been my 
hope the passage of this legislation could have been accelerated and 
without the contention we had to deal with over this past month.
  But I do at this point today want to extend thanks to Senator Stevens 
for his assistance on this legislation, certainly to Senator Daschle, 
the Democratic leader; Senator Byrd, the ranking member of the 
Appropriations Committee; Senators Dorgan and Conrad of North Dakota, 
my colleagues from the north; and Senator Wellstone from Minnesota, in 
particular who have played a critical role on this floor helping 
educate the Members and the American public about the urgency and the 
severity of the crisis that our region faced here and continues to 
face.
  And certainly a thank you as well to President Clinton and his 
administration, who has responded in a timely fashion to the disaster 
requests from our Governor, from our State, affirmatively responding 
both to the blizzard and to the flood disaster requests on the very day 
that he received the requests, having visited our States, both in the 
south personally and with the Vice President and his Cabinet officials, 
and has become very acquainted in a direct way with the immense damage 
that was done in my State of South Dakota and throughout the region.
  So there are a lot of thank yous to be extended for the work on this 
legislation. But I think that we cannot underestimate the scope of the 
harm done and the reality that even this legislation, as significant as 
it is, will not make people whole.
  We are looking now, with the most recent estimates in the State of 
South Dakota, of livestock losses in excess of 300,000. We have an 
incredible level of damage to fences, to roads, and local governments 
bankrupt from the snow removal now finding themselves without even 
matching money to come up with the repair of the roads. That is one of 
the reasons why the CDBG, the community development block grant, aspect 
of this will be so critically important.
  We have families looking to relocate. We have levees to be rebuilt. 
We have mayors asking about the repair of their waste water treatment 
facilities and water treatment facilities. We have rural water projects 
and systems throughout the State that have been damaged in significant 
ways.
  So in so many ways this legislation is going to be critical in 
helping people get their lives back together, to making decisions about 
the future of their homes, of their families, of their farms and 
ranches and of our public infrastructure.
  This legislation will come as badly needed assistance, a hand up, and 
consistent with a tradition that has marked the American approach to 
disasters in any part of the country. Whether it has been earthquakes, 
floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, we have a long tradition in this country 
of setting aside our partisan differences and working together with a 
hand up so

[[Page S5581]]

