[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 108 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7843-S7844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE PRESIDENT'S FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE

  Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, we have been trying over the last few 
hours to get a unanimous consent agreement on the President's faith-
based initiative called the CARE Act, passed out of the Senate Finance 
Committee on a bipartisan basis. We have been working, first, to clear 
a unanimous consent agreement to get the CARE Act, as passed by the 
Finance Committee, cleared without amendments being offered by either 
side, simply a managers' amendment that includes provisions not in the 
Finance Committee mark because the Finance Committee didn't have 
jurisdiction over those elements of the bill that Senator Lieberman and 
I and the President have agreed on as a compromise. We tried to clear 
that, and there was objection.
  So Senator Lieberman and I talked with Senator Daschle to see if we 
could clear a unanimous consent with the limitation on amendments--not 
relevant amendments but simply tax amendments. We suggested five on 
either side. That was cleared on our side. That was acceptable to us, 
to have a limitation on amendments of five on each side. We have just 
been informed that is not acceptable on the Democrat side. We asked if 
six was. No. Seven? No.
  So my concern is that we will not take the bill clean or with a 
limitation on amendments. I guess I have to ask--and I will not 
propound a unanimous consent request, but I believe there are Members 
on both sides working in good faith to see if we can get this piece of 
legislation before the Senate and get it enacted into law. It is 
something I know Members on both sides of the aisle feel very strongly 
about--to support charitable giving at a time when charitable giving 
has really taken it on the chin, other than with respect to 9/11. With 
the stock market down, we have seen charitable giving go down and, in 
some cases, dramatically. This is needed to help the nonprofit sector 
to provide for the human service needs out there in America.
  So I will withhold a unanimous consent request, even though I think 
we had some agreement to try to propound one tonight, because there are 
objections on the Democratic side of the aisle. I just encourage my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to work with us to see if 
we can find a regime in which we can bring this legislation to the 
floor with some sort of limitation on amendments and debate and have a 
good discussion and then move forward and pass this legislation. Maybe 
even if it is acceptable, we can get the House to accept it and move it 
on to President, and we must go to conference.
  I hope we can work in a bipartisan spirit to help. This is targeted 
to help those who are in need in our society. It is something the 
President cares about and Senator Lieberman, as do others, including 
Senator Daschle.
  Let's have a good-faith effort here to move forward on this 
legislation and find some sort of unanimous consent agreement to move 
us forward on this important piece of legislation that is so needed by 
those who want to be helpful to others in need in our society.
  Thank you. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah is recognized.
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I may be 
allowed to proceed in morning business for up to 30 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Will the Senator allow me to enter a unanimous consent 
request as well?
  Mr. BENNETT. I am happy to.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
allowed to speak as in morning business up to 20 minutes immediately 
after the Senator from Utah.
  Mr. REED. Reserving the right to object. I have been waiting 
patiently for many moments. I only have approximately 5 or 10 minutes 
to speak, and I have a press deadline. The way it is right now, I will 
get the floor an hour from now. Is there a way I might be able to go 
before my colleagues?
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I have no problem with the Senator from 
Rhode Island going ahead. I have been waiting while the other three 
Senators went through. I don't have to worry about a press deadline in 
Utah. We have probably already passed it. I am happy to allow the 
Senator from Rhode Island to go first if the Senator from Florida is 
agreeable.
  Mr. GRAHAM. I am agreeable to the unanimous consent agreement that I 
follow the Senator from Utah.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, let me thank the Senators from Utah and 
Florida for their graciousness in allowing me to go forward.

[[Page S7844]]



                          ____________________