[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 163 (Thursday, November 29, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12134-S12135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELECTION REFORM

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I wanted to come to the floor for a 
moment because I feel the need to talk about a lot of unfinished 
business, as we consider what remains for the balance of the time we 
have here. We will be going into our caucus shortly.
  This morning, prior to the opening of our session, I held my daily 
news conference and made mention of the fact that among those issues 
that are of greatest importance to us is the issue of election reform. 
I don't know of another bill that is pending in this Congress that has 
the unanimous support of our caucus. It is rare that one ever sees all 
of the members of our Caucus--51 in this case--as cosponsors of a bill. 
But election reform has that distinction. All 51 of our caucus members 
have endorsed the bill introduced by Senator Dodd earlier this year.
  The reason that they have endorsed that bill unanimously is because 
of the extraordinary degree of concern that exists within our caucus 
about the need for election reform as quickly as possible. Because of 
the tragedy of September 11, and the crisis of being at war, we haven't 
had the opportunity to focus on the many, many problems associated with 
the last presidential election--not just in Florida, but across the 
country.
  The studies and the reports that have been issued have made the 
problems quite clear: outdated and unreliable technology, confusing 
ballots, language barriers, lack of voter education, lack of poll 
worker training, and inaccurate voting lists that prevented 
legitimately registered voters from casting ballots. All of those 
concerns were of such gravity and magnitude that 6 million voters 
across the country were disenfranchised.
  So it probably should not surprise anybody that almost immediately 
following the beginning of this session of Congress, Senator Dodd went 
to work as chairman of the Rules Committee. He worked with Members on 
both sides of the aisle in both the House and the Senate to try to 
respond to the growing awareness of how serious the situation really 
is: how problematic, how incredibly unfair, how undemocratic were the 
results reflected in the degree of difficulty with our election 
processes--while we should proclaim our democracy with each and every 
election. So as a result of just a tremendous amount of work, Senator 
Dodd and members of the Rules Committee produced a bill that, as I 
said, generated 51 cosponsors.
  I simply wanted to come to the floor this afternoon to say this: If 
between now and the end of this session, Senator Dodd is able to reach 
an agreement with our Republican colleagues on a bill that we can bring 
to the floor to address all of these issues, these serious concerns, it 
is my intention to bring it to the floor. If somehow that is not 
possible and the negotiations continue, and we are able to reach an 
agreement prior to the next session of Congress, one of the very first 
pieces of legislation I expect to bring up will be election reform. If 
at any time during the coming year that agreement can be reached, my 
intention will be to bring the agreement to the Senate floor very 
quickly. But I will say this: Even absent an agreement, we will come to 
the floor and we will have a debate about election reform. We will make 
a comprehensive proposal to deal with this issue. We have no choice. It 
will be part of the agenda of the second session of the 107th Congress.

  I simply wanted to come to the floor to emphasize that and relate my 
concern, and the concern of a lot of members of our caucus, about the 
importance of this issue, and reiterate our

[[Page S12135]]

