[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 97 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6877-S6878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 5011

  Mr. REID. Madam President, before my friend from Utah leaves the 
floor, I want to renew another unanimous consent request. I, along with 
a number of other people, were at the White House

[[Page S6878]]

yesterday. They were asking us what we were going to do about getting 
appropriations bills passed, especially the military bill that affects 
our defense.
  We have 13 appropriations bills. Two of them are defense related--
military construction and defense.
  We reported out of the appropriations subcommittee yesterday the 
largest military appropriations bill in the history of the country--
some $350 billion, approximately. The Military Construction 
Subcommittee reported it out. It came out of the committee, and we want 
to bring this to the floor. We have wanted to get it here for 2 weeks. 
They won't let us. The excuse now is forest fires.
  The defense of this country depends on our doing these bills. 
Military construction is important for the fighting men and women of 
this country. We have 10 or 11 forest fires burning in Nevada right 
now. The people of Nevada want to go forward to help the service men 
and women of this country with military construction.
  It is an excuse. It doesn't matter what we do over here to get a bill 
up. It doesn't matter what we do. It isn't quite right.
  I renew my request that Senators Feinstein and Hutchinson--the two 
managers of this bill--be allowed to bring this up under the time 
agreement that has been offered previously, which is 45 minutes for the 
bill and 20 minutes for Senator McCain.
  I would be happy to read it in its entirety. I have done that so many 
times that I almost have it memorized.
  I ask unanimous consent that we be allowed to proceed under the terms 
and conditions of the previous unanimous consent request that I have 
made in this body, and that we be able to take the bill up as soon as 
the two leaders agree that it can be done.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, on the same basis as before, reserving 
the right for my leadership to examine it, I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I appreciate my friend from Utah, but 
having the leadership examine it, Senator Lott has been out here on the 
floor saying he thinks it is the right thing to do.
  It is too bad. I haven't changed a single word of the two requests I 
have made--one being the terrorism insurance bill going to conference, 
and the other simply allowing us to bring a bill to the floor. They 
won't allow us to do that. That is too bad for the country.

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