[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11321-S11322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CLOTURE MOTION

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on H.R. 2646, the 
     Education Savings Act for Public and Private Schools.
         Trent Lott, Paul Coverdell, Robert F. Bennett, Pat 
           Roberts, Strom Thurmond, Gordon H. Smith, Bill Frist, 
           Mike DeWine, Larry E. Craig, Don Nickles, Connie Mack, 
           Jeff Sessions, Conrad Burns, Lauch Faircloth, Thad 
           Cochran, and Wayne Allard.

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, the 
cloture vote on the Coverdell education bill will occur on Friday of 
this week. We will have consultation with the Democratic leader and 
will notify Senators as to exactly what time that would occur. We will 
give them that information on Thursday so Members can make plans for 
what time we would have that vote and, hopefully, what time they could 
then leave on Friday.
  In response to the Democratic leader's comments, first of all, this 
is a very, very important issue. I have found that any time that I 
explain what the Coverdell A-plus provision will do, people of all 
backgrounds and races and situations in education are very much 
attracted to it. We would allow people, whether it is parents or 
grandparents or even other groups, to be able to have savings accounts 
similar to individual retirement accounts.

[[Page S11322]]

And those moneys can be used with tax benefit to help children with 
education, K through 12--kindergarten through the 12th grade. That may 
be for computers, or it could be for a tutor. It could be for supplies, 
or it could be to make some decision on their own as parents as to 
where their children would go to school. It is the sort of thing we 
have for higher education in America.
  I think one of the reasons we have very good higher education in 
America but much weaker elementary and secondary is because we don't 
have the same resource, the same opportunity, the same financial 
benefits available.
  So I think this is a bill that has a lot of support. We saw that here 
in the vote earlier this year in the Senate.
  I am glad that Senator Daschle indicates that they do not object to 
us getting to the substance of this bill.
  With regard to amendments, I certainly think it would be a good idea 
and would want amendments to be offered. I would like for them 
certainly to be germane amendments. After we get cloture on this issue 
then we would go to the amendment process. I am sure that Senators on 
both sides of the aisle would probably have some amendments that they 
would like to offer.
  I think, once again, it is very unfortunate that this matter would be 
tied up over the campaign finance reform issue. We continue to work to 
get some agreement that we can go along with.
  As a matter of fact, once again, just like last week, I had thought 
we had an agreement. We had a unanimous-consent agreement typed up. 
Senator McCain is now saying that is not what he meant, that is not 
what he wants, or he needs something different. But we will continue to 
work on it. Senator Daschle and I have talked. I have talked to 
interested Senators in trying to get resolution as to when it would be 
handled.
  I say, again for the Record, it would be my intent to call this issue 
up before the end of the first week in March. I don't intend to fill 
the tree up. I would like amendments to be in order. The problem is 
Senator McCain wants some specific extra provision as to what he might 
offer and how it would be voted on. That is what we are still working 
on. But we get very close, and then it slides back a bit. We will keep 
working on that because, again, I think it would be unfortunate if the 
Senate would continue to be tangled up on that issue while letting 
very, very important national issues like our national transportation 
infrastructure, highway improvement and educational opportunities in 
America--even fast-track trade agreements--because we can't get an 
agreement on this other issue.
  But as majority leader I am going to call these important bills up. 
And this one will get a cloture vote, and then hopefully we will 
proceed to the substance and relevant amendments that would be offered.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum 
under rule XXII be waived.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I wish 
quickly to respond.
  Mr. President, the distinguished majority leader mentioned several 
other pieces of legislation that have urgency to them. Our position has 
been all along that on those occasions where there is urgent 
legislation, we want to work with the majority to expeditiously move 
those bills through the process. One in particular is the 6-month ISTEA 
bill. We have indicated that we are more than ready to respond to the 
bipartisan Governors' request stated yesterday in a letter that we pass 
a 6-month ISTEA bill. Members of the House leadership have said they 
will only accept a short-term bill. The House short-term bill is 
currently on the calendar.
  I hope we can take that House-passed bill, amend it with any 
improvements the Senate deems appropriate, and quickly to deal with the 
urgent matter of reauthorizing expired safety programs and the urgent 
matter of providing contract authority that the 6-month legislation 
addresses. So we are more than willing to work with our colleagues on 
such matters of urgency.

  This tax bill, however, would not be called urgent. It may be, as the 
Senator has indicated, a popular bill. But there are other popular tax 
bills that didn't get in the budget reconciliation package last summer 
that many Senators want to revisit. This happens to be one of them.
  We have a whole host of other tax provisions that we think the 
Senate, if we are going to have a tax bill, ought to at least give some 
thought to reconsideration.
  So again we are certainly ready to work with our colleagues, and I am 
willing to work with the majority leader to see if we can't resolve 
that matter. But I am very hopeful and determined to ensure that we do 
come to some final agreement on a procedure on campaign finance, and, 
like the majority leader, I stand willing to work with those who have 
been very much involved in the issue to see if we can do that this 
week.
  I will not object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER [Ms. Collins]. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, if I could just respond further, I think I 
have made it clear my commitments trying to get the ISTEA extension 
highway infrastructure bill done. Basically, the Senate spent 2 weeks 
trying to get on the substance of that bill. Because of the unrelated 
campaign finance reform issue, the highway bill has had to be pulled. I 
indicated more than once repeatedly that if we didn't get cloture and 
get on the substance the Members that were blocking that bill would 
have to bear the responsibility for it. For those Governors and those 
highway people that now would like some additional action, where were 
they a week ago? Why weren't they talking to the Senators that were 
opposing cloture that would allow us to get on to this highway bill?
  So, if they have any ideas now as to how to proceed, I urge them to 
talk to the chairman and ranking member on the Environment and Public 
Works Committee and explain why they weren't involved a week or 2 weeks 
ago so we could get to the substance of this issue.

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