[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3225-S3228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Lugar
       
  The amendment (No. 145) was agreed to.


                           Amendment No. 147

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will now be 2 minutes of debate equally 
debated on the Conrad amendment.
  The Senate will be in order.
  The Senator from North Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. CONRAD. I thank the Chair.
  Madam President, this amendment is very direct. It creates a lockbox 
to protect every dollar of Social Security surplus for Social Security. 
In addition, it creates a lockbox to add 40 percent of the non-Social 
Security surplus for Medicare.
  Medicare is in danger. It is on the brink of insolvency. It is time 
not only for reform of Medicare, but to add additional resources so the 
promise of Medicare can be kept.
  In addition, this amendment will pay down the debt by $300 billion 
more than the budget resolution alternative. I ask my colleagues to 
support this amendment to create a safe lockbox, not only for Social 
Security but for Medicare. That leaves sufficient resources----
  Mr. BURNS. Madam President, the Senate is not in order. The Senator 
should be heard.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired, but because 
the Senator from Montana is correct, the Senator may take another 3 
seconds to finish.
  Mr. CONRAD. I thank the Chair, and I thank my colleague from Montana.
  This leaves sufficient resources for $400 billion over the next 10 
years for high-priority domestic issues, like education and defense, as 
well as room for tax reduction. But, fundamentally, it puts Social 
Security and Medicare first.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, this amendment is an anti-tax-relief 
amendment, plain and simple. Compared to the chairman's mark, which is 
before you, this amendment increases taxes by $320 billion over 10 
years.
  As to Medicare, let us get it straight once and for all. What is 
really incredible is that there is no lockbox for Medicare. There is a 
wish box. All we do with the money that is claimed for Medicare is 
apply it against the debt so that it can be spent by anyone anytime. As 
a matter of fact, if it is done to reduce the debt so as to strengthen 
the economy, our budget does more than the President plus this 
amendment by way of deficit reduction.
  There is not one nickel in it that is spent on Medicare. It is a wish 
and a hope. We don't even know we need $320 billion over 10 years.
  It violates the Budget Act because it is not germane to the budget, 
and the vote will be on a motion to waive, which I recommend Senators 
vote no on.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mr. CONRAD. Madam President, pursuant to section 904 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, I move to waive the applicable 
sections of the act for the consideration of the pending amendment, and 
I ask for the yeas and nays.
  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 
waive the Budget Act in relation to the Conrad amendment No. 147. The 
yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Lugar) is 
absent because of a death in the family.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 45, nays 54, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 61 Leg.]

                                YEAS--45

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Bryan
     Byrd
     Cleland
     Conrad
     Daschle
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Graham
     Harkin
     Hollings
     Inouye
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Mikulski
     Moynihan
     Murray
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Rockefeller
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Torricelli
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                                NAYS--54

     Abraham
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burns
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cochran
     Collins
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Crapo
     DeWine
     Domenici
     Enzi
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Gorton
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Jeffords
     Kyl
     Lott
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nickles
     Roberts
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Voinovich
     Warner

[[Page S3226]]



                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Lugar
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote the yeas are 45, and the nays are 
54. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted 
in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to. The point of order is 
sustained, and the amendment falls.


                           Amendment No. 151

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We will proceed to the amendment by Senator 
Bond. There will be 2 minutes equally divided.
  The Chair recognizes the Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Thank you, Madam President.
  This amendment is an opportunity for all of our friends who think 
that the President's budget outlines the plan which we should follow to 
express themselves by voting for it. The President has said we must 
save the entire surplus to save Social Security, but the actual details 
of the plan takes $158 billion out of Social Security over the next 5 
years.
  The President and the minority leader have said that we need to stay 
in the caps. This budget plan breaks the caps by $38 billion. These are 
the actual details. These are the actual plans and the absolute numbers 
that we think come from the President's budget.
  For our friends who believe that the President's budget is a 
preferable means of charting our spending programs for this coming 
year, I say vote for this.
  I believe it does not fix Medicare. It ignores Medicare. It spends 
money that should be put into the retiring debt from the Social 
Security surplus, and I urge my colleagues to vote no.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gregg). The Senator from New Jersey is 
recognized.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I think by the description the Senator 
just offered he tells you what he thinks. He is offering this amendment 
and saying vote no. What he wants the Democrats to do is to be tricked 
into moving on this.
  Here is one part of it--1,291 pages. If anyone wants to vote for this 
without inspecting it, unless all of you have reviewed it in detail and 
have decided that whatever you are concerned about is taken care of in 
here.
  This is not a sincere amendment being offered. What this is, I think, 
is political chicanery. I urge my opponents to vote against it.
  Mr. BOND. I agree.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. I move to table the amendment.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Lugar), is 
absent because of a death in the family.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 97, nays 2, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 62 Leg.]