that people can get back on their feet, at least have the resources to 
begin that long trek back.
  But I think that the winners of this final resolution of the 
conflicts that we have had are more than just the people of the Dakotas 
and the Great Plains and all the States that have been affected by 
these disasters. The American public in general has won this debate 
over the last several weeks. There was a sense on the part of the 
American public that we need to handle one issue at a time, that when 
it comes to disasters, that ought to be a clean bill sent to the 
President of the United States.
  That ultimately is what has transpired, I think in large part because 
of the great concern and attention given to this legislation by 
Americans from one coast to the other, many of them living in States 
that have not had significant disaster problems this past year, but 
recognize that that hand up is part of the American tradition and also 
recognize that in the past when we have had emergency legislation it 
has been devoid of controversial extraneous matters.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time yielded to the Senator from South 
Dakota has expired.
  Mr. JOHNSON. If the Senator would yield an additional 30 seconds.
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield an additional 30 seconds.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. JOHNSON. So we have maintained that precedent and not moved away 
from the tradition in this country that we have had in this body of 
dealing directly with legislation so that it may in a timely fashion 
get to the people who need it.
  It would have been, I think, a tremendous loss and would have been a 
bad precedent for the future if we had not in fact voted down 
legislation with controversial issues and used disaster legislation as 
a political vehicle. So I think that we have won the short-term battle 
to get help to people who need it but also won the long-term battle for 
people who need legislation.
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield 30 seconds to the Senator from North Dakota, 
Senator Conrad.
  Mr. CONRAD. I thank the Senator from North Dakota.
  There are a number of people I would like to additionally thank. I 
would like to thank the President for his support. I would like to 
thank the Democratic leader, Senator Daschle, for really brilliant 
leadership in a very difficult fight. I would also like to thank very 
much his colleague, Senator Johnson from South Dakota, Senator 
Wellstone of Minnesota, my own colleague, Senator Dorgan of North 
Dakota, who serves on the Appropriations Committee and served on the 
conference committee that came up with this disaster relief package. He 
has been extraordinary throughout this fight. I will never forget both 
his friendship and his advocacy of the State of North Dakota.
  If I could have an additional 30 seconds.
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield the Senator an additional 30 seconds.
  Mr. CONRAD. I would like to thank our colleague in the House, 
Congressman Pomeroy, who really stood up and was counted at a critical 
time for our State.
  I also would like to thank staff members, my own staff people that 
spent night after night here, Derik Fettig, Kirk Johnson, Bob Van 
Heuvelen, my own chief of staff Kent Hall, and one person I did not 
thank, somebody on Senator Stevens' staff, Steve Cortese, who was of 
great help in resolving this matter as well.
  I want to thank them all. They have made a difference in the lives of 
people who desperately need help.
  Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. STEVENS. I yield such time as the Senator from Texas desires.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I, too, want to thank a few people because I have been very involved 
in this supplemental emergency appropriations. I have seen the back 
room negotiations hour after hour, night after night.
  I want to thank first the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. There 
is not a person who has stood truer to principle than the majority 
leader on all of the issues in this emergency appropriations. He was 
prepared at all times to make sure that disaster victims were able to 
get the money that they needed in absolute due course. He was prepared 
to make sure that all of the money in the defense accounts would go in.
  He also was standing on a principle to set the process in place so 
that at the end of this fiscal year the people who work for the U.S. 
Government, the people who look to the U.S. Government for services 
such as passports and all of the other Government services, and the 
people such as veterans who have earned pensions would know that there 
would not be a disruption in Government.
  I think there has been a lot of rhetoric that has blurred the facts 
on these issues. In fact, there was never a question of the actual 
amount that would go to the flood victims of North Dakota. They have 
been getting the millions of dollars that they need to start the 
process of rebuilding their State. And we want them to have that. They 
deserve it. They have it. It is ongoing right now. And it never was in 
question.
  But, Mr. President, I think it is very important as we get ready to 
vote on this issue to see exactly what is on the table. We have a 
supplemental appropriations bill that is not only emergency disaster 
relief, but it is supplemental appropriations. There are many people 
who are concerned about how big this appropriations bill is. I am 
concerned as well. I think that it grew too much. But since it is the 
first appropriations bill of this year--and this is June; we are 
halfway through the year--a lot of people felt that we had to replenish 
the coffers before we would get to the 1998 appropriations. So there is 
that issue and that concern.
  We have now a separate opportunity to deal with the anti-Government-
shutdown provisions. I think we are going to have a day of reckoning on 
this because there are those on the floor who have said, ``We don't 
want to shut down Government, but this isn't the right bill.''
  So now we have an agreement that we will take up, without a 
filibuster, the issue of shutting down Government. We will send a bill 
to the President that gives him the opportunity to tell the people of 
America once again that he does not want to shut down Government. The 
President has said this on many occasions, but he did not like this 
bill to have the anti-Government-shutdown provisions. So he is going to 
get this bill separately, and we are going to vote on an anti-
Government-shutdown bill. It has been agreed to by both sides that that 
will happen without any more political games.
  I think the people of America should wake up and see who is trying to 
play political games with the anti-Government-shutdown issue. We are 
trying to prepare in an orderly way for the appropriations process in 
this Congress. We are trying to assure the people who depend on 
Government, the people who work for Government, and the people who have 
pensions that are supported by Government that there will not be a 
disruption if Congress and the President have not agreed on some part 
of the appropriations bills.
  So we have now set the process. We are going to vote on a 
supplemental appropriations, and we are going to vote on an anti-
Government-shutdown provision; and we are going to see if the President 
of the United States is sincere about wanting to work with Congress in 
a negotiation with a level playing field that will set a process in 
place so that we will not have a Government shutdown.

