[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 10, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10404-S10405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SETTING THE AGENDA

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I was not fortunate enough to have 
listened to the entire statement of our friend from Wyoming. I have 
worked with Senator Daschle and Senator Bingaman on energy legislation, 
and no one feels more strongly than Senator Daschle, our majority 
leader, that we need to bring forward legislation at the earliest 
possible date dealing with the energy problems.
  He and Senator Bingaman, who is the chairman of the Energy Committee, 
have worked hard on this, and we will have something as soon as 
possible.
  I have to say, we have been trying to get to airport security for 
over a week. There have been objections to that. We have had to jump 
through a series of hoops: A motion to invoke cloture on the motion to 
proceed, and now it appears we are going to have to file a motion to 
invoke cloture on the bill itself. During this time, we could be doing 
other things. We have tried to move to appropriations bills which have 
not been considered, and there have been objections to that by the 
minority.
  Senator Leahy has worked night and day on terrorism and other issues 
as a result of the events of September 11, and we are still doing just 
fine with judicial nominations and nominations generally, but that is 
not good enough for some people. Therefore, they have put a stop on all 
legislation.
  It seems somewhat unusual to me to have the minority saying why 
aren't we moving legislation when they will not let us move it. We are 
in the majority. They may not like it. Senator Daschle is the majority 
leader and determines what legislation comes to the floor. They cannot 
do that anymore. Because they only want energy does not mean that is 
what they are going to get.
  We have many other items, and the majority leader has made a decision 
on with what we are going to deal. They will not let us do that. We 
have 13 appropriations bills we have to pass every year. They will not 
let us get to those bills because they do not believe enough judges are 
being approved.
  At home, I have not had a single person ask me about judges. We have 
two Nevada judges who are waiting to go through the funnel, and they 
will get here. Those judges know Senator Leahy and Senator Hatch are 
doing

[[Page S10405]]

the very best they can on their nominations.
  There is always talk about energy proficiency. Isn't it funny they 
always bring up ANWR? That seems to be the button on the pin they are 
always concerned about--ANWR. Madam President, this situation is one 
with which we have to be very careful. Just last week somebody with a 
rifle shot some holes through a pipeline in Alaska, and 250,000 gallons 
of fuel spilled before they could stop the leakage. That was just one 
man. I do not know if he was target practicing or shooting at caribou. 
I do not know what he was doing, but with a rifle he put holes through 
that pipe.

  The energy situation is very complicated. The majority leader has 
indicated time and time again he is aware of that and wants to work on 
this. I wish the minority would let the legislation that is important 
pass. We need to do something about airport security. We need to do 
something about terrorism. We need to do something about many other 
things that they will not let us get to. We are in the majority now. 
The majority leader has the right and the ability to set the agenda for 
this Senate.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  Mr. THOMAS. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. REID. I will be happy to yield for a question.
  Mr. THOMAS. The idea of being able to object is not a brand new idea. 
It was exercised by you when you were in the minority; isn't that true?
  Mr. REID. I am sorry, I could not hear the Senator.
  Mr. THOMAS. The idea that we in the minority ought to be involved is 
something we learned from you when you were in the minority. So it is 
not a brand new idea. When the majority brings bills forward, they need 
to work with everyone here so we can pass something.
  I am just surprised at what the Senator said, that this is a brand 
new idea.
  Mr. REID. I do not recall, I say to my friend from Wyoming, talking 
about a brand new idea. I was in the minority for a number of years in 
my present position and worked very closely with Senator Lott in moving 
legislation. I worked very hard in moving legislation, and we did not 
hold up legislation based on judges. We did not do that. We felt we 
were treated unfairly. I think the last administration certainly did 
not get the judges who were in the pipeline who should have been 
confirmed. But we said early on this is not payback time; we are going 
to move them as quickly as we can, and we have. We have moved out 
scores of nominations that President Bush felt he needed. We moved 
scores.
  Somebody on the side of the Senator from Wyoming--I do not know who 
it is; even if I did, I would not announce it here--believes we are not 
moving enough judges through.
  I say to my friend from Wyoming, we did not do that. We did not hold 
up legislation based upon judges. On a comparative basis, we had a 
right to do so, but I felt, and Senator Daschle felt as minority 
leader, that we had an obligation to move legislation.
  We worked extremely hard to move appropriations bills. We worked 
extremely hard to move legislation that the majority then felt was 
important. We had very little downtime as a result of objections from 
our side. We made sure there were not even long periods of time when 
there were quorum calls.
  I say to my friend, I did not use the term it was a new idea. I am 
just saying what is happening is unfair. We have been trying to move to 
this legislation dealing with airport security for more than a week, 
and we are a long ways from being able to do it now if colleagues make 
us jump through all the hoops.
  Mr. THOMAS. I understand that. I agree with the Senator that we need 
to move forward. Another point. When there are bills with a special 
purpose, such as airport security, and provisions are added that have 
nothing to do with it, when you are in the minority, you have to have 
some opportunity to participate in the decision. I say to the Senator 
from Nevada that it is the leadership's role to find some compromise so 
we can move forward. I know the Senator has done that, and I admire 
what the Senator is doing.

  Mr. REID. I say to my friend, I appreciate his presence in the 
Chamber and attempting to work with us. On airport security, there are 
three problems that can be resolved in a matter of a few hours: No. 1, 
there are some who believe not only is airport security important but 
also that there be security on our passenger trains.
  There are also those who believe we should protect workers who have 
been displaced as a result of these terrible acts on September 11. We 
should be able to work our way through that. We should bring these 
issues up, vote, and go to something else.
  I say to my friend from Wyoming, I had a number of meetings yesterday 
with Senator Lott in the presence, of course, of Senator Daschle, and 
he is attempting to help us work through some of this. I appreciate 
that very much.
  Maybe today we can do something on terrorism. It would be helpful if 
we could get that out of the way. There are things about which I feel 
strongly. I had a Republican in the House today tell me: Did I hear you 
right when you said you think the things we do in this bill should not 
be sunsetted?
  I said: You heard me right. If it is good now, it will be good later.
  They asked me if I believed, for example, if there should be roving 
wiretaps on terrorists. I said to a friend, a Member of the House from 
Connecticut: Yes, I do. There are some basic items in this 
antiterrorism legislation we need to do, I say to my friend from 
Wyoming. I hope we can work that out before the day is through.
  Mr. THOMAS. I hope so as well. One other observation: We have these 
items now that are of such high priority that have to do with security, 
and I think we need to be very watchful that we do not find ourselves 
using security as a vehicle for doing some things that have very little 
attachment to security.
  I thank the Senator for his response.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Nelson of Nebraska). The clerk will call 
the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to 
speak for up to 10 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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