                                YEAS--97

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith NH
     Smith OR
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                                NAYS--2

     Biden
     Schumer
       

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Lugar
       
  The motion to lay on the table the amendment (No. 151) was agreed to.


                           Amendment No. 153

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 
153 offered by Senator Johnson. There is 1 minute on each side equally 
divided.
  The Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I respectfully disagree with the 
chairman's characterization of the amendment. This amendment tonight 
will put the Senate on record for the first time in support of full 
funding for veterans' health care. No budget resolution guarantees 
funding. That is part of the appropriations process. But this amendment 
will open the door. This amendment will open the door for consideration 
on the part of the appropriators for the full funding for veterans' 
health care that is so badly needed.
  I yield to the Senator from Minnesota for 30 seconds.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, what is meaningful about this amendment 
is it provides the necessary funding for decent health care for 
veterans. And the veterans community will hold all of us accountable. 
This is a very meaningful vote, I say to my colleagues.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who rises in opposition?
  The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, there is no one in opposition. So I am 
going to speak.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico is recognized.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask that Senators Specter, Jeffords, 
Hutchinson, Murkowski, and myself be made original cosponsors.
  Mr. President, while there is no assurance that veterans' health care 
is going to be increased by $2 billion, we already increased it $1.1 
over the President's budget. I believe everybody should vote for this 
amendment, nonetheless.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment 
of the Senator from South Dakota.
  Is there a request for the yeas and nays?
  Mr. JOHNSON. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment 
of the Senator from South Dakota. On this question, the yeas and nays 
have been ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Lugar) is 
absent because of a death in the family.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
who desire to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 99, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 63 Leg.]

                                YEAS--99

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Moynihan
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

[[Page S3227]]



                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Lugar
       
  The amendment (No. 153) was agreed to.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I wish to call to the attention of the 
Senate technical corrections to certain descriptions contained in 
Senate report 106-27, which accompanies the Concurrent Resolution on 
the Budget for FY 2000.
  On page 266, the description of the Conrad amendment should read:

       (3) Conrad amendment to increase revenues relative to the 
     Chairman's mark by $320 billion, to require that any revenue 
     reduction be offset with spending reductions or revenue 
     increases, to create a Medicare Surplus Reserve, and to 
     create a new 60-vote point of order in the Senate against 
     legislation that would reduce that reserve.

  On page 273, the description of the Lautenberg amendment should read:

       (27) Lautenberg amendment to increase revenues relative to 
     the Chairman's mark by $320 billion, to require that any 
     revenue reduction be offset with spending reductions or 
     revenue increases, and to create a Medicare Surplus Reserve.