  I think the test is yet to come. I hope that the people of America 
will look to see how people vote when we have a straight up-or-down 
vote, which the President has asked for, which Congress has acceded to 
giving the President what he has asked for, and see if the President is 
sincere about wanting to work with Congress.
  I hope very much that the President and Congress will be able to work 
together. I think Congress has shown for its part that Congress is 
willing to work with the President and to bow to his wishes. We have 
given him everything that he has asked from this Congress in a budget 
resolution, and now

[[Page S5582]]

in a supplemental appropriations. I hope that this good will goes both 
ways.
  Last, Mr. President, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, 
Senator Stevens from Alaska, who likes to describe himself as a bear 
but who, in fact, is actually one of the most fair, even-handed people 
I have ever seen in a committee chairmanship in this Congress. He 
deserves a lot of praise for his patience in working, not only with the 
President, but with the Democrats and with the Members of the House of 
Representatives to have a bill that would make sure that we cover the 
costs of Bosnia, of the flood victims in North Dakota, of the tornado 
victims in Texas, who will have some little bit of help from this bill, 
and the many others who have suffered disasters in our country.
  I want to thank my cosponsor, Senator John McCain, for standing up on 
the principle that we would not have a Government shutdown. I will tell 
you that Senator McCain and I will not let this issue die. We are going 
to be back. We are going to have a clean vote. We are going to put the 
President to the test to see if he really wants to set a process that 
does not shut down the Government. Senator McCain and I are very 
sincere in wanting to make sure that never again will we have the 
debacle of 1995.
  So I thank the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, Senator Stevens. I thank especially Senator Lott and Senator 
McCain for standing on the principles that will make our appropriations 
process work in a responsible way.
  Thank you.
  Mr. STEVENS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to ask for 
the yeas and nays at this time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. STEVENS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, will the chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee yield?
  I worked with the chairman and the chairman of the House Commerce 
Justice State Appropriations Committee during the supplemental 
appropriations conference to craft report language that requires the 
Department of Commerce to take into account a very important 
forthcoming GAO study which analyzes the cost of maintaining four 
National Weather Service regional headquarters offices in the 
continental United States versus consolidation into three offices by 
closure of the Southern Region Headquarters office. The language 
requires the Department of Commerce to take this report into account. 
It is my wish that it will cease its efforts to close the office now so 
that it may take the report into consideration, as this language 
requires them to do.
  I want to ensure that this legislative history will be carried 
forward with the Senate's supplemental appropriations bill. Mr. 
Chairman, can you give me this assurance?
  Mr. STEVENS. Yes, that is the case. And it is my hope that the 
Department of Commerce will assent to the Senator's wishes in this 
matter to have this report fully considered.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would like to begin by congratulating 
the people of the Dakotas and Minnesota for their hard work and 
perserverance through this ordeal. Their resolve speaks volumes about 
the American spirit, and the American work ethic. I am also pleased 
with the work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These civil 
servants have helped those Americans affected by natural disasters 
through one of the worst times of their lives. But Mr. President, I am 
concerned with the way disaster relief has been handled by Congress and 
the President.
  What has come to be known as the disaster relief bill, is, in 
reality, nothing of the sort. Yes, there is disaster relief included in 
