[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 34 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2274-S2275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Amendment No. 3166

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Nevada [Mr. Ensign] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 3166.

  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To deny funds in FY2007 for the United Nations Human Rights 
 Council, which the United States just voted against because countries 
   found complicit in sustained human rights abuses are eligible for 
       Council membership. Savings redirected to border security)

       On page 10, line 20, decrease the amount by $4,000,000.
       On page 10, line 21, decrease the amount by $4,000,000.
       On page 24, line 24, increase the amount by $4,000,000.
       On page 24, line 25, increase the amount by $4,000,000.

  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, just very briefly, this amendment has to 
do with funding for the United Nations Human Rights Council which I 
believe is worse than the discredited United Nations Commission on 
Human Rights.
  Members will not be selected primarily on the basis of their 
commitment to human rights, even countries under Security Council 
sanctions for human rights violations or terrorism.
  The United States has been a member of the United States Commission 
on Human Rights since 1947, with one exception. That will no longer be 
the case. Due to a rotating membership, the United States will be 
ineligible for the Human Rights Council membership every 6 years. So 
our country, which has been at the forefront of promoting human rights, 
would periodically lose its seat but still be required to cover 22 
percent of the United Nations Human Rights Council cost.
  I am proud of the United States and how we have stood firm and 
opposed creation of this fatally flawed council. We need to make sure 
we are not funding this council, and that is exactly what our amendment 
does. It takes away the funding from the Human Rights Council and puts 
it toward border security.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, this amendment reduces the international 
account by $4 million. That is what it does. We have no assurance that 
it will actually take money from the Human Rights Council, although 
that is the intention of the Senator. The fact is, it reduces the 
international account by $4 million and increases the 750 account by a 
like amount.
  I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to vote against 
this amendment. The United States did not get all the changes it wanted 
made with respect to the Human Rights Council, but very significant 
changes were made. And under Secretary Burns, they have indicated that 
the administration intends to work with those changes to try to improve 
that situation. We have a real problem with respect to that Human 
Rights Council. But changes are being made. They are being made in the 
right direction.
  I very much oppose this amendment. I hope my colleagues will vote 
against it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired. The question is on 
agreeing to the amendment.

[[Page S2275]]

  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 50, nays 50, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 73 Leg.]

                                YEAS--50

     Alexander
     Allard
     Allen
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burns
     Burr
     Chambliss
     Coburn
     Coleman
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Craig
     Crapo
     DeMint
     DeWine
     Dole
     Domenici
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Frist
     Graham
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Kyl
     Lott
     Martinez
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nelson (FL)
     Nelson (NE)
     Roberts
     Santorum
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith
     Stevens
     Sununu
     Talent
     Thomas
     Thune
     Vitter
     Warner

                                NAYS--50

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Byrd
     Cantwell
     Carper
     Chafee
     Clinton
     Cochran
     Conrad
     Dayton
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lugar
     Menendez
     Mikulski
     Murray
     Obama
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Salazar
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Voinovich
     Wyden
  The amendment (No. 3166) was rejected.
  Mr. SARBANES. I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.