[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S5903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--S. 924

  Mr. LOTT. With that, Mr. President, I do ask unanimous consent that 
the Senate now turn to the consideration of Calendar No. 84, S. 924, 
the DOD authorization bill.
  Mr. GRAMM addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LOTT. I regret we have had this objection to proceeding on this 
very important legislation, the Defense authorization bill.
  The Armed Services Committee in the Senate has worked very hard on 
this legislation. It is urgently needed to this extent: Until we can 
get the authorization bill through the complete process, it makes it 
difficult for the defense appropriations subcommittee to do its work. 
So timing is important.
  We would like to get this authorization bill done at the earliest 
possible opportunity so it can get on into conference and so that the 
defense appropriators will know what the authorization numbers are. It 
is important for our country.
  It is my understanding that a major issue of contention is still 
being discussed with respect to the depots and bases that could be 
affected by it or will be affected by it in Texas, in Oklahoma, in 
California, in Utah, and Georgia. There are a lot of Senators on both 
sides of the aisle and on both sides of this issue that are very 
concerned about how it was handled in the committee.
  So I have urged those on both sides of the aisle to work together and 
see if we cannot come up with something that is acceptable to both 
sides. It will not be easy. This is not a new issue. We went through 
this in a way in the base closure rounds.
  We had debate and amendments on it last year. So everybody knows the 
arguments on both sides. I still believe that there is a way that we 
can come to some compromise language that would allow us to go forward.
  The Senators are exercising their right to object to waiving the 2-
day rule or calling up the bill to go straight to debate and 
amendments. But I hope that they will not do this for very long, 
because we have our work to do.
  So I understand there is a meeting that will meet again, perhaps 
today, this afternoon at 5:30, on this issue. We had a preliminary 
meeting on it in my office yesterday. I will be glad to work with both 
sides. I want a resolution to be found. But I am not inclined, as I 
discussed with the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, the acting 
minority leader, here--I want Senators to be able to exercise their 
rights, and I want to be helpful with that, but I also think at some 
point, if you cannot work out something, if you do not work out 
something, then we will have to use the rules of the Senate to move 
this very important legislation forward. But I would like everybody to 
get an opportunity first to work together, and you know we are losing 
some time here. Every day that goes by that we do not take it up, it 
means that it already looks like it could be the week of July 7, 8, 
before we could actually get this legislation completed. I just wanted 
to make those points.
  I understand Senators on the floor now would like to be heard on this 
issue. I would like to yield the floor so that they could make their 
statements.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, will the majority leader yield just for a 
question?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The acting minority leader.
  Mr. FORD. Once the statements are made by those who have objected to 
bringing up the Department of Defense authorization bill, how long will 
they go, and what kind of schedule would we have? How soon will we get 
to the so-called veterans bill?

  Mr. LOTT. As soon as we can get the agreement worked out. I believe 
they are working on it right now. We hope by the middle of the 
afternoon we will have something ready to go on that.
  Mr. FORD. Put us in morning business?
  Mr. LOTT. We will probably have morning business, but I do know also 
there are Senators, a number of Senators, who probably want to speak on 
this issue at hand. Maybe we will let them talk a little bit and they 
will feel better and we will find a way to move this bill forward.
  Mr. FORD. The leader knows and we all know at some point it will.
  Mr. LOTT. Right.
  Mr. FORD. It is the will that will move it.
  Mr. LOTT. Yes.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, my colleague from Connecticut asked if 
he could take 3 minutes. I am happy to give him 3 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. I thank the Chair. I particularly thank my friend and 
colleague from Texas for her graciousness, and her graciousness will 
allow this Senator to find his way to his daughter's school to watch 
the moving-up ceremony. I appreciate my good friend, the Senator from 
Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I am very pleased to hear that the 
daughter of the Senator from Connecticut is having her moving-up 
ceremony, because she is a special friend of mine and I think she is a 
potential future Senator from Connecticut. So I am glad that he is 
going to be able to make that important ceremony. He will give her my 
regards, I hope.

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