[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 138 (Wednesday, October 13, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12550-S12551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN REFORM ACT OF 1999

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
begin consideration of Calendar No. 312, S. 1593.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1593) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act 
     of 1971 to provide bipartisan campaign reform.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, before I yield the floor to the managers of 
this legislation, let me announce that there will be no further 
rollcall votes this evening. Tomorrow morning we hope to consider the 
Defense appropriations conference report under a short time agreement. 
However, that rollcall vote will be postponed to occur at 4 p.m. We 
will then resume consideration of the campaign finance reform bill on 
Thursday, and I hope that substantial progress can be made on that bill 
during tomorrow's session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I mention to the majority leader it is now 
nearly 7:25 p.m. and at the request of the majority leader and the 
Senator from Kentucky, he wants to begin the debate and discussion on 
this very important issue. The agreement that the majority leader and I 
have is we will have 5 days of debate and discussion. I certainly hope 
he doesn't consider starting at 7:25 as a day of the debate and 
discussion. I ask him that.
  Second, this is a very important issue. Even the staff is gone. Most 
Members have gone. The Senate majority leader knows that. Tomorrow we 
have scheduled a DOD discussion and vote which would be the first 
interruption--although we have just gotten started--followed by a vote 
on the Department of Defense appropriations bill. That could have been 
scheduled tonight and the vote have taken place.
  I hope the majority leader will understand that I will not make an 
opening statement tonight. I will wait until tomorrow so I have the 
attention of my colleagues. If the Senator from Kentucky wants to make 
his statement, that is fine. I know from discussions with the Senator 
from Wisconsin he chooses to do the same thing.
  I don't think an issue such as this should be initiated at 7:30 in 
the evening. However, I want to assure Senator Lott that, once we have 
opening statements and once we get into the amending process and votes, 
I will be glad to stay as late as is necessary every night including 
all through the weekend, if necessary.
  I don't think it is appropriate for anyone to say we demand opening 
statements tonight on the issue, and then tomorrow morning we go back 
to another bill off of the issue at hand. I hope the majority leader, 
who has been very cooperative in helping me and has been very 
cooperative in bringing up this issue, understands my point of view on 
this particular issue.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I say to my friend from Arizona, all I was hoping we 
could do, since this session of Congress is getting short and we have, 
in response to the requests of both the Senator from Arizona and the 
Senator from Wisconsin, taken this issue up this year in a way in which 
people can offer amendments, maybe we could at least get an amendment 
laid down tonight. Maybe there is a possibility of getting some kind of 
time agreement on an amendment for tomorrow so we can get into the 
debate.
  I agree with the Senator from Arizona; I don't think there is any 
need for opening statements tonight. I am not planning on making one, 
but we desire to get started because we have a lot of Senators on both 
sides of the aisle desiring to offer amendments.
  Mr. LOTT. So I can respond to comments of both Senators, and 
particularly for questions I was asked by Senator McCain, I had a 
fixation on trying to get started on this bill today because I had 
committed to do so. I realize it is late, but I am sure the Senator 
understands how difficult it is to juggle the schedule.
  We had originally thought the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would be 
voted on not today but last night or certainly earlier today. I am 
trying to juggle the appropriations conference reports, too. I was 
specifically asked by a couple of Senators to have the debate in the 
morning and then to have the vote at 4 o'clock.

  Later this week, we have to have an interruption for the HUD-VA 
appropriations conference report. Next week, we will have to have 
interruptions for the Interior appropriations conference report. I have 
to keep bringing in the appropriations bills. I realize that it 
interrupts the flow of the debate. However, that is why I have learned 
around here the best thing to do is to get something going and just get 
started, get it up so it is the pending business, and we go about our 
business.
  I took particular interest in the Senator's offer that maybe we even 
consider doing this on the weekend or maybe a Saturday. I think it 
would get a lot of attention. We are getting down to the end of the 
session and I have a lot of people pulling on me to do the Religious 
Persecution Act, the nuclear waste bill, bankruptcy, and trade bills. I 
need to try to take advantage even of a couple of hours on Wednesday 
night if we possibly can.
  If both Senators are willing to at least get started, see if we can 
get an agreement, see if we can have opening statements, let's get 
started and we will be back on it at 10:30 in the morning. I will work 
with both or all sides to make sure this is fully debated and 
amendments are offered. Remember, we are going to have amendments and 
we are going to have a lot of discussion. We are going to have a lot of 
votes. I think it is time to go forward. I hope the Senator will 
cooperate with me as we try to get that done.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, let me say to the majority leader, I am in 
deep and sincere appreciation of his efforts to resolve all of these 
issues and the pending legislation. I remind him, however, that some 
months ago we did enter into an agreement that we would have 5 days of 
debate and amending on the bill. I know the majority leader will stick 
to that agreement. Starting at 7:30 at night is not, obviously, a day 
of debate and discussion. I understand we may have to be interrupted. 
However, I also say again we expect to have the agreement adhered to.
  I am deeply concerned about nuclear waste and religious freedom and 
all of the other issues, but we did have an agreement on this 
particular issue. I intend to see that we can do our best to adhere to 
that agreement.
  Mr. LOTT. I say to the Senator, we will proceed on Carroll County, 
MS, time. Do you understand that?
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Senator from Mississippi. I am glad to 
entertain whatever proposal the Senator from Kentucky has at this time. 
I intend, along with the Senator from Wisconsin, to wait until tomorrow 
for our

[[Page S12551]]

opening statements. I know there are a number of other Senators who 
want to make opening statements on this very important issue.
  I am sure whatever agreement the Senator from Kentucky and I, along 
with the Senator from Wisconsin, might want to enter into would clearly 
take into consideration that there will be a number of opening 
statements that a number of Senators will have to make.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. I certainly have no objection to the Senator from 
Kentucky laying down an amendment. Before he does that, I do make one 
comment on the colloquy I just listened to.
  It is my understanding, based on the agreement we have with the 
majority leader--I just want to reiterate what Senator McCain said--
that this was to be a 5-day debate. The critical issue here is on what 
day the cloture motion can be filed. It is certainly my understanding, 
based on the discussion we just had, the cloture motion can't be filed 
until Monday, meaning the cloture vote couldn't occur before Wednesday. 
That is how I am going to proceed, and I assume that is the good faith 
understanding.
  This agreement was not hammered out of pure good faith. This was 
based, as it should be in the Senate, on our willingness to withdraw an 
amendment from a piece of legislation at another critical time when the 
Senate's business was pressing.
  I certainly intend to give an opening statement. This bill is not 
different from any other major piece of legislation. In fact, I argue 
it is one of the most important bills we can take up. It is important 
it be set out properly, and I certainly intend to make an opening 
statement tomorrow as well.


                         Privilege of the Floor

  Finally, I ask unanimous consent the following staff members be 
permitted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of S. 
1593, campaign finance reform legislation: Bob Schiff, Mary Murphy, 
Kitty Thomas, Tom Walls, Sumner Slichter, and Marla Kanemitsu.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative assistant proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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