determination to deal with it in this Congress. We cannot simply sit 
idly by and watch 6 million people--maybe more next time--as they are 
disenfranchised when they attempt to exercise their constitutional 
right to vote and participate in our political process.
  I appreciate the attention of my colleagues on this issue, and I 
yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, first of all, I appreciate the comments of 
the distinguished majority leader on this issue. From the very 
beginning, he has been a very strong and vocal advocate of this body 
and the Congress of the United States in fashioning a piece of 
legislation that would address not just the events of last year. As the 
majority leader properly points out, this was not a one-time event in 
one jurisdiction. In the consistent reports, whether by MIT, CalTech, 
or the General Accounting Office, and surveys done by the media, that 
analyzed the election last year in Florida, all of these organizations 
that analyzed it, including the Carter Commission, the story has 
ultimately been about who wins or loses. That has been the headline.
  The real story is about the pathetic and tragic situation of our 
electoral system of this country. It didn't happen in one event and in 
one State. It is in all 50 States--some worse than others--and has been 
going on for years.
  So those of us who have been involved in this issue over the last 
several months, my colleague from New York, Senator Schumer, my 
colleague from New Jersey, Senator Torricelli, members of the Rules 
Committee, have been stalwarts in this effort going back to the 
earliest days in January, cosponsoring legislation, reaching out, 
trying to fashion some proposals that would make the Federal Government 
a true partner with our States and localities in trying to correct a 
wrong that is in desperate need of being addressed.
  Senator McConnell of Kentucky is the ranking member of the Rules 
Committee, as the majority leader knows. He has a deep interest in this 
subject matter. I want the majority leader to know that Senator 
McConnell and his staff--Senator Kit Bond of Missouri and his staff--
brings a separate set of issues that he is particularly worried about, 
the issue of fraud. We have been working with Senator Schumer's staff, 
our staff. There have been serious negotiations, I say to the leader, 
over the last number of weeks, actually going back even further than 
that, but most intensely in the last few weeks. We have not yet arrived 
at a product we can present to this body that is a bipartisan proposal.
  I will let Senator Schumer speak for himself, but it is my fervent 
desire, I say to the leader and to my friends on the other side--
Senator McConnell and Senator Bond, obviously, they do not need me to 
speak for them, but I know it is their desire as well to fashion 
legislation of which all of us can be proud.
  I know the events of September 11 have obviously taken over the 
agenda and debate. It is hard to imagine a year ago what we were in the 
middle of. We were in the middle of one of the worst debacles in terms 
of a national election in the history of the United States, and it was 
not just about Florida. It was in almost every jurisdiction. In my 
State alone, we have not bought a new voting machine in 26 years, and 
the company that made them no longer exists. We had an election in one 
of my communities in Connecticut a few weeks ago where the incumbent 
officeholder did not receive a single vote in his own hometown because 
the machines did not record them, which shows us we can go anywhere we 
want and we will find this system is in need of work.
  I say to the leader I appreciate immensely his comments. We are 
pretty close to getting an agreement. I hope we can. I also take to 
heart what he has said, that we have been patient in trying to work 
this out. My hope is we can come to the Senate with a bill that 
involves ideas and thoughts that we can all live with that will address 
the problems. I also appreciate his comments that if that is not 
possible we will come to the Senate with a bill to debate this issue 
and bring people to the table. We cannot go on and not address this 
issue.
  The majority leader has said it far more eloquently than I can. It 
would be a travesty of significant proportions if this Congress were to 
convene and adjourn in the wake of what happened in the election of 
2000 in this country and not step up to the plate and offer the kind of 
assistance our jurisdictions so desperately need. For those reasons, I 
thank the leader for his comments, and I yield to my colleague from New 
York.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, we are out of time under the unanimous 
consent agreement. I ask unanimous consent that we not enter into 
recess until we have accommodated the remarks of the Senator from New 
York and the Senator from Idaho.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I will be very brief because I know we 
have other business to do. I thank the majority leader, who I know has 
to get over to the Democratic caucus, for his wonderful leadership on 
so many issues. This is a man who believes strongly in so many things, 
including the right to vote. I say to the majority leader, Senator Dodd 
has done a superb job. He has had the patience of Job and the 
persistence of whatever Biblical character was very persistent.
  We are all proud of the job he has done. His leadership in bringing 
up this issue as soon as we can come up with a compromise, or next year 
if, God forbid, we cannot, is vital to America.
  I wish to add one point, aside from my thanks to the Senator from 
Connecticut, our chairman of the Rules Committee, for doing such a 
great job on this. I have been proud to be working with him. My point 
is this: He made an excellent point, that we almost have forgotten 
about, the wrenching agony we all went through, whatever party, a year 
ago last November. There is one point that, if anything, September 11 
should increase our ardor and our fervor to bring forward a good bill, 
hopefully a bipartisan bill. The terrorists hate our right to vote. 
They want a group of religious leaders controlling everything and not 
letting people make any determination.
  The beauty of America is we can vote, and our job as Senators, our 
job as citizens, is to perfect that right so nothing stands in the way. 
Unfortunately, too much stands in the way. Usually not by design but, 
rather, because we have not paid attention. Malfeasance, we are going 
to correct that.
  The Senator from Connecticut has taken on a great leadership role and 
brought together Senator McConnell and Senator Bond and myself in hours 
and hours of painstaking meetings. We talked today. We are willing to 
move in the direction necessary to get a bill. It is heartening to know 
we will be voting and debating on this issue in this Congress, if not 
this year, no matter what happens. I just pledge myself to the Senator 
from Connecticut to follow his leadership to continue those efforts 
because the issue of the right to vote, the ability to vote, the 
enfranchisement of all Americans, no matter how rich, poor, or of 
whatever race, there is no higher duty.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I thank our colleague for his remarks. I 
note again our staffs are working. I want these remarks to be seen as 
constructive and positive. We appreciate immensely the work being 
conducted by my friend from Kentucky and my friend from Missouri and 
their staffs who have spent a lot of time on this issue. It has not 
gone smoothly. It has had its ups and downs. It has been a roller 
coaster ride. I hope when the process is over, sooner rather than 
later, we will present the Senate a bill for which they can be proud.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

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