[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 137 (Friday, October 27, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11273-S11274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXTENDING AUTHORITIES RELATING TO THE SENATE NATIONAL SECURITY WORKING 
                                 GROUP

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 383 submitted earlier 
by Senators Lott and Daschle.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 383) extending the authorities 
     relating to the Senate National Security Working Group.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am pleased to sponsor this resolution to 
extend the authorities of the Senate National Security Working Group 
through December 31, 2002.
  The Senate National Security Working Group is a bipartisan Group, 
established almost two years ago by myself and the Democratic Leader, 
that seeks to shed further light on important national security topics 
of interest to the Senate and the American people. Such topics include, 
but are not limited to: ballistic missile defenses, arms control, 
export controls, and weapons of mass destruction.
  During the 106th Congress, the Working Group held numerous important 
briefings on topics of concern to the members of the Group and the 
Senate. Senior Executive branch officials from the Departments of 
Defense and State and other U.S. Government agencies appeared before 
the Group to describe the status of and rationale for on-going 
diplomatic discussions and formal and informal negotiations on various 
issues and to answer questions from Republican and Democratic Senators 
about those discussions and negotiations.
  I am certain the Administration would agree with my assessment that 
the give-and-take in those meetings served a useful purpose.
  In addition, I am pleased to report that members of the Group and 
staff were able to travel overseas, as part of their official 
responsibilities, to witness first-hand on-going diplomatic discussions 
and negotiations involving the United States, Russia, and other 
nations, and to visit certain foreign capitols for intensive 
discussions with foreign diplomatic and military leaders on topics of 
mutual concern. I strongly encourage the members of the Group to 
continue and expand this practice during the 107th Congress.
  I am also pleased to announce that Senator Thad Cochran from my home 
state of Mississippi has agreed to serve during the 107th Congress as 
the Republican Administrative Co-Chairman of the Group. I appreciate 
his willingness to once again serve in this capacity. I look forward to 
participating in the Group's activities beginning early next year.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I rise to support the reauthorization of 
the Senate's National Security Working Group--NSWG. The NSWG was 
created last year as the successor to the Arms Control Observer Group, 
a group that had served the Senate well for over a decade.
  Like its predecessor, the purpose of the NSWG is to be the Senate's 
non-partisan eyes and ears on defense and national security issues. 
Unlike nearly every other group in the Senate and the Congress, the 
National Security Working Group is composed of an equal number of 
Democrats and Republicans. This makeup was intended to ensure the NSWG 
worked by consensus. No single Senator or political party could 
dominate the group's agenda or actions. Establishing a group with equal 
numbers of Democrats and Republicans was also intended to signify that 
the Senate believes the issues that come before this group are too 
important to be discussed in a partisan setting.
  These were the objectives the Senate had in mind when it unanimously 
approved the legislation authorizing the formation of this important 
group. They remain the objectives today. Although the group worked 
together relatively well in the year since it was established, a number 
of us believe it could work a little bit better if we formally spelled 
out some simple rules of the road to govern the group's routine 
activities. Therefore, at the same time we re-authorize the NSWG, I 
would also like to insert for the record a series of administrative 
procedures that clearly spell out how the group should conduct its 
business. As put forward in these procedures, the group's 
administrative co-chairmen must recommend travel in writing to the 
Majority and Minority leaders and both leaders must approve the travel 
request in writing. They encourage member participation and indicate 
that staff travel should be the exception not the rule.
  It is my understanding that these procedures have been agreed by both 
leaders and the majority and minority co-chairmen of the NSWG. I 
believe their adoption will help meet the objectives we all hold for 
this unique and important group.
  I ask unanimous consent they be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

  Administrative Procedures for the Senate National Security Working 
                                 Group

