[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 51 (Wednesday, April 14, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3672-S3673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 767

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 90, S. 767, under the 
following limitations: 1 hour of debate on the bill, equally divided in 
the usual form; the only amendment in order to be a substitute 
amendment to be offered by myself and others; no other amendments or 
motions in order to the bill; and at the conclusion of the time and the 
disposition of the amendment, the bill be read a third time and the 
Senate proceed to a vote on the bill with no other intervening action 
or debate.
  I further ask consent that when the Senate receives from the House 
the companion measure and it is the exact text of the Senate-passed 
measure, then the House bill be considered read a third time and 
passed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I am disappointed that we would have an 
objection to a measure that has already, in a sense, been initiated by 
the President and deals with amelioration and comfort to the troops--
our sons and daughters that are in harm's way today, as we have all 
been highly focused on Kosovo. This sends a very positive message--and 
it has been broadly agreed to--to their families and to the fighting 
men and women, and it is a shame that we have to get balled up at a 
time like this when we are under such duress.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say to my friend from Georgia that this is 
important legislation. It has bipartisan support and we should move 
forward with the legislation. There is nothing that indicates that 
anybody is going to prolong this debate unnecessarily. We simply think 
it is appropriate that this legislation be handled in the manner that 
legislation has been handled in this body for many years--in fact, a 
couple centuries.
  We understand that we are going to help the fighting men and women of 
our country, and it is certainly appropriate to do it around tax time 
because that is what this matter relates to, the tax burdens that face 
some of our people. There will be a delay, for example, as to when they 
have to file their returns. We are willing to do that, but we are not 
willing to enter into a restrictive agreement that just allows the 
manager to submit an amendment and no one else. We are ready to move 
forward on this legislation. We should be debating it now. We could go 
forward with the legislation this very minute and have this wrapped up 
in a matter of a few hours.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I thank my good colleague from Nevada. 
I want to elaborate.
  The reason is not to facilitate my own amendments. It is to 
facilitate the issue for which, as he has acknowledged, there is broad 
agreement. I think that the thinking here was that this very simple 
proposal which would help our fighting men and women, for which there 
is broad agreement, could be handled and moved forward. It is very 
clear that a Member on your side of the aisle, who is purporting to 
want to amend it, is talking about something that would be very 
controversial and would entangle the simple proposal that could be an 
immediate gesture to our fighting men and women, to which the whole 
Congress has agreed. The

[[Page S3673]]

House passed it unanimously yesterday. I just reiterate that this is a 
needless delay on something that is designed for our fighting men and 
women, no matter how you look at it.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the needless delay is taking time here and 
being enmeshed in procedural matters that need not be enmeshed. I was 
asked to listen to a unanimous consent proposal that was advocated and 
propounded by my friend from Georgia. It is something that we believe 
is inappropriate. This legislation is going to pass and it is going to 
pass quickly. I think it will pass with relatively no opposition. The 
sooner we get to the merits of this legislation, the better off we will 
be.
  I think it would not be untoward to allow a Member on that side or 
this side to offer an amendment. If the amendment is no good, and 
understanding the underlying importance of this legislation, it will 
either be defeated or the person will withdraw it. But there may be 
ways of improving this bill, ways that we can help the fighting men and 
women of our country in a manner different than is set forth in this 
legislation. I say to my friend, let's move forward with the 
legislation. It is now 1:25. I think this legislation could be passed 
by 4 o'clock with no trouble at all. So I hope we can move just as 
quickly as possible. This is important legislation for the people that 
are over in harm's way. We want to assist them in any way that we can.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, let me simply say, I think my friend is 
correct. I think we can pass this in 5 minutes. But it isn't going to 
be passed because of the proposal that is being propounded. It has been 
vetted on both sides. As he said, there is broad agreement on this. 
Anything that would improve it would have been accepted. You are 
talking about another debate completely out of context with the 
benefits proposed in here. Those proposals are highly controversial. So 
these soldiers and sailors are being held hostage for that view. I 
think that is inappropriate.

  I yield the floor.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the underlying bill is a pretty good bill, 
but it is not perfect. I think we should have the opportunity to take a 
look at it. Too often around here there is a group of people that get 
together and they agree on a piece of legislation which they think is 
miraculous and will solve all the problems of a certain issue. There 
are 100 Members of the Senate, and five or six people get together and 
bring it to the floor, and the procedure we follow too often is if 
anybody wants to debate it, they are considered obstructionists, people 
who don't believe in the underlying issue.
  Let me repeat, Mr. President, that we on this side of the aisle 
believe in the underlying issue here. We want to provide tax relief for 
our fighting men and women, the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have 
given so much to this country in the last month. We also think that the 
legislation should be seen in the light of day. There are 95 other 
Members in the Senate that should have the opportunity to review this 
legislation. We are saying on this side, let's give them an 
opportunity; let's let those people who haven't been in on this so-
called deal to bring this legislation up. Let them also take a look at 
this legislation. There may or may not be amendments offered, but there 
is going to be nothing done. We will prevent this bill from passing.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. BRYAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted 
to speak as in morning business for a period of 12 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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