[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 23, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7223-S7226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005--Continued
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will continue the consideration of
S. 2400.
Amendment No. 3303
There are now 2 minutes of debate equally divided related to the
Corzine amendment.
The Senator from Nevada.
Mr. REID. We yield back our time.
Mr. FRIST. We yield back the remainder of our time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is now on agreeing to the motion
to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Corzine amendment.
The yeas and nays have been ordered.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr.
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Kansas
(Mr. Brownback) would vote ``no.''
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sununu). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 49, nays 49, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 136 Leg.]
YEAS--49
Akaka
Baucus
Bayh
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Clinton
Collins
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Feingold
Feinstein
Graham (FL)
Harkin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
[[Page S7224]]
Rockefeller
Sarbanes
Schumer
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Wyden
NAYS--49
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bennett
Bond
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Chafee
Chambliss
Cochran
Coleman
Conrad
Cornyn
Craig
Crapo
DeWine
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Enzi
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kyl
Lott
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Miller
Murkowski
Nickles
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
NOT VOTING--2
Brownback
Kerry
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this question, the ayes are 49, the nays
are 49. Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn not having
voted in the affirmative, the motion is rejected.
Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that
motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair sustains the point of order and the
amendment falls.
Amendment No. 3472
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the next vote is on
the McConnell amendment numbered 3472 on which the yeas and nays have
been ordered.
Under the previous order, there will be 2 minutes of debate evenly
divided.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, this is a 10-minute vote, is that right?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. Under the previous
order, subsequent votes will be 10 minutes in length.
Mr. KENNEDY. Parliamentary inquiry: I understand under the previous
agreement we are going to have two votes. The first vote will be on the
McConnell amendment and the second vote on the Kennedy amendment?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order there are several
pending votes. The next vote after the McConnell amendment will be on
the Kennedy amendment.
Who yields time?
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me describe why the McConnell
amendment is preferable to the Kennedy amendment. My colleagues will be
given an opportunity in the next few minutes to vote on two approaches
to administration reporting on Iraq. The Kennedy troop estimate
requirement is entirely too burdensome. We cannot predict troop levels
5 years in advance. No one is that good. Political developments in Iraq
will drive security estimates so we cannot determine now what our needs
are going to be years in advance.
Kennedy's 30-day requirement would not give the Department of Defense
enough time to staff a report, much less complete one.
I recommend voting for the McConnell alternative which is a
reasonable reporting requirement from the Defense Department related to
Iraq.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
The Senator from Massachusetts is recognized for 1 minute.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, this is for 1 year. June 30th,
sovereignty is transferred to the Iraqis. American families are
entitled to know how long their sons and daughters are going to serve
in Iraq. This is asking for an estimate of how long their sons and
daughters are going to be there. They will make that judgment 30 days
after this bill is passed into law, then 6 months, and then a year.
American families who have sons and daughters serving in Iraq need to
have some estimate about how long they are going to be there. The
American people are entitled to that, too.
Finally, we have followed this similar kind of reporting with regard
to Bosnia in the past. This is an appropriate request. American
families and the American people are entitled to it and the Iraqi
people are entitled to it, as well.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired. Under the
previous order, the vote occurs on agreeing to the McConnell amendment.
The yeas and nays have been ordered.
The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr.
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Kansas
(Mr. Brownback) would vote ``yes.''
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 71, nays 27, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 137 Leg.]
YEAS--71
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bayh
Bennett
Bond
Bunning
Burns
Byrd
Campbell
Cantwell
Carper
Chafee
Chambliss
Clinton
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Conrad
Cornyn
Craig
Crapo
DeWine
Dole
Domenici
Dorgan
Edwards
Ensign
Enzi
Feinstein
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kohl
Kyl
Lieberman
Lincoln
Lott
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Mikulski
Miller
Murkowski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Nickles
Roberts
Rockefeller
Santorum
Schumer
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
Wyden
NAYS--27
Akaka
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dodd
Durbin
Feingold
Graham (FL)
Harkin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Sarbanes
NOT VOTING--2
Brownback
Kerry
The amendment (No. 3472) was agreed to.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. LEVIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3377
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the vote will now
occur on agreeing to Kennedy amendment No. 3377. This will be preceded
by 2 minutes of debate evenly divided.
The Senator from Massachusetts.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, if you liked the McConnell amendment, you
have to love the Kennedy amendment because the McConnell amendment took
our initial amendment and eliminated estimating the numbers of American
troops that are going to be necessary after Iraq reaches sovereignty.
That is the principal difference.
It does seem to me that after Iraq gets sovereignty on June 30, every
American family, whether it is those who have sons or daughters serving
in Iraq, is entitled to the best judgment--and this is an estimate--the
best judgment on the number of troops we are going to have serve in
Iraq. That is clear and simple. It is an estimate. There are clear
examples where we have done that in the past. We are talking about
estimating the number of American troops that will serve in Iraq. We
have done that time in and time out. That is what the Kennedy amendment
would do, embracing the best parts of the McConnell amendment. You can
have it all this afternoon in the U.S. Senate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the argument remains the same as it was
a few moments ago. The question is whether we can require the Defense
Department to predict that which cannot be known. No one knows what the
future troop estimate is going to be. We can't predict troop levels 5
years in advance. The Senator from Massachusetts is trying to require
the Defense Department to report something that no Defense Department
could possibly report. Therefore, the Kennedy amendment ought to be
opposed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired. The question is on
agreeing to amendment No. 3377.
The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr.
