[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 505

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Collins). The majority leader is 
recognized.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Chair. I thank Senator Leahy for completing his 
remarks so we could proceed with this unanimous consent agreement.
  This is with regard to S. 505, the copyright bill. I ask unanimous 
consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further 
consideration of S. 505 and the Senate then proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection----
  Mr. LEAHY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I am told there is one other Senator who 
still has a question on this, and I would tell my friend from 
Mississippi that as a result of that, while I have no objection to this 
unanimous consent agreement, and I will be supporting the bill and have 
worked hard on the bill, there is an objection over here and I will 
have to lodge an objection.
  Mr. LOTT. I will withhold the unanimous consent request, but I would 
once again like to urge my colleagues to agree to this. This is a very 
important bill that work has been done on for a period of months, and 
it also is connected to the music licensing issue which has been worked 
out. It has been extremely tedious, working with all the interested 
parties, but they have been responsible, they have agreed, and I want 
to commend and thank all of those who worked with us and helped us 
reach agreement with music licensing, including the Restaurant 
Association, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the 
writers who have been involved in this music issue, including BMI and 
ASCAP and others. They have all given more than they wanted to, but I 
think we have come to a reasonable agreement. And then also, it is 
connected to the treaty with regard to intellectual property.
  So I will withhold at this time, but I hope Senators will not begin 
putting a hold on this very important legislation because of unrelated 
issues that we probably are going to get resolved in the next 2 days 
anyway.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I say to my friend from Mississippi, I 
have worked on each one of these pieces of legislation so much. There 
are times when I have attempted to pull out what little bit of hair I 
have left, and, frankly, I hope we can move this. I will personally go 
to anybody who is lodging objection to see what I can do to clear it 
up, because I absolutely concur with the Senator from Mississippi and 
the Senator from South Dakota, the Democratic leader, that this is 
something which should be moved forward; we want to move it forward. I 
hope I can tell the distinguished majority leader within a few minutes 
we do have it cleared.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor, Madam President.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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