[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 68 (Thursday, May 23, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS LEGISLATION

  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I wish to address another issue. Today 
we are going to be completing our work on the trade adjustment 
assistance legislation, the trade promotion authority bill, as well as 
the Andean Trade Preference Act. My expectation is we will finish that 
work by sometime midafternoon.
  It was then my intention to bring up the Senate version of the 
appropriations supplemental that has just been reported out of the 
Appropriations Committee. I have had a number of conversations with 
Senator Byrd about the need to address this matter expeditiously.
  The bill includes $14 billion for defense, as we continue to wage our 
war on terror; there is $1.8 billion in contingency defense funds that 
are directly connected with our efforts at homeland defense; an 
additional $8.3 billion, substantially more than what the House has 
committed for other needs in homeland defense; plus $5.5 billion for 
the recovery efforts in New York.
  This is a very important bill. It was our hope, our expectation that 
we would be able to complete our work on this bill prior to the time we 
recess.
  I am told now that our Republican colleagues are going to object to 
moving that bill. I find that especially disconcerting given the 
comments made a couple of weeks ago by the House majority leader, who 
criticized me and Senator Byrd for the inaction in what he called the 
Democratic-controlled Senate in its unwillingness to take up what he 
termed to be the war supplemental prior to the Memorial Day break. He 
said he is discouraged; that, in his view, this should not be an 
acceptable state of affairs.
  The package he indicated included some critical matters relating to 
our efforts in carrying out the war on terror and responding to the 
needs of New York. He said he not only was not optimistic, but he said 
there was a dearth of leadership in the Senate. If there is a dearth of 
leadership, perhaps we can see some leadership shown on both sides in 
addressing that dearth.
  I am prepared to offer a unanimous consent request today to take up a 
bill and complete it before we leave. I do not see any reason why we 
cannot do it. It passed unanimously out of the committee. There is no 
question we send exactly the wrong message if our Republican colleagues 
object to taking up this bill. There is a very disconcerting message 
that sends to New York, to those who are concerned about homeland 
defense, especially with the new warnings that are emanating from the 
Departments of Government, as well as from our effort in the war in 
Afghanistan.
  On April 22, President Bush said:

       I ask the Congress to pass the supplemental that we have 
     submitted as quickly as possible. It's emergency funding for 
     defense and homeland security and economic security, and we 
     need to get it done by Memorial Day. It's time the Congress 
     passed the supplemental.

  Those are words from the President himself. I hope he will pick up 
the phone from wherever he is in Europe and call the leadership and 
tell those who are blocking this legislation that he wants it done just 
as badly today as when he articulated his views on this issue a few 
weeks ago.
  There is no reason we cannot take it up. There is no reason we have 
to delay until after we get back. There is no reason we cannot make the 
most of this week. We can get this done. If it can pass out of the 
committee unanimously, it can pass on the floor overwhelmingly. We need 
to address it.
  Madam President, I put my colleagues on notice that we will have a 
discussion about this later in the day. I was not made aware of the 
opposition on the part of our Republican colleagues until this morning, 
but I will say we will press to complete our work.
  We will try to respond to the request of the President of the United 
States that we get it done before Memorial Day. We will address the 
criticism of the House majority leader who complains of a dearth of 
leadership. Let's show leadership on both sides of the aisle. Let's 
show a commitment to the people of New York, to the people in 
Afghanistan, to our effort at addressing the needs of homeland defense 
more effectively than we would be were we to say: No, we will wait; no, 
somehow, it is not that important; no, we want to go home before we get 
this job done.
  There is no reason to go home until we have gotten this job done, and 
we are going to press it all day long if we need to, to see if that is 
possible.

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