[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCE EXPANSION ACT--Resumed

  Mr. LOTT. What is the pending business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3009) to extend the Andean Trade Preference 
     Act, to grant additional trade benefits under that Act, and 
     for other purposes.

  Pending:

       Daschle amendment No. 3386, in the nature of a substitute.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader


                           Amendment No. 3399

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Lott] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 3399.
       Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
     reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. LOTT. I 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 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 pending Lott 
     amendment:
         Trent Lott, Don Nickles, Phil Gramm, Chuck Grassley, Rick 
           Santorum, Mitch McConnell, Bill Frist, Craig Thomas, 
           Judd Gregg, Frank H. Murkowski, Jon Kyl, Michael D. 
           Crapo, James M. Inhofe, Thad Cochran, Chuck Hagel, Pat 
           Roberts.

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Daschle amendment----
  Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, our goal this afternoon is to get to a 
process or an agreement that allows the Senate to deal with the very 
important issues pending before the Senate: trade promotion authority, 
the Andean Trade Preservation Act, the GSP, as well as the trade 
adjustment assistance. These are four very big issues, very important 
for our country and other countries--in the case of the Andean area--
and for the workers of this country.
  The way it has been put together, it is very difficult to work 
through all of these issues and get a result. Serious efforts are 
underway to see if we can achieve an agreement that produces a result.
  We also have to deal with a process issue, how to make that happen. A 
few moments ago, I filed a first-degree amendment to the Andean Trade 
Preference Act and filed cloture. I think that is the way to proceed. I 
think we need a showing of who wants to get trade promotion authority 
and how we will move this to a conclusion. I want to do that and I know 
Senator Daschle wants to do that, too--find a way to get to conclusion 
and produce a result.
  I was within my rights to seek that recognition and offer that 
amendment. I did so in good faith with the recognition that if I 
didn't, some further motion or procedure might have been offered by 
Senator Daschle or Senator Reid.
  Having said that, Senator Reid and Senator Nickles and others were in 
the Chamber. They had an agreement on how to proceed, and they felt 
this was not fair under the understanding that had been worked out. I 
always try to make sure we play above board and fair with everybody. 
Senator Reid has always been fair with both sides, and he felt this was 
not the right way to proceed at this point.
  After a lot of discussion, I will move to vitiate that action. But I 
do want to emphasize--and then I presume Senator Daschle may announce 
we would have a period of further discussion as we continue to work on 
this issue--I do think this is the correct way to proceed. We should 
not get off the trade legislation and go to any other issue. We are on 
the verge of beginning to make progress. If we let up, I think the 
momentum will stop.
  I had to explain what happened and why I am doing this. I have heard 
stories from the past of how Senators have come to the aid of Senators 
on the other side of the aisle saying, no, this was not the fair way to 
do it, even if it might have appeared to be fair. We want to always try 
to do that with each other.


                      Amendment No. 3399 Withdrawn

  Therefore, I ask to vitiate the cloture motion I filed and withdraw 
the amendment I filed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3399) was withdrawn.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

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