[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S5945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STAR PRINT--S. RES. 98

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator.
  Mr. President, on June 12, Senator Hagel and I and other Senators 
introduced Senate Resolution 98, expressing the sense of the Senate 
regarding the conditions of the United States becoming a signatory to 
any international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions under the U.N. 
convention. On that same day, in addition to Senator Hagel and myself, 
44 Senators cosponsored that resolution, making the total 46.
  Since that time, 14 additional Senators have indicated an interest in 
being cosponsors. So I will read their names shortly. But in addition 
to requesting a star print of Senate Resolution 98, I indicate for the 
Record a substantive change in the resolution. It is required that 
there be a substantive change in order for there to be a star print. I 
want a star print to show the additional 14 Senators' names. The 
additional names are: Senator Akaka, Senator Coats, Senator Cochran, 
Senator Domenici, Senator Gramm, Senator Grams, Senator Lott, Senator 
Moseley-Braun, Senator Robb, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Sessions, 
Senator Smith of New Hampshire, Senator Specter, and Senator Stevens.
  Now, Mr. President, the substantive change would be in the form of an 
additional ``whereas'' clause. I will read it:

       Whereas, it is desirable that a bipartisan group of 
     Senators be appointed by the majority and minority leaders of 
     the Senate for the purpose of monitoring the status of 
     negotiations on global climate change and reporting 
     periodically to the Senate on those negotiations: Now, 
     therefore, be it''.

  That is the new ``whereas'' clause, and those are the words that 
would constitute the substantive change.
  Therefore, I will ask unanimous consent that there be a star print of 
Senate Resolution 98 which will indicate the additional 14 Senators' 
names and the additional whereas clause.
  May I say, parenthetically, that I think it would be good for the 
administration to know that there is an independent group of Senators 
who have status, who have been authorized by the U.S. Senate to monitor 
the developments and negotiations on global climate change, and who 
will be authorized to report periodically back to the Senate concerning 
those developments. That is the purpose of the additional clause, and 
I, therefore, make that request.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, reserving the right to object--and I will 
not object--let me again thank the Senator from West Virginia for his 
leadership in this area and the refinement of this Senate resolution, 
what he is doing. What now 61 Senators are saying is that this is a 
very, very important issue for this country, and to the world. And the 
Senate wants to be active players and observers in the development of 
this potential treaty because ultimately it gets here to the floor of 
the United States Senate for us to make that decision.
  Senator Byrd has offered us tremendous leadership in this area. I 
thank him. Mr. President, I, too, know that you have become our leader 
on this issue, and I appreciate that. Thank you.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, if the Chair will momentarily indulge me, 
may I say that the Presiding Officer of the Senate, Mr. Hagel, will be 
conducting the hearings on tomorrow by this subcommittee which he 
chairs, the subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee on this 
very subject.
  I urge Senators to follow the conduct of these hearings. It is my 
understanding, in talking with Senator Hagel that there will be 
subsequent hearings tomorrow. These will be important hearings, and 
there will be witnesses appearing who will have testimony that I think 
will be worthwhile to the Senate as it proceeds on the course of 
following the negotiations, having a voice in them, and, as it were, 
leaning over the shoulders of the administration as the negotiations 
take place.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am a cosponsor of the resolution that 
the distinguished Senator from West Virginia just spoke of. I applaud 
him. I associate myself with the kind remarks that the Senator from 
Idaho made because it is a very forceful tool, and is a very badly 
needed tool to make sure that our Constitution and our economy is 
protected.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, if the Senator from Iowa will yield without 
losing the right to the floor, let me also join him and the Senator 
from Idaho, and compliment the distinguished Chair, and my friend from 
West Virginia, on what is attempted here.
  I just watched the statement today that, if this Tokyo plan goes 
through, all of our energy generating facilities just go right across 
the border to Mexico. They are excluded. So all our jobs will go down 
there. All our electricity will come from there because they are 
excluded and to the detriment of our people.
  So I couldn't compliment the Senator from West Virginia more. He has 
been diligent in this, and I compliment him. And I just hope I can 
follow his lead. So whatever he needs from me, let me know.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank both Senators.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no objection, the previous 
unanimous-consent request is agreed to.

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