       These administrative procedures govern the functioning of 
     the Senate National Security Working Group (NSWG or Working 
     Group) based on the authorizing legislation (S. Res. 75, as 
     amended) agreed to March 25, 1999. They outline the agenda-
     setting process, travel procedures, routine functioning of 
     the Working Group, and the procedures to ensure that complete 
     records are kept in accordance with the proper use of 
     government funds.
       1. The staff should meet regularly (once a month during 
     session), with recorded minutes. A central record of all 
     Working Group papers should be maintained (with an access 
     log) by the Office of Senate Security, with access to the 
     records open to all Working Group Members and designated 
     staff with appropriate clearances.
       2. The Group's regular staff meetings should, if 
     appropriate, include a briefing from the Administration on 
     matters of concern to the Working Group.
       3. These regular staff meetings should provide the forum 
     for establishing a consensus recommendation to Members of 
     agenda items for the Working Group and prospective briefings 
     and/or trips to be arranged for the Working Group. Official 
     notice of briefing to Members should be given no later than 
     seven days prior to the briefing. Official notice will be 
     issued by the Majority Administrative Co-Chairman and the 
     Minority Administrative Co-Chairman.
       4. Any Member may propose foreign travel, but both 
     Administrative Co-Chairmen must recommend travel in writing. 
     Their letter should indicate the dates, locations, and a 
     detailed purpose of the trip, and the trip must correspond to 
     the mission of the Working Group. Pursuant to S. Res. 75 Sec. 
     2(d), written authorization of both the Majority and Minority 
     Leaders is required. Members and Staff from both sides must 
     be invited on all trips in sufficient time to be able to plan 
     for attendance. Travel should be arranged and conducted as a 
     bipartisan delegation in order to minimize administrative and 
     Host confusion.
       5. It is the intent of the Working Group that Members 
     participate personally in the role of observer at negotiating 
     sessions (noting that neither Members nor staff are direct 
     participants in any negotiating sessions). Therefore, in 
     keeping with past practice and precedent, staff-only trips 
     are expected to be the exception, not the rule. If staff-only 
     foreign travel is determined to be necessary because no 
     Working Group Member is able to participate, the Member 
     requesting the travel must provide detailed justification to 
     the Working Group for such a request and the request should 
     go through the foreign travel approval process outlined 
     above.
       (a) When the Working Group opts to send staff only, staff 
     shall be limited to no more than three for the Majority and 
     three for the Minority. Nothing in the foregoing is to be 
     construed as limiting the number of designated Working Group 
     staff that can travel on a Member-led official delegation. 
     Also in keeping with past precedent, staff missions may be 
     briefed by either the head of the negotiation delegation or 
     by his designee.
       (b) In the event either Leader is unable to participate in 
     a NSWG authorized trip, that Leader may designate a Senator 
     who is not a Working Group member to travel in his or her 
     place.
       6. Each trip must be followed by an unclassified Memorandum 
     to the Members, and, if necessary, a classified annex 
     thereto, that outlines the itinerary, briefers, and topics 
     covered in briefings. The memorandum also must be provided 
     for the official file in the Office of Senate Security.

[[Page S11274]]

       7. Reimbursements to eligible Members for staff expenses 
     require the signature of both Administrative Co-Chairmen and 
     require notification of designated staff by letter to the 
     Senate Financial Clerk and to both Administrative Co-
     Chairmen. Vouchers for designated Majority staff shall be 
     administered by the Majority Administrative Co-Chairman or 
     his designee; vouchers for designated Minority staff shall be 
     administered by the Minority Administrative Co-Chairman or 
     his designee. Records shall be maintained by each 
     Administrative Co-Chairman.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 383) was agreed to, as follows:

                              S. Res. 383

       Resolved, That Senate Resolution 105 of the One Hundred 
     First Congress, agreed to April 13, 1989, as amended by 
     Senate Resolution 75 of the One Hundred Sixth Congress, 
     agreed to March 25, 1999, is further amended by adding at the 
     end the following new section:
       ``Sec. 4. The provisions of this resolution shall remain in 
     effect until December 31, 2002.''.

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