this bill, but there are a number of other provisions as well. Two of 
these provisions are well known to the American public, and they happen 
to be two provisions that I favor, and I believe a clear majority of 
Coloradans favor as well. The most important is the Government Shutdown 
Prevention Act also known as a continuing resolution. The Government 
Shutdown Prevention Act would allow the President and Congress to 
continue good faith budget negotiations without the specter of another 
Government shutdown. Without this, if the President and Congress cannot 
agree on funding levels by the end of the fiscal year, the Federal 
Government will shut down. If this happens, retirement checks, social 
security payments, Government contracts could all be delayed, national 
parks would be closed, veterans services would be suspended, and 
Federal employees would be sent home with pay, a waste of valuable tax 
dollars. The President objects to the inclusion of the Government 
Shutdown Prevention Act and vetoed disaster relief, holding those 
victims of natural disasters hostage, because he did not want to live 
up to the commitment he made during his State of the Union Address.
  Since the President has objected to riders unrelated to disaster aid, 
let's look at what is included in his idea of a clean bill minus what 
he considers to be unrelated riders. His version of a clean bill 
includes: Assistance to Ukraine; Language concerning buy-American 
products; $140 million for the Health Education Assistance Loans 
Program; $650,000 for the National Commission on the Cost of Higher 
Education to pay salaries and expenses; $33.5 million for the Botanic 
Garden to pay salaries and expenses; $1.6 million for the Coast Guard 
to cover operating expenses relating to the TWA flight 800 crash; 
$650,000 to implement the Cost of Higher Education Review Act of 1997; 
and changes to the Welfare Reform Act;
  And of most concern to me: $3.5 million for Housing and Urban 
Development implementation in New York; and $500,000 for a parking 
garage in Kentucky.
  Many of my colleagues have discussed these issues time and time 
again, and while many of these projects might be worthwhile, they have 
nothing to do with disaster relief. But the President overlooks each 
one of these, and finds fault in preventing the Government from 
shutting down. I ask the President to stop playing games with the 
American people by claiming that the Shutdown Prevention Act does not 
belong in a disaster relief bill when there are multiple unrelated 
riders, to which he does not object, included in the same bill. I am 
told that a clean disaster relief bill would be in the area of $3.3 
billion. With or without the Shutdown Prevention Act, this is not a 
clean bill, let us stop playing political games with America.
  The President vetoed the bill because of extraneous provisions, 
mainly the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. Because this provision 
is not included, and because of the other provisions unrelated to 
disaster relief included, I must vote no. A clean bill would not have 
these additional provisions and I hope that my colleagues can agree 
that extraneous means extra, no matter whose projects they are. I yield 
my time.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am voting in favor of the 
Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1997. I commend our 
colleagues, the chairmen of the Senate and House Appropriations 
Committees, Senator Stevens and Congressman Livingston, for their 
determination, hard work, and leadership on this important bill.
  And, as a member of the Senate-House Conference Committee, I 
appreciate the cooperative efforts of my counterpart, Congressman 
Kolbe, the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on 
Treasury, Postal Service and General Government. I also appreciate the 
valuable work of my colleague, Senator Kohl, who serves as the ranking 
member of the Treasury and General Government Subcommittee.
  This bill includes much needed assistance to our fellow Americans who 
have been hard hit by natural disasters. I am also pleased that the 
conferees agreed to include two of my provisions which are vital to my 
home State of Colorado.
  The first provision includes $1.95 million to support law enforcement 
efforts during the Denver Summit of Eight which is occurring later this 
month.

