[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 7 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S446-S447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CLOTURE MOTION


Nomination of David Satcher, of Tennessee, to be an Assistant Secretary 
  of Health and Human Services, Medical Director of the Public Health 
       Service, and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate now resume the nomination of David Satcher in 
order for me to file a cloture motion on the nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the nomination.
  The bill clerk read the nomination of David Satcher, of Tennessee, to 
be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, Medical 
Director of the Public Health Service, and Surgeon General of the 
Public Health Service.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the cloture motion.

                             cloture motion

       We the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provision of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on Executive 
     Calendar Nos. 338 and 339, the nomination of David Satcher to 
     be Assistant Secretary of HHS and to be Surgeon General.

         Trent Lott, James Jeffords, Richard Lugar, Conrad Burns, 
           Arlen Specter, Frank H. Murkowski, Ted Stevens, Ted 
           Kennedy, Olympia J. Snowe, Susan Collins, Tom Daschle, 
           Paul Wellstone, Herb Kohl, Christopher Dodd, Chuck 
           Robb, Tim Johnson, and Tom Harkin.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture 
vote occur at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 10, with the mandatory 
quorum being waived and, further, that if cloture is invoked, the 
Senate proceed to an immediate vote on the confirmation of David 
Satcher to be Assistant Secretary of HHS and Surgeon General, all 
without any intervening action or debate. I further ask that following 
the vote, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, 
and the Senate resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I further ask that there be up to 6 hours 
for debate on the nomination on Monday, February 9, to be equally 
divided between Senators Jeffords and Ashcroft, and that there be 1 
hour, equally divided in the same fashion, on Tuesday morning.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Once again, Mr. President, regarding this matter, I want to 
make it clear that there is no intent to rush to judgment here. This 
nomination has been pending for quite some time. There is strong 
support for this nomination on both sides of the aisle, and there are 
legitimate concerns about this nominee. I had indicated yesterday that 
we would not go forward to a vote until requested information from the 
Centers for Disease Control had been received, as requested by the 
Senator from Missouri, Senator Ashcroft. I had FAXed that list to the 
Secretary of HHS, Secretary Shalala, and talked to her subsequently on 
the telephone. I had been told that there were seven items listed. One 
of them had already been provided, one was on the way, and the other 
five were being pursued. I believe that most of that information now 
has been obtained. If not, there is time for it to be received 
Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before we get to vote on Tuesday.
  I urge the White House, the Centers for Disease Control, and 
everybody involved, to make that information available. It was inferred 
that, well, it might be used against him. I don't know what the 
information is. It may be used against him. If it is out there and in 
the public record or should be in the public record, we need to know 
that, and we will make a decision.
  We have had time given to this nomination in that it has been pending 
a long time, and now we have had debate pointing out where the problems 
are and pointing out the assets of this nominee. I think we should not 
delay it any further. It would be my intent to vote for cloture, which 
I don't always do, but I think once you have had adequate time--in 
fact, I rarely do it, but I think this nominee should have a vote on 
his nomination. So if we in fact do come to a final vote on cloture, I 
will vote for cloture. That does not indicate how I would vote on final 
passage. I will make that final decision based on all the information 
made available before the vote occurs. But I think we should bring it 
to a conclusion.

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