[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 20, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8851-S8852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I believe we have worked out some consent 
agreements now that will allow the Senate to go forward in a 
constructive way. One has to do with the campaign finance reform issue, 
and the other one has to do with how we will handle the intelligence 
authorization bill this afternoon.
  I see Senator McCain here. I know Senator Feingold is here.


                        CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the 
majority leader, after consultation with the Democratic leader, but no 
later than Tuesday, October 12, 1999, the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of a bill to be introduced by Senators McCain 
and Feingold regarding campaign reform, and that the bill be introduced 
and placed on the calendar by the close of business on Wednesday, 
September 14, 1999.
  I ask unanimous consent that debate on the bill prior to a cloture 
vote be limited to 3 hours to be equally divided in the usual form.
  I also ask unanimous consent that only amendments related to campaign 
reform be in order, with time on all amendments, first and second 
degree, to be limited to 4 hours each, equally divided in the usual 
form, and that if an amendment is not tabled, it be in order to lay 
aside such amendment for 2 calendar days.
  I further ask consent that no sooner than the third day after the 
bill is brought to the floor, a cloture motion be filed on the McCain-
Feingold bill, and if cloture is not invoked, the bill immediately be 
placed back on the calendar.
  Finally, I ask unanimous consent that it not be in order at any time 
prior to the pendency, or during the remainder of the first session of 
the 106th Congress, for the Senate to consider issues relative to 
campaign reform, except as the issues pertain to the appointment of 
conferees and any conference report to accompany the McCain-Feingold 
legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I yield to 
the Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Reserving the right to object, I haven't quite 
finished reviewing this. If the majority leader will give me about 2 
minutes, I think I will be ready.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there other reservations of objection?
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I ask, does 
this mean that the majority leader will not fill up the tree with 
first- and second-degree amendments? In other words, the intent is to 
move forward with the amending process, up-or-down votes on the 
amendments and move forward? That is the intent of the majority leader?
  Mr. LOTT. The intent is to have amendments and that they be voted on, 
on this bill.
  My purpose in trying to get this worked out is so we can go ahead and 
complete our appropriations bills process but also recognizing the 
Senator's desire to have this issue considered, finding a time which 
was most satisfactory to all involved on both sides of the aisle to 
have it considered. And it is our intent to have ample time for debate 
and for amendments to be offered and voted on.
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the majority leader.
  This is a time now where we will be able to have a legitimate 
amending process. Amendments to perfect the legislation will be placed 
on the calendar by the close of business on September 14 so that we can 
improve or not improve. However, the legislative process will move 
forward, as we normally do on pieces of legislation before the body, 
with the exception, of course, that respecting the fact that the Senate 
does act with 60 votes to cut off debate, if Senator Feingold and I 
fail to get 60 votes, then there is no sense in prolonging the debate 
or the discussion, including that we would not raise the issue again 
during the 106th Congress. We would have debates and amendments and 
votes on those amendments.

  Mr. LOTT. Ordinarily, the way we do these unanimous consent 
agreements, I would have required the bill to be filed immediately 
after this unanimous consent agreement. But as the Senator indicated, 
that is over 2 months away

[[Page S8852]]

and changes might be necessary. But I think it is also important for 
those who might not agree with the content of this bill to have ample 
time to see what the bill is going to be and to prepare amendments on 
the other side. I thought the September 14 day was a reasonable time.
  Mr. McCAIN. If the majority leader will agree, for the remainder of 
the first session, we would not bring it up.
  Mr. LOTT. I certainly hope not.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I will not object. I ask the majority 
leader if he will yield for a moment.
  Mr. LOTT. I am glad to yield to the Senator for a question.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Let me say to the Senator from Arizona and the 
majority leader that I think this is a fair compromise. It would give 
the Senator from Arizona and the Senator from Wisconsin, as well as 
others who historically have been on the other side of this issue, an 
opportunity to offer amendments. It also will give us an opportunity, 
as the Senator from Arizona has indicated, to know what bill will be 
called up for debate on September 14. So I think this is a reasonable 
way to dispose of this issue that is fair to everyone, and it gives us 
an opportunity to proceed with the Senate's much more important 
business between now and the August recess.
  I thank the majority leader for his good work on this, and I look 
forward to the debate later this year.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I thank 
the majority leader for his cooperation on this. I will ask a brief 
question. I want it to be absolutely clear in the record that the 
agreement as it reads involves a limitation with regard to the first 
session of the 106th Congress, but that we are not precluded in any way 
from raising this issue again in the second session of the 106th 
Congress.
  Mr. LOTT. You are not. I am sure you would prefer to have this matter 
concluded in the first session.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Yes, absolutely, and there are other things on which I 
would like to be working.
  That is a good lead-in for my comments on this issue. Again, I thank 
the majority leader and the Senator from Kentucky for their remarks. I 
especially thank the Senator from Arizona for his tremendous 
persistence on this issue and especially in working out this agreement 
in the middle of a very busy legislative schedule that I know we have 
for the rest of the year.
  This agreement involves a debate to come up by October 12. It is 
later than I would have wanted. I understand we have had a few other 
things going on, including an impeachment trial, the war in Kosovo, and 
so on, but it is essential that this matter be seriously considered. I 
hope it is resolved and that we pass legislation before the end of this 
year. In any event, we have to bring it up.
  The word ``amendments'' is critical in this agreement. We have to 
have a real amending process. We have not had that yet on campaign 
finance reform. At no point, since I have been working on the McCain-
Feingold bill, have we ever had a time when Senators could offer their 
amendments about what they care about. Somehow, the process has always 
been truncated, and you can blame either side. Obviously, I have my 
view of it. But to me this agreement means that we will not again have 
a one-cloture-vote-and-we-are-done process. We are going to have real 
amendments, real debate, and a real discussion. If that transpires, I 
have a feeling we will have an outcome that, in my view, can lead to 60 
or 70 votes, something on which Members on both sides can agree. That 
is my goal, and I think that is the goal of my colleague from Arizona.

  I think it is very important to stay in touch with what happened in 
the other body. They have passed this legislation. A majority of 
Members of both Houses of the Congress are for this, and the President 
is ready to sign it.
  I think it is important to make those points. Although it has its 
limitations, this can be the beginning of truly reaching some kind of 
an agreement in this House to do something about the incredible 
explosion of soft money that has tainted our democracy.
  So, again, I thank the majority leader, and I am looking forward to 
this process.
  Mrs. BOXER. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, I want to 
say to my friends, you are terrific on this issue, and I appreciate 
what you have done. We got word from Senator Levin that he wants to see 
this agreement. He has asked if we would object at this point. He 
hasn't yet seen it. So I will be asking that this be put aside, or I 
will have to object on his behalf until he sees this.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

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