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, today, the Senate begins consideration of a 
budget for the fiscal year that begins on October 1. When it passes, it 
will be only the second budget in the last 30 years that will be 
balanced.
  That will be a tremendous achievement considering that it was as 
recently as 1995 that President Clinton sent Congress a budget that 
would have produced annual deficits in the range of $200 billion for 
the foreseeable future. The budget recommended to us by the Budget 
Committee will effectively balance the budget, and it will do so even 
without relying on the surplus from the Social Security trust fund. The 
small deficit that is projected now is likely to be eliminated once the 
Congressional Budget Office updates its revenue estimates this summer.
  Mr. President, the budget we have before us will ensure that the 
Social Security surplus is set aside so that it cannot be spent on 
other government programs--$1.8 trillion over the next 10 years. Many 
of us may have heard President Clinton promise to do the same, but when 
he sent his budget to Capitol Hill we found that he is actually 
proposing to raid the Social Security trust fund for $158 billion over 
the next five years alone. Moreover, we found that the President's plan 
to deposit 62 percent of the unified budget surplus into the trust fund 
was nothing more than an accounting gimmick. According to the 
Comptroller General, David Walker, ``the changes to the Social Security 
program [recommended by the President] will thus be more perceived than 
real: although the Trust Funds will appear to have more resources as a 
result of the proposal, in reality nothing about the program has 
changed.'' In other words, the Clinton plan fails to delay the cash-
flow problem expected in the year 2013 by a single year.
  Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan also voiced opposition 
to the President's risky plan to invest a portion of the Social 
Security Trust Funds in the stock market, noting that ``even with 
Herculean efforts,'' he doubted that investment decisions could be 
insulated from political pressures. The Clinton plan would allow 
federal bureaucrats to play politics with people's retirement savings. 
That is wrong.
  By contrast, our budget will not put Social Security at risk. It will 
protect the Social Security surpluses so that they cannot be raided for 
the President's other spending initiatives.
  Our budget will help preserve Medicare, as well. It will increase 
spending on the nation's health care program for seniors by an average 
of $20 billion a year for the next 10 years. That is in lieu of the $9 
billion reduction in Medicare spending that the President's budget 
recommends.
  Mr. President, we will cut the public debt in half over the next 
decade by abiding by the spending limits Congress and the President 
agreed to two years ago. The Clinton budget, by contrast, would bust 
the spending limits by more than $20 billion this year alone and result 
in only half as much debt reduction over the next decade.
  Most importantly, the Senate budget proposes to return the rest of 
the emerging surpluses to taxpayers. Congress would still have to pass 
a separate bill later in the year that sets out precisely what form the 
tax relief would take, but there are many ideas. They range from a 10 
percent across-the-board reduction in income-tax rates to more targeted 
relief, like repeal of the marriage penalty, elimination of death 
taxes, and reductions in capital-gains taxes. There are other ideas, 
too. Any of them is preferable to President Clinton's plan to raise 
$100 billion in new taxes and fees even though budget surpluses are 
mounting.
  Although we have succeeded in balancing the unified budget, we still 
have two very different visions of where we should be headed. The 
President has proposed myriad new spending programs--77 new programs in 
his State of the Union address--paid for out of the Social Security 
surplus, Medicare, and new taxes and fees. The Senate budget protects 
Social Security and Medicare, and abiding by the spending limits 
approved just two years ago, we begin to pay down the debt and provide 
long overdue tax relief to the American people.
  I believe the Senate's approach is a better one. I hope my colleagues 
will join me in voting aye.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, let me just say, according to the 
unanimous consent agreement, we are going to stay here so long as 
Senators want to offer amendments. They can either offer them and/or 
pull them, set them aside, or they can offer them and debate them 
tonight. I am going to have to leave shortly, but I will have somebody 
in my stead. We were not finished with the Specter amendment. I assume 
it is the regular order. It is not?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. DOMENICI. Sure.
  Mr. REID. In the morning--and I am confident this is appropriate, 
cleared with the manager of the bill on this side--we would like to 
line up three amendments that we will offer in order of Democrat-
Republican-Democrat--in the right order.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Do that tonight?
  Mr. REID. It would be appropriate so people will be here in the 
morning to do their work. It was suggested Senator Kennedy would offer 
the first Democratic amendment, after that a Daschle and Dorgan, after 
that one by John Kerry. That should get us through this side a good 
part of the morning.
  Mr. DOMENICI. We are not going to have any votes before 11. And you 
are suggesting if we are making a list in the morning, those are the 
three that your side wants?
  Mr. REID. First thing in the morning. Otherwise people will offer 
whatever they want tonight.
  Mr. DOMENICI. But we will offer in between, ours, also.
  Mr. REID. That is right. So I am saying those would be the three 
first Democratic amendments in the morning.
  Mr. DOMENICI. So how would we do that? Whatever we take tonight would 
be set aside in any event, and then we would say when they are finished 
they would be set aside and the first three amendments to be taken up 
for votes tomorrow would be----
  Mr. REID. I would say to the manager of the bill, it just allows more 
order here so people know when they should come so we are not waiting 
around for people to do things.
  So, if I could, or if you would ask that in the form of a unanimous 
consent request, it would be appreciated.
  We will try to have three also in the morning. We don't have any lack 
of amendments. There will be plenty. We will be glad to accommodate in 
that regard.
  Mr. REID. Could we do that, I say to my friend from New Mexico, a 
unanimous consent request, if that happened in the morning, Republican 
and Democrat, six amendments? Those would be the first six? I mentioned 
the three Democrats, and you would have any that you believe are 
appropriate for Republican amendments.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, let's try that.
  When we convene in the morning----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is the Senator propounding a unanimous consent 
request?

