[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 5 (Monday, January 31, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 1999--MOTION TO PROCEED


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. LOTT. Having heard the objection then, I move to proceed to S. 
1287 and send a cloture motion to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under 
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to 
     proceed to Calendar No. 180, S. 1287, the Nuclear Waste 
     Amendments Act of 1999:
         Trent Lott, Frank H. Murkowski, Jim Bunning, Thad 
           Cochran, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Mike Crapo, Richard 
           Shelby, Larry E. Craig, Craig Thomas, Judd Gregg, Jeff 
           Sessions, Bob Smith of New Hampshire, Phil Gramm, Slade 
           Gorton, Tim Hutchinson, and Don Nickles.

  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, the cloture vote will occur on Wednesday, 
February 2. I will notify Members when the time has been established. 
Of course, I will confer with the Democratic leadership about the exact 
time.
  In the meantime, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum 
under rule XXII be waived and the cloture vote occur immediately 
following the passage of the bankruptcy bill after the use or yielding 
back of 30 minutes of debate time, equally divided in the usual form.
  Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object to that request of the 
leader, I am confident that request will be granted. I cannot do it 
right now, but I am sure we will be able to--my colleague from Nevada 
is on an airplane. I want to be able to confer with him. I think we 
will be able to do that without a problem.
  Mr. LOTT. We appreciate that and look forward to conferring with the 
Senator on that. I will talk to Senator Murkowski, too, about any plans 
he may have. I know he wants to get this done. But he is also sensitive 
to concerns that exist.
  We will continue to work to find a way to make this happen.
  Mr. REID. Mr. Leader, if I could say this, too. I say about Senator 
Murkowski, we have been real adversaries on this issue, but I have to 
say that he has been a total gentleman about everything he has done on 
this. As bitter as are some of the pills he has asked us to swallow, 
the fact of the matter is he has never tried to surprise me. He has 
been very open and above board. I appreciate that very much about 
Senator Murkowski.
  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, we should go ahead and clarify, there was 
not objection to this?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request?
  Mr. REID. I say to my friend, I do not know how, procedurally, we are 
going to go about doing this. I have to talk to Senator Bryan before I 
can allow this to go forward. I cannot do that right now. So I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LOTT. Let me revise that request and/or that notification and see 
if we can get unanimous consent that we have the cloture vote on 
Wednesday, February 3. We will notify Members exactly what the time 
will be. In the meantime, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory 
quorum under rule XXII be waived and then not put in the limiting of 
the time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Let me say, while I believe very strongly that this 
legislation needs to be passed and is an issue that has tremendous 
environmental consequences and concerns we have to address, I think the 
Senator from Nevada would also acknowledge that we have always been 
sensitive to the need for him and his colleague from Nevada to know 
what is going on, to not be surprised, have a chance to make their 
statements, offer amendments, and resist in every way. I am very 
sympathetic to the need for them to have that opportunity. We will 
protect their rights as we go forward. We appreciate the way the 
Senator has approached it also.
  I now withdraw the motion to proceed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right. The motion is 
withdrawn.
  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Madam President, what is the pending business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending business is the Wellstone 
amendment to the bankruptcy legislation.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 8 
minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
Senator is recognized for 8 minutes.

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