[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3717

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now turn 
to Calendar No. 361, H.R. 3717, prohibiting Federal funds for the 
distribution of needles; that there be 30 minutes for debate to be 
equally divided with no amendments or motions in order. I further ask 
that following the conclusion or yielding back of time, the Senate 
proceed to third reading and final passage, all without intervening 
action or debate, and finally I ask unanimous consent it be in order 
for me to ask for the yeas and nays on passage at this time.
  Mr. FORD. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, I do object 
on behalf of this side.
  Mr. LOTT. I now ask for the yeas and nays.
  Mr. FORD. I object.
  Mr. LOTT. Again, Mr. President, I should note that if we could have 
gotten that agreement, since it has already passed the House, this bill 
would have gone directly to the President for his signature. It passed 
the House April 29th by a vote of 287 to 140. I would think that this 
is something we would want to do. I think for the Federal Government to 
be distributing needles encourages people to use needles for drug 
abuse, and I had hoped we could get it cleared. We had worked earlier 
to try to get some sort of agreement on how we could clear it, with 
maybe even some amendments being ordered. We could not do it.
  Also, in order to get the President's signature, we would have to do 
it in this way.

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