[[Page S3228]]

  Mr. DOMENICI. I am going to. Sometimes it takes a little while. I am 
getting tired and sleepy.
  The only amendment that could be ahead of all of this would be 
Senator Specter's amendment. And if you have not used all your time 
tonight, you will get some in the morning.
  Mr. HARKIN. That's right.
  Mr. DOMENICI. So when that is finished, when they have completed the 
pending amendment, then I ask unanimous consent that the next six 
amendments be alternatively spread between Democrat and Republican and 
that the three Democrat amendments, when they are supposedly to be 
called up, will be first----
  Mr. REID. First, Senator Kennedy; second, Senators Daschle and 
Dorgan; and third, Senator John Kerry.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Could you tell us what the second one is?
  Mr. REID. One is dealing with agriculture.
  Mr. DOMENICI. OK. Then the Republicans will appropriately assign 
their amendments. We will make our own arrangements on this side as to 
which ones go when.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, is the pending business the Specter 
amendment?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. CRAIG. The Senator from Iowa would debate that; is that the 
intent at this time? Would the Senator from Iowa mind if I introduced 
and laid aside an amendment at this moment? It would take me a half 
minute.
  Mr. HARKIN. Yes, of course.


                           Amendment No. 146

       (Purpose: To modify the pay-as-you-go requirement of the 
     budget process to require that direct spending increases be 
     offset only with direct spending decreases)
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 
to introduce an amendment without laying the Specter amendment aside. 
That amendment is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the amendment.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Idaho [Mr. Craig], for himself, Mr. 
     Kerrey, Mr. Helms, and Mr. Inhofe, proposes an amendment 
     numbered 146.

  The amendment is as follows:
       At the end of title II, add the following:

     SEC.   . REQUIREMENT TO OFFSET DIRECT SPENDING INCREASES BY 
                   DIRECT SPENDING DECREASES.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Surplus Protection Amendment''.
       (b) In General.--In the Senate, for purposes of section 202 
     of House Concurrent Resolution 67 (104th Congress), it shall 
     not be in order to consider any bill, joint resolution, 
     amendment, motion, or conference report that provides an 
     increase in direct spending unless the increase is offset by 
     a decrease in direct spending.
       (c) Waiver.--This section may be waived or suspended in the 
     Senate only by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the 
     Members, duly chosen and sworn.
       (d) Appeals.--Appeals in the Senate from the decisions of 
     the Chair relating to any provision of this section shall be 
     limited to 1 hour, to be equally divided between, and 
     controlled by, the appellant and the manager of the 
     concurrent resolution, bill, or joint resolution, as the case 
     may be. An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members of 
     the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required in the 
     Senate to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a 
     point of order raised under this section.
       (e) Determination of Budget Levels.--For purposes of this 
     section, the levels of direct spending for a fiscal year 
     shall be determined on the basis of estimates made by the 
     Committee on the Budget of the Senate.

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, this is a pay-go style amendment that would 
be applied to all new mandatory spending. I would seek to debate that 
in the morning, and I ask unanimous consent that it be laid aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Iowa for yielding.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa is recognized.

                          ____________________