[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 134 (Friday, November 19, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11519-S11520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DUTY SUSPENSIONS FOR IMPORTED PRODUCTS
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I would like to ask my colleague about
the conference report to accompany H.R. 1047, the Miscellaneous Trade
and
[[Page S11520]]
Technical Corrections Act of 2004, which passed the Senate floor by
unanimous consent earlier today. This legislation contains a number of
duty suspensions for imported products. The duty suspensions help make
American industry competitive by allowing companies to reduce costs on
needed inputs. An important criterion for duty suspension is that the
imported product cannot compete with a domestic product.
I am concerned that duty suspensions were included in the bill for
eight pigments that may compete directly with pigments produced in my
State. If so, it could directly affect hundreds of workers in my State.
The provisions at issue are: Sections 1439, 1440, 1441, 1452, 1453,
1454, 1455, and 1456.
I understand that the Department of Commerce has been contacted about
these provisions and is willing to review them to determine whether
they are appropriate for inclusion in this bill. Will the Senator work
with me to ensure that the Department of Commerce completes its
analysis?
Mr. GRASSLEY. I appreciate the Senator raising this issue with me. I
am happy to work with the Senator from Kentucky and the Commerce
Department to ensure that an appropriate and timely analysis is
completed. I recognize that the duty suspensions in question take
effect on January 1, 2005. If the results of this analysis demonstrate
that the inclusion of these provisions in H.R. 1047 was inappropriate,
I will gladly work with him to try and rectify the situation at the
earliest possible date.
Mr. BUNNING. I thank my colleague and I pledge to work closely with
you to resolve this matter.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Who yields time? The Senator from
Montana.
Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I yield back the remainder of my time and
ask unanimous consent that all time be yielded back.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Cloture Motion
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, pursuant
to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture
motion, which the clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the conference
report to accompany H.R. 1047, a bill to amend the harmonized
tariff schedule of the United States to modify temporarily
certain rates of duty, to make other technical amendments to
the trade laws, and for other purposes.
Bill Frist, Chuck Grassley, George Allen, Craig Thomas,
Jon Kyl, Mike Crapo, Robert F. Bennett, John Ensign,
Pete Domenici, Lamar Alexander, John E. Sununu, Richard
G. Lugar, George Voinovich, Peter Fitzgerald, Trent
Lott, Lindsey Graham, Jim Talent.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. By unanimous consent, the mandatory
quorum call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the
conference report to accompany H.R. 1047, a bill to amend the
harmonized tariff schedule of the United States to modify temporarily
certain rates of duty, to make other technical amendments to the trade
laws, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call
the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. The following Senators were necessarily absent. The
Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi), the Senator from Texas (Mrs.
Hutchison), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Lugar).
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from New York (Mrs. Clinton),
the Senator from Florida (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Vermont (Mr.
Jeffords), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) are necessarily
absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Chafee). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 88, nays 5, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 214 Leg.]
YEAS--88
Akaka
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Baucus
Bayh
Bennett
Biden
Bingaman
Bond
Boxer
Breaux
Brownback
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Cantwell
Carper
Chafee
Chambliss
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Cornyn
Corzine
Craig
Crapo
Daschle
DeWine
Dodd
Dole
Domenici
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Ensign
Feinstein
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Harkin
Hatch
Hollings
Inhofe
Inouye
Johnson
Kennedy
Kerry
Kyl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
Lott
McCain
McConnell
Mikulski
Miller
Murkowski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Nickles
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Roberts
Rockefeller
Santorum
Sarbanes
Schumer
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Stevens
Sununu
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
Wyden
NAYS--5
Byrd
Coleman
Dayton
Feingold
Kohl
NOT VOTING--7
Clinton
Enzi
Graham (FL)
Hutchison
Jeffords
Leahy
Lugar
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote the ayes are 88, the nays are 5.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the
affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for Resolution
No. 474 to be brought up for its immediate consideration, and I will
allocate time.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator from Louisiana yield?
Ms. LANDRIEU. I am happy to cooperate. I thought we had worked this
out. Perhaps we have not. I understand we are calling up a resolution
for its immediate consideration and I will stay in the business that we
are in.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I will suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? The clerk will call the
roll.
Mr. CRAIG. Reserving the right to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I will not object to a quorum call if it is
only temporary, and I mean very temporary, so we can work out our
differences. This is a very important resolution that deserves to come
before the Senate. Tomorrow is National Adoption Day and the Senator
from Louisiana and I find this an important priority for all Senators.
With that, I will not object, understanding that Senator Feingold
offers this only temporarily.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk
will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________