[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 149 (Thursday, October 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11421-S11423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, after a great deal of communication and 
discussion working back and forth, I think we have come up with a fair 
agreement on how to handle the campaign finance reform issue that would 
allow us to go forward with other bills this year, and have a time 
certain in which to proceed next year, and one that would allow for a 
full discussion and votes.
  So I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader, after 
notification of the Democratic leader, shall turn to the consideration 
of a bill regarding campaign finance reform to be offered by Senator 
Lott, or his designee, on or before the close of business on Friday, 
March 6, 1998.
  I further ask that Senator McCain be recognized to offer the first 
amendment, in the nature of a substitute, that inserts the text of S. 
25, the McCain-Feingold bill, as modified by Senator McCain on 
September 29, 1997. No further amendments would be in order to the 
McCain amendment prior to a motion to table.
  I further ask that if the amendment is not tabled the amendment and 
the underlying bill will be open to further amendments, debates, and 
motions.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished majority leader 
for his efforts and for the leadership he has shown in keeping 
everybody at the table as long as he has in order for this to be 
accomplished.
  Let me also thank Senators McCain and Feingold for their diligence in 
working as long as they have to get us to this point.
  Finally, let me thank Senator McConnell for his involvement and his 
participation in allowing us to reach this agreement.
  As Democratic leader I can say with great enthusiasm that we are 
pleased that we have now reached this point. I also feel the need to 
express my public gratitude to Senators in the Democratic caucus for 
their willingness to be united in demonstrating the importance of this 
issue.
  This is not better necessarily for Democrats or Republicans. But in 
our view, this is a very big victory for the

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country. This will give us an opportunity to have a good debate as we 
have discussed, and I look forward to that opportunity sometime prior 
to the first week in March.
  Let me say, Mr. President, as a result of this agreement, I 
personally will oppose any other effort to bring this issue up prior to 
the time agreed to, because I believe we have necessary work to be 
done, and I believe that it is in the interest in keeping with this 
agreement that we now turn to those other matters.
  I expect a full-fledged debate with plenty of opportunity to offer 
amendments. Given this agreement, now I have every assurance and 
confidence that will happen.
  So, again, Mr. President, let me reiterate my public gratitude to all 
those involved for the successful agreement that we have announced this 
afternoon.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I want to thank the majority leader 
especially in all of this. I consider myself a close and dear friend of 
the majority leader. The majority leader has seen a lot more of me than 
he wants to ever see me with such frequency ever again. I want to 
assure the majority leader that I am deeply appreciative of the time he 
has spent with me, and the time he has spent with the entire Republican 
conference.
  I don't think there has been a more difficult issue that the majority 
leader has had to handle, nor do I believe that he will face one as 
difficult as this in the future.
  I thank Senator Daschle, the Democrat leader, who I think has 
approached this issue in a fair fashion.
  I think it is also only a entirely appropriate that I thank Senator 
McConnell. The Senator has strongly held honest views on this issue. He 
has again shown a willingness to debate and discuss this issue. Our 
differences have been passionate but they have not been personal, and I 
know that he and I intend to maintain that relationship. I can assure 
my colleagues that Senator McConnell will make strong arguments for his 
position. And I certainly respect and in some ways admire his 
willingness to stand forth on an issue which is somewhat difficult to 
address.
  Mr. President, I also believe the following: That we can and should 
and will sit down together on both sides of the aisle, proponents and 
opponents, with the recognition that this system needs to be fixed. On 
how it needs to be fixed there are strong differences of opinion, but I 
think almost every American now understands that we need to fix this 
system because we need to restore the confidence of the American people 
in the way that we select our elected officials.
  I am convinced that the real answer, the real solution, will probably 
not come in the form of debate or any cloture motions and all of that 
on the floor of the Senate. I believe it is going to come when we all 
sit down as dedicated Americans and come up with a bipartisan solution 
to this problem. I still believe that is possible. I will do everything 
in my power working with both Senator Daschle and Senator Lott, Senator 
McConnell, and my dear friend, Senator Feingold, who has done a 
wonderful job here, as I have said many times, so that we can get this 
agreement.
  So I believe this is not an end. There isn't a midpoint. This is just 
a beginning of a dialog that has to begin in all seriousness, and 
discussion and compromise which may be called for on both sides of this 
issue so we can do the will of the American people. I believe the will 
of the American people has been expressed convincingly that we need to 
fix the system.
  I want to reiterate my openness to any suggestion or idea or proposal 
that would lead us to that.
  Again, thanks to the majority leader.
  I yield the floor.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I am, of course, very pleased that this agreement has been reached.
  I want to join in the gratitude toward the majority leader. Any 
majority leader has a hard job on almost any issue. But this is about 
as tough as it gets. And I know this has been a very, very difficult 
period of negotiation.
  I thank my leader, Senator Daschle. Without his persistence and 
willingness to take on a tough job in our conference I don't think this 
would have been possible either.
  I want to join with Senator McCain in expressing my admiration for 
the Senator from Kentucky as well, an extremely worthy adversary. I can 
honestly say it is enjoyable to debate this issue with him. It will be 
especially enjoyable to be debating specific amendments as we get into 
this next year.
  But overall, what this represents is what Senator McCain of Arizona 
and I have said from the beginning--that this can't possibly be done in 
the end on a partisan basis. The answers have to be bipartisan. This 
agreement reflects that realization.
  I want to join with Senator McCain in his statement about the desire 
to negotiate, the desire to put together something that the American 
people feel would make a real difference in this area.
  My last comment, Mr. President, it certainly would have been my 
preference to have a bill pass this year. I said, many times it is very 
difficult to get this done in an election year, and that would be the 
conventional wisdom if we are in the middle of campaigns to try to 
legislate on that. But I think maybe this next year might be an 
exception. With this system continuing to display itself, perhaps next 
March will be the ideal time to take a look at this system as it is 
unfolding in another election and ask ourselves if this is really the 
best we could do in this country in terms of electing our officials.