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Kansas
(Mr. Brownback) would vote ``nay.''
[[Page S7225]]
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 50, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 138 Leg.]
YEAS--48
Akaka
Baucus
Bayh
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Clinton
Conrad
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Feingold
Feinstein
Graham (FL)
Hagel
Harkin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lincoln
McCain
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Sarbanes
Schumer
Stabenow
Wyden
NAYS--50
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bennett
Bond
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Chafee
Chambliss
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Cornyn
Craig
Crapo
DeWine
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Enzi
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kyl
Lieberman
Lott
Lugar
McConnell
Miller
Murkowski
Nickles
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
NOT VOTING--2
Brownback
Kerry
The amendment (No. 3377) was rejected.
Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that
motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3353
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, a vote will now
occur on the Reed amendment to be preceded by 2 minutes of debate
equally divided.
The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Corzine
be added as a cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, for years, the plan for missile defense,
which is placed in Alaska, provided for 20 interceptors. Suddenly, this
year the administration asked for 10 additional interceptors. My
amendment will simply fence the acquisition of these interceptors
pending operational testing. These interceptors and their warheads have
never been used in interceptor tests. They are virtually untested.
The underlying amendment would allow for the acquisition but would
condition that on operational testing. I think we will learn a lot from
operational testing. I think we should have operational testing. The
question is, Why do we want to buy 10 additional interceptors until we
learn what we must before we commit to this $500 million acquisition?
I hope my colleagues will support me in this effort.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Who seeks time in opposition?
The Senator from Virginia is recognized for 1 minute.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I say to colleagues, in all candor, this
is the third vote on the same issue. They have addressed the issues in
this amendment on two occasions, and by significant margin we have
decided to reject in any way taking the Missile Defense Program and
changing it at this time. They voted on the Levin amendment and
rejected it. They voted on my amendment, which was to an earlier Reed
amendment on much the same principle, and rejected the amendment of the
Senator from Rhode Island.
I say to my colleagues we have to have some consistency. Regrettably,
we are asked for a third vote on the same issue. I strongly urge my
colleagues to reject this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 3353. The yeas and nays
have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr.
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Kansas
(Mr. Brownback) would vote ``nay.''
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 45, nays 53, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 139 Leg.]
YEAS--45
Akaka
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Clinton
Conrad
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Feingold
Feinstein
Graham (FL)
Harkin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lincoln
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Sarbanes
Schumer
Stabenow
Wyden
NAYS--53
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bayh
Bennett
Bond
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Chafee
Chambliss
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Cornyn
Craig
Crapo
DeWine
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Enzi
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kyl
Lieberman
Lott
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Miller
Murkowski
Nickles
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
NOT VOTING--2
Brownback
Kerry
The amendment (No. 3353) was rejected.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. STEVENS. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3423
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the vote will now
occur on the Byrd amendment to be preceded by 2 minutes of debate
equally divided. The Senate will come to order.
The Senator from West Virginia is recognized to speak for 1 minute on
his amendment.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, this amendment increases U.S. support for
Plan Colombia. My amendment raises the cap on the number of U.S.
military and civilian personnel who can participate in Plan Colombia.
My amendment fully supports Colombia's war against drug trafficking and
narcoterrorists.
The difference between this amendment and the administration proposal
contained in the bill is that my amendment is intended to meet
immediate requirements whereas the administration is projecting future
requirements. My amendment increases the military and civilian caps
from 400 to 500 each. The administration's proposal doubles the troop
cap from 400 to 800 and increases the civilian cap from 400 to 600. By
their own admission, that is far more than either the State or Defense
Department need in Colombia next year.
The administration wants flexibility. I believe Congress should
insist on accountability and oversight. U.S. military forces are
already stretched to the breaking point across the globe. U.S. troops
in Iraq are being forced to extend their tours as a result of stop-loss
orders. Prospects remain strong that thousands upon thousands of
American troops will be needed to quell the violence in Iraq for years
to come.
This is not the time, Colombia is not the place, for yet another
large increase in the deployment of U.S. forces overseas. My amendment
is a responsible approach to support the worthy goals of Plan Colombia
while maintaining congressional oversight on what is an increasingly
complex and dangerous mission. I urge my colleagues to support the
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired. Who seeks
time in opposition?
The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I urge colleagues to give the most careful
consideration to this amendment. How well each of us knows the
fragility of
[[Page S7226]]
the Central American band of countries. Colombia has shown the
fortitude, the courage, the strength, the sacrifice to take on
adversity and they have met with success. This is a very modest number
increase in troops, essential at this time to keep that forward
momentum going. I strongly urge that you vote against the Byrd
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time having been yielded back, under the
previous order, the question occurs on agreeing to the Byrd amendment
on which the yeas and nays have been ordered.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL, I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr.
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Kansas
(Mr. Brownback) would vote ``nay.''
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 40, nays 58, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 140 Leg.]
YEAS--40
Akaka
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Boxer
Breaux
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Conrad
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Feingold
Fitzgerald
Harkin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lincoln
Mikulski
Murray
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Sarbanes
Schumer
Stabenow
Wyden
NAYS--58
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bayh
Bennett
Bond
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Chafee
Chambliss
Clinton
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Cornyn
Craig
Crapo
DeWine
Dodd
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Enzi
Feinstein
Frist
Graham (FL)
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kyl
Lieberman
Lott
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Miller
Murkowski
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Nickles
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
NOT VOTING--2
Brownback
Kerry
The amendment (No. 3423) was rejected.
Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. SANTORUM. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
____________________