[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1411-S1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following prayer:
  Sovereign God, thank You for the good men and women of this Senate. 
Today we ask what should be done when really good people disagree. You 
have shown us so clearly what should and should not be done. When the 
fabric of our human relationships is being frayed, it is time to deepen 
our relationship with You. Draw each Senator into healing communion 
with You that will give physical strength and spiritual assurance of 
Your unqualified love for him or her. Then in the inner heart give Your 
peace and direction. Give each Senator the courage to speak truth as 
she or he hears it and knows it. When this trial is finished, may none 
feel the pangs of unspoken convictions.
  Dear God, we also know there is something we dare not do when good 
people disagree. You do not condone the impugning of other people's 
characters because they hold different convictions. You do not want us 
to break our unity or the bond of sacred friendship. Bless these good 
Senators as they press forward together with love for You, America, and 
each other. In the unity of Your spirit and the bond of peace. Amen.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. The Sergeant at Arms will make the proclamation.
  The Sergeant at Arms, James W. Ziglar, made proclamation as follows:

       Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to 
     keep silent, on pain of imprisonment, while the Senate of the 
     United States is sitting for the trial of the articles of 
     impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives against 
     William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States.


                              The Journal

  The CHIEF JUSTICE. If there is no objection, the Journal of 
proceedings of the trial is approved to date.
  The majority leader is recognized.


                           Order of Procedure

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. Chief Justice, in a few moments, the Senate will resume 
the closed session in order to allow Members to continue to deliberate 
the two articles of impeachment. Members are reminded that the motion 
adopted yesterday allows for a Record to be printed on the day of the 
vote on the articles which could contain Senators' final statements if 
they choose to have them printed.
  Also, Senator Daschle was just noting that while Senators have been 
careful not to comment on the discussion in closed session, we still 
should use a lot of discretion in going out and talking to the media 
about the details of what is happening here. I don't think there have 
been any violations, but use a lot of discretion. I would prefer we not 
even talk about which Senator spoke or how many spoke. I think we need 
to be careful in doing that.
  I expect the Senate will be in session until approximately 6. We will 
confer with the Senators, the leadership, and the Chief Justice, and 
see how the discussions are going, and the speeches, how many are being 
made. Perhaps we would wrap it up before that. It would just depend on 
how much endurance we have today.
  We will have a break from 12 until about 1:15, one hour and 15 
minutes for lunch to allow the Chief Justice some time to return to the 
Supreme Court and then come back.
  I expect the Senate to convene again tomorrow at 10 a.m. in order to 
try to conclude the debate and vote on the articles if at all possible 
by 5 o'clock on Thursday. If we are still having speeches, if we can't 
do it, we would certainly just go over until Friday, but I think we 
need to talk about that goal of 5 o'clock on Thursday.
  Mr. REID. Thursday.
  Mr. LOTT. Also, I know some Senators are still on the way here from 
committee meetings. There are only two or three going on today, but we 
didn't give them much notice that we were going to begin at 10, but we 
are notifying everybody now that we will come in at 10 tomorrow, so 
that they will go ahead and be able to take action this morning to 
cancel those hearings and be here sharply at 10 o'clock.
  Again, we will alternate today, across the aisle, with the speakers 
going for up to 15 minutes.
  Senator Inhofe is scheduled to be our first speaker today.
  Mr. COVERDELL addressed the Chair.
  Mr. LOTT. I will be glad to yield to Senator Coverdell.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. Chief Justice, I ask unanimous consent to pose a 
point of clarification to the majority leader.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. Without objection.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. Leader, I am still a little confused about this 
posting of a statement in the Record. Is it possible for a Member of 
the Senate to submit to the closed session their statement rather than 
speaking? I think that might be desirable on the part of some.
  Mr. LOTT. I think the answer to that is yes. You can do that.
  Mr. COVERDELL. In other words, if I chose, I could submit the 
statement in my sequence to the Record, and subsequently, at my choice, 
decide whether it will be made part of the Congressional Record 
subsequent to the close?
  Mr. LOTT. I believe that is correct.