  So, again I thank all of the Senators involved in these difficult 
negotiations. This appears to be a fair outcome, and we will have a 
continuation of this important debate next year.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCONNELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, my special thanks to Senator McCain and 
Senator Feingold, and Senator Daschle for allowing this debate to go 
forward in an orderly fashion.
  As we all know here in the Senate, any Senator at any moment can kick 
off a debate on any subject. That, of course, gives each Senator a good 
deal of power in determining what we debate. But what we have 
essentially agreed to here today is an orderly process by which the 
Senate can go on and engage in other business and have another debate 
on another day on this very important issue which we have debated 
almost yearly for the last decade. Let me say that I think this is a 
very sensible way to do it.
  Finally, I want to commend the distinguished majority leader. He has 
stood fast on principle over a difficult several-week period. The 
principle was that the majority leader should set the agenda for the 
Senate. I want to just say to my friend, the majority leader, that I 
have never seen a better example of leadership than he has exhibited 
over the last few weeks.
  Senator McCain said the majority leader saw a lot of Senator McCain. 
He saw an equal amount of Senator McConnell over this period. And I 
think he is probably ready to see less of both of us for a few weeks.
  But in any event, in his position as leader, Senator Lott obviously 
would like to see things go forward. On the other hand, there are from 
time to time matters of great principle where it is important to stand 
up and take a position. I say to my friend, Senator Lott, that I can't 
think of a better example in the 13 years I have been here of standing 
steadfast for principle when it counted than the performance of the 
distinguished majority leader over the last 3 weeks.
  I thank him on behalf of all the members of our conference, the vast 
majority of whom agree with the Senator from Kentucky and the Senator 
from Mississippi.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe we are ready to return to the 
debate that was underway, so I will yield the floor at this time.

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