[[Page S5583]]

This historic economic summit, which includes Russia for the first time 
as an active participant, will draw the leaders of the world's leading 
economies and thousands of other participants and guests. The funding 
which this supplemental includes will reimburse our police officers who 
are on the frontlines in providing the necessary security for the 
Summit of Eight.
  The second provision delays the implementation by the Health Care 
Financing Administration [HCFA] of a Medicare Competitive Pricing 
Demonstration project in Denver. The project, originally set to begin 
in January 1998, was ill-conceived in its design and had the potential 
to disrupt and reduce benefits for over 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries. 
My colleagues and I are all committed to successfully testing 
competitive pricing as an alternative reimbursement mechanism for 
Medicare risk contractors. It is for that very reason I sought a delay 
and appreciated the resounding support of my Senate and House 
colleagues.
  In light of the importance of this supplemental appropriations bill, 
I urge my colleagues to support its passage.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  Mr. STEVENS. How much time is remaining?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska has 10 minutes and 21 
seconds, and the Senator from West Virginia through the Senator from 
North Dakota has 5 minutes and 6 seconds.
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield 4 minutes to the Senator from Florida, Senator 
Graham.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, we have talked about the principles that 
are represented by our action in legislation. Let me talk about an 
important principle. That is the principle that when we are dealing 
with lives and we are dealing with the destruction and the aftermath of 
a catastrophe, it is not the time to inject political ideology on 
unrelated subjects. I suggest that has been the policy of this Senate, 
that has been the policy of this Federal Government.
  Let me just give two examples of that policy. On September 21, 1989, 
Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charleston, SC, and 29 people were killed 
in South Carolina as a result of Hurricane Hugo. One week after 
Hurricane Hugo hit South Carolina, this Senate passed, by a vote of 
100-0, disaster assistance legislation. On the same day, it passed in 
the House of Representatives, and the following day, September 29, 8 
days after the disaster, President Bush signed that into law. A 
Democratic Congress, a Republican President, and in 8 days we responded 
to a major disaster within our Nation.
  In my own State of Florida, on August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew 
devastated the southern part of our State, killing 40 people and 
destroying 25,000 homes. On September 8, President Bush requested $7.7 
billion of relief. Ten days later, the House and Senate passed the 
President's recommendation. It was signed into law on September 23, 
1992, 30 days after the hurricane had done such devastation.
  Mr. President, that is the kind of schedule, that is the kind of 
cooperation between a Congress of one party and a President of another 
that we should expect, that all Americans should expect, in the event 
of a disaster that causes extensive damage and loss of life.
  Contrast those two past experiences with what we are, hopefully, 
about to conclude today as it relates to the flooding in the Midwest. 
It was on March 19 of this year that the President made his official 
request for disaster funds. After that date, the disaster became even 
more severe as flooding occurred as a result of the severe winter. 
Today, on June 12, we hopefully will pass the legislation which will go 
to the President for his signature.
  The principle is that we should not allow a repetition of what we are 
experiencing in this concluding chapter of the suffering of the people 
of the upper Midwest. They deserve to be treated with the same dignity, 
respect, and sense of urgency that we accorded the people of South 
Carolina in 1989, that was accorded to the people of my State of 
Florida in 1992.
  Mr. President, I commend those who have worked so hard to bring this 
issue to a resolution. I wish we had been congratulating ourselves on 
this, not on the 12th of June, but many, many weeks earlier. I hope we 
have learned a lesson from this experience, and that lesson is, deal 
with the plight of people, not politics, when it comes to humanitarian 
relief.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. DORGAN. I yield 30 seconds to the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota has a total of 
45 seconds left.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish to thank several additional people. 
There have been so many people involved in this effort. The mayor of 
Grand Forks, Mayor Pat Owens, who has been just remarkable through this 
series of disasters, and Mayor Lynn Stauss of East Grand Forks, who has 
come to Washington three times to plead for the assistance that the 
people of our area need, and two other people on my staff, Geri 
Gaginis, who is from that area of our State and has worked tirelessly 
to help the people of that area, and Scott Carlson of my staff, who was 
really the author of the provisions to help the livestock owners across 
the part of our country that have lost hundreds of thousands of head of 
livestock.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I understand we are waiting for the 
distinguished Democratic leader. Other than that, I had hoped we could 
get the vote started sooner. There are people that wanted to make 
connections and leave.
  Pending that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Could I ask the Senator if he would grant me 15 
seconds?
  Mr. STEVENS. I yield to the Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I, too, want to thank Mayor Stauss and 
Mayor Owens from East Grand Forks and Grand Forks for their very 
courageous voices. They never gave up and they continue to give people 
hope. They gave all of us here a lot of hope.
  I thank my colleague for his courtesy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. STEVENS. I am happy to yield to the Democratic leader such time 
as he desires to use.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Let me begin with the chairman. I want to thank the 
Senator for his kindness. We would not be here if not for the 
leadership and the extraordinary effort the Senator from Alaska has put 
forth to bring us to this point. I publicly acknowledge his work and 
his leadership on behalf of the people in South Dakota and our 
colleagues here in the Senate. I thank him for all of his effort.
  I heard my colleague from South Dakota express what I hope to also 
express, and that is gratitude to so many people who are responsible 
for the fact that we are here this afternoon. I begin with our 
Governor, who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in ways that 
are recognized on both sides of the aisle, and Brenda Barger, the mayor 
of Watertown. Watertown is lucky to have a leader as talented and as 
gifted as she is. All across South Dakota organizations have come forth 
and put so much effort into ensuring that our communities and our 
people could hold themselves together in the way that they did. South 
Dakotans have endured much over the past months, but throughout these 
most difficult and unfortunate times they have shown courage and 
compassion. I also want to thank my colleagues for all of the effort 
they put forth in making possible this tremendous assistance.
  I appreciate very much the work of the administration--the President, 
the Vice President, James Lee Witt. People in the administration at all 
levels could not have been more responsive. They went out to the 
Dakotas and Minnesota not once, not twice, but on numerous occasions in 
an effort to fully appreciate the magnitude of the problem and to 
respond as quickly and as comprehensively as they could. The President, 
on at least two occasions, declared natural disasters in record time, 
trying as he could to respond in ways that exceeded virtually 
everyone's expectation.
  It has all been said so eloquently by my colleagues but this help is 
desperately needed. People have waited too long. In some cases, lives 
have been lost. Throughout our region, hundreds of thousands of 
livestock have been

