[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 128 (Saturday, October 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10917-S10918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION--Continued
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Talent). The question is on agreeing to
the amendment No. 4027, as amended.
The amendment (No. 4027), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. HATCH. 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. 4015
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 2 minutes equally divided prior to
the vote on the Hutchison amendment.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, my amendment keeps the intent of the
Senate. It creates an intelligence subcommittee on Appropriations. It
keeps 13 subcommittees on Appropriations, but it allows the
Appropriations Committee to do the reorganization within those
parameters.
According to the Congressional Research Service, there has never been
a subcommittee eliminated by the Senate without coming from a committee
itself.
This would set a precedent that could affect committees for years to
come. It is not right, and there is no reason to have to do it on the
Senate floor today. We must consult with the House so that our
Appropriations Committees match. Appropriations are complicated
[[Page S10918]]
enough. Having Appropriations Committees that are different in the
House from the Senate is not a wise decision, and we don't have to do
it today.
I urge my colleagues to adopt my amendment which keeps the
intelligence subcommittee, it keeps 13 subcommittees in Appropriations,
and allows the Appropriations Committee to do its job in reorganizing
around those parameters.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the 9/11 Commission is watching what we are
doing. We have created an intelligence subcommittee on Appropriations.
That was very difficult to do. But we did it. The consolidation of
Defense appropriations and Military Construction makes sense. The
subject matters are related, with the same players and same
departments. It is military. It doesn't make sense to create an
artificial divide different than this one.
The Appropriations Committee as it stands has all kinds of authority
to organize within itself.
In short, we have done the work of the Senate. It is the right thing
to do. It sets forth something that Governor Kean says makes sense.
I hope we will defeat this amendment and keep intact what we already
have.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired. The question is on
agreeing to the pending amendment. The yeas and nays have been ordered,
and the clerk will call the roll.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, does the Senator from Texas wish to have a
rollcall vote?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been ordered.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. I am happy to vitiate the yeas and nays.
Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the yeas and nays be vitiated.
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, a rollcall vote has been ordered. I don't
think that is permitted.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Since there was no response, the vote has not
begun.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the yeas and
nays be vitiated and there be a voice vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The question is on agreeing to the pending amendment.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
At the moment, there is a not a sufficient second.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The question is on agreeing to the amendment, and the clerk will call
the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr.
Campbell), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the Senator from
Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senate from Idaho (Mr. Craig), The Senator from
South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Specter), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), are
necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Texas (Mr. Cornyn), would vote ``yea.''.
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Bayh), the
Senator from California (Mrs. Boxer), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr.
Breaux) the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), the Senator from
South Carolina (Mr. Hollings), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr.
Kerry), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Miller), and the Senator from
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 44, nays 41, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 207 Leg.]
YEAS--44
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Bennett
Bond
Brownback
Bunning
Burns
Chafee
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Crapo
DeWine
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Enzi
Fitzgerald
Frist
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Hatch
Hutchison
Inhofe
Kyl
Lott
Lugar
McCain
McConnell
Murkowski
Nickles
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Stevens
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
NAYS--41
Akaka
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Byrd
Cantwell
Carper
Clinton
Conrad
Corzine
Daschle
Dayton
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Feingold
Feinstein
Graham (FL)
Harkin
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
Mikulski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Rockefeller
Schumer
Stabenow
Wyden
NOT VOTING--15
Bayh
Boxer
Breaux
Campbell
Chambliss
Cornyn
Craig
Edwards
Graham (SC)
Hollings
Kerry
Miller
Sarbanes
Specter
Sununu
The amendment (No. 4015), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. REID. 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.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am wondering if Senators would give
consideration to maybe not having the vote on cloture.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we still have the technicals that are
under consideration. We are essentially out of work for the moment
until we get to the technicals.
Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I have a housekeeping matter.
The Senator from New Hampshire.
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