[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12130-S12132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TREASURY, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999--CONFERENCE 
                                 REPORT

  Mr. LOTT. I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
Treasury-Postal Service appropriations conference report and that the 
conference report be considered as having been read.
  Mr. REID addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the report be read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request?
  Mr. REID. Objection.


                           Motion to proceed

  Mr. LOTT. There is objection. Therefore, I now move to proceed to the 
conference report.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  Mr. REID. I ask that the report be read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gorton). The Senator from Nevada has that 
right.
  The clerk will read the conference report.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to read the conference 
report.
  Mr. CAMPBELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent further reading 
of the bill be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The clerk will continue to 
read.
  The assistant legislative clerk continued the reading of the 
conference report.
  Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith of New Hampshire). The Senator from 
Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will proceed.
  The assistant legislative clerk continued the reading of the 
conference report.
  Mr. CAMPBELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Reid, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The clerk will continue 
reading the report.
  The assistant legislative clerk continued the reading of the 
conference report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
that the further reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hagel). Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further 
reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
that further reading of the report be dispensed with.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
that reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, in order for the U.S. Senate to conduct the 
people's business, despite the delay and frustration of the other 
party, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the conference report be 
dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, in order that the Senate 
might conduct the people's business, I ask unanimous consent that 
reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, in order that the Democrats not put the 
Senate in a stalemate, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
that reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, in order to save a little time, I have 
ordered some Tinkertoys for the Democrats to play with. I, therefore, 
ask unanimous consent that reading of the conference report be 
dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I again ask unanimous 
consent that reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object. Protecting the rights of the 
majority under the rules of the Senate, I object.

[[Page S12131]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, point of parliamentary inquiry.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Parliamentary inquiry is not in order.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with as it should be.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, in order to conduct the 
people's business, I again ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in order to protect the rights of 
thousands of Federal women, Federal employees who are women, who are 
denied health care, I object.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Regular order, Mr. President.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, regular order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that this absurdity 
be brought to an end.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I again ask unanimous 
consent that reading of the conference report be dispensed with until 
we conduct the people's business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I congratulate the Senator from Illinois on 
having brought this absurdity to the floor.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, regular order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I make a point of order 
that the reading is dilatory and irresponsible and again make a 
request----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The point of order is not well taken.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. I make a unanimous consent request that 
further reading of the conference report be suspended.
  Mr. DURBIN. Objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Objection.
  Mr. REID. Objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. HELMS. Again, I ask that this absurdity be brought to an end so 
the Senate can conduct its business.
  Mr. REID. Is there a question? I didn't understand what he said.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I think the Senator understood. I think we 
ought to stop this absurdity, and stop it now, and do the people's 
business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. On behalf of 1.3 million Federal women who are covered 
under----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. HELMS. I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the 
conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. On behalf of the customs and drug 
enforcement employees in our U.S. Government, I ask unanimous consent 
that further reading of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. On behalf of----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. 3.6 million unintended pregnancies every year, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. HELMS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. HELMS. I renew my request that further reading of the conference 
report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued with the reading of the conference 
report.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, on behalf of those who 
favor the Jacksonville, FL, and Orlando, FL, courthouse construction, I 
ask that further reading--I ask unanimous consent that further reading 
of the conference report be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, on behalf of those who also favor the 
Jacksonville and Orlando courthouse construction, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The legislative clerk continued and concluded the reading of the 
conference report.
  (The text of the conference report is printed in the House 
proceedings of the Record of October 7, 1998.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on the motion to 
proceed.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burns). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the 
pending motion.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion to 
proceed to the conference report. The yeas and nays have been ordered. 
The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Glenn), the 
Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), and the Senator from 
Minnesota (Mr. Wellstone) are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from 
Minnesota (Mr. Wellstone) would vote ``no.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 58, nays 39, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 312 Leg.]

                                YEAS--58

     Abraham
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brownback

[[Page S12132]]


     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Coats
     Cochran
     Collins
     Coverdell
     Craig
     D'Amato
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Enzi
     Faircloth
     Ford
     Frist
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kempthorne
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Roberts
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Warner

                                NAYS--39

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Bumpers
     Cleland
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Harkin
     Inouye
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Mikulski
     Moseley-Braun
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Snowe
     Torricelli
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Glenn
     Hollings
     Wellstone
  The motion was agreed to.

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