[[Page S1412]]

  Mr. COVERDELL. I thank the Leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. Leader, and I would also say they would all appear the 
same as if they were spoken or not spoken.
  Mr. LOTT. Correct.
  Mr. LEAHY. Will the distinguished majority leader yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I yield to the Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. Chief Justice, and I appreciate the courtesy of my 
good friend from Mississippi, I notice, as he has, that there are a lot 
of empty seats here in the Chamber. I realize at one time we thought we 
were coming in at noon, to have committee meetings.
  If these statements are not made in the Record, the only time we are 
going to have a chance to discuss with each other what our thoughts are 
is in this closed session, by being here. I also think, in respect to 
the Chief Justice, we should be doing that.
  I am inclined, I would say to my friend from Mississippi, to suggest 
the absence of a quorum. I am withholding, just for a moment, doing 
that. But if we are going to be off in committee meetings, I don't 
think that does service to the intent of this closed door hearing.

  I hope that both leaders--and I have discussed this with the 
distinguished Democratic leader, too--would urge Members to be here. 
Nothing could be more important than this on our agenda today and 
tomorrow.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. Chief Justice, I certainly agree with that. We are 
going to have to have a momentary quorum, just to get the doors closed 
and then officially go forward. We will call and make sure all the 
committee hearings are being shut down. Actually, I think Members are 
coming in steadily, and within a moment we are probably going to have 
almost all the Senators here. But we will take just a couple of minutes 
to notify committees to complete their actions and come on the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. If I might complete then, Mr. Chief Justice, out of 
respect to my friend from Mississippi, and in courtesy to what he said, 
I will not make that suggestion, knowing that he is going to make a 
similar suggestion anyway.
  Mr. GRAMM. Will the distinguished majority leader yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I will be glad to yield.
  Mr. GRAMM. Mr. Chief Justice, we are eager to get on with the debate. 
We have a quorum present. The Senator can make a point of order that a 
quorum is not present, but it is obvious to the naked eye that a quorum 
is present.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. Leader, would you yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I will be glad to yield.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I think it is important, for the record, that it be 
known there are at least 60 to 70 Members in the Chamber, ready to 
proceed.
  Mr. LOTT. My count is we have about 70 Members here and I'm sure we 
will have a full complement here momentarily, so we can lock the doors 
and give a few more Senators a little more time to get here. Would the 
Senator from Alaska like to speak?
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. May I ask for clarification relative to submitting 
statements in the Record and having them printed? What day would they 
be printed in the Record, assuming that we finish Thursday? The Friday 
Record?
  Mr. LOTT. The day of the vote, which means it would come out, I 
guess, the next day. So if we vote on Thursday--if we vote on Friday, 
then it would be available, I guess, Saturday morning. If we vote 
Thursday night, it would be available in the Record Friday morning.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I thank the leader.
  Mr. LOTT. If the Senators choose.
  Mr. Chief Justice, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. Would the leader wish we go into closed session 
before the quorum call?
  Mr. LOTT. Yes, Mr. Chief Justice, and then suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. The Senate will now resume closed session for 
final deliberations on the articles of impeachment.


                             Closed Session

  (At 10:16 a.m., the doors of the Chamber were closed. The proceedings 
of the Senate were held in closed session until 6:21 p.m., at which 
time the following occurred.)


                              Open Session

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. Chief Justice, I now ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate return to open session.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                 Orders for Thursday, February 11, 1999

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. Chief Justice, I ask unanimous consent that when the 
Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 10 
a.m. on Thursday, February 11. I further ask that upon reconvening on 
Thursday and immediately following the prayer, the majority leader be 
recognized to make a brief statement with respect to the Senate 
schedule. I further ask unanimous consent that following the majority 
leader's comments, the Senate resume final deliberations in closed 
session on the articles of impeachment.
  The CHIEF JUSTICE. In the absence of objection, it is so ordered.


                                Program

  Mr. LOTT. We will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock, and we 
hope to be able to finish tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Chief Justice, but we 
have to make a lot better progress than we did today.

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