[[Page S5584]]

killed. The magnitude of this loss is only now being fully appreciated. 
We need this help and it will now at long last be on the way and in the 
hands of people who have been waiting patiently, in some cases, for 
more than 2 months.
  The work is only beginning. The passage of this legislation starts 
the process by which rebuilding can begin. There is so much work to be 
done in such a short period of time. We have about 100 to 110-some days 
of construction time available to us. I call upon those in the 
administration who have already demonstrated such willingness to work 
with us to respond now in this second phase, making sure that we 
maximize the use of our time, making sure that we eliminate whatever 
bureaucratic encumbrances there are in an effort to get this assistance 
to those who need it the most, as quickly and as efficiently as we 
possibly can.
  So there is much more work to be done and we need to expedite our 
efforts to ensure that it gets done in the most meaningful way in what 
time is left, this year, in order for it to be done right.
  Again, Mr. President, I express gratitude to all of those who had so 
much to do with the fact that we are here now this afternoon. I 
appreciate very much the cooperation, the partnership, and the efforts 
made by all of those responsible to at long last send the help so 
desperately needed by so many.
  Mr. DORGAN. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. DASCHLE. I yield.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I did explain the important role of 
Senator Stevens from Alaska and our gratitude toward him. However, I 
would be remiss if I did not tell the Senate the admiration we have for 
the Senator from South Dakota in his leadership on this issue. He has 
been faithful and determined on this issue and all of us know that his 
family has had some medical challenges in recent hours. We very much 
appreciate what you have done for the country and for our region of the 
State. Much of the reason we are here at this moment on the edge of 
victory in having disaster relief approved is because of the efforts of 
the Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. DASCHLE. I thank my friend and colleague from North Dakota.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. STEVENS. I yield back our remaining time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded back. The question is on 
agreeing to the bill. The yeas and nays have been ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announced that the Senator from Iowa [Mr. Harkin] is 
necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from Iowa 
[Mr. Harkin] would vote ``aye.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Enzi). Are there any other Senators in the 
Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 78, nays 21, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 100 Leg.]

                                YEAS--78

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Ford
     Frist
     Glenn
     Gorton
     Graham
     Grams
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kempthorne
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lugar
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Sarbanes
     Shelby
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                                NAYS--21

     Abraham
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Coats
     Enzi
     Faircloth
     Feingold
     Gramm
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Helms
     Inhofe
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Lott
     Mack
     Nickles
     Santorum
     Sessions
     Smith (NH)
     Thomas

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Harkin
       
  The bill (H.R. 1871) was passed.
  Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I think most Senators have been made aware 
of this by now. But that will be the last recorded vote of today. I 
have discussed having a voice vote on the birth defects legislation 
with the principal sponsor, Senator Bond. He agrees that there is no 
need for a recorded vote.
  So we will just pass that on a voice vote.

                          ____________________