[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 61 (Tuesday, April 17, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4559-S4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the Senate will
resume consideration of S. 372, which the clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 372) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2007 for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities
of the United States Government, the Intelligence Community
Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency
Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.
Pending:
Rockefeller/Bond amendment No. 843, in the nature of a
substitute.
Collins amendment No. 847 (to amendment No. 843), to
reaffirm the constitutional and statutory protections
accorded sealed domestic mail.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, the Republican manager, Senator Bond,
and I and our staffs have been working together to clear some
amendments, and we have in fact cleared already 10 amendments. I now
ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the Senate to consider en
bloc the following amendments, that they be agreed to en bloc, and that
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc. These were
agreed to by both sides and have been cleared by all parties. The
numbers of the amendments are 845, 846, 856, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862,
863, and 872.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the several requests?
Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The Senator from Missouri.
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, it is very important that we move forward
with this bill. We have given time for our colleagues to debate and
raise other questions. We would ask that we be able to proceed in a
reasonable timeframe to take up amendments which have been introduced
by the chairman and the vice chairman together and reflect bipartisan
agreement. As vice chairman, I am firmly committed to passage of
intelligence reauthorization. I would say further it remains my
intention to reduce the partisanship and politicization of intelligence
matters.
Events on the Senate floor yesterday, including direct personal
attacks on me, indicate this remains a tall order. This bill makes
getting a bill harder, and it is already hard enough. Given the kitchen
sink provided in the administration's Statement of Administration
Policy indicating a possible veto, the chairman and I are trying in
good faith, as the chairman indicated, to work through 9, 10, or a
dozen amendments to correct the major objections that the
administration has.
The administration must know that as we try to weigh their key
priorities, they must respect our priorities and our fundamental
oversight responsibility which I and the Members of this body should
take seriously, as any Senator will.
As for yesterday's events, Senator McConnell manages the floor for
the minority. He did not want to end the debate prematurely and the
opportunity to offer amendments by the minority, especially with 18
Members absent from the Senate due to bad weather. I supported him
because it is the responsibility of our two leaders to manage the floor
debate and to protect the rights of minorities and absent Senators.
While the attacks on me were inappropriate and offensive, I will
continue to work for passage of this intelligence reform measure, which
is one of the most important bills we can pass in this session. The
measure is too important to be derailed by personal and political
attacks.
My friends on the other side of the aisle want more oversight of
intelligence. I agree. We got into problems prior to 9/11 because we
didn't have good oversight. We have found that there are holes that
need to be plugged in oversight. We need to move forward. But forcing
an end to the debate with 18 Members absent was not the way to do so. I
am hoping that we can show progress by adopting amendments and moving
this bill forward to exercise our oversight to provide the intelligence
community the direction they need. Our desire is to move forward in the
regular order, work our way through amendments, work out a time
agreement, dispose of amendments, and hopefully conclude with a bill
that most, if not the overwhelming majority, of Members can support so
we can get to conference and continue the process.
I will continue to work with the chairman under the difficult
circumstances that he and I both face. I am not for delay or any
effort, real or imagined, to kill this bill, but I have honest
concerns, as others, that there should be an opportunity to address
through the regular order in a reasonable timeframe. If there are
unreasonable delays, then we will pursue other options which are
necessary sometimes to move a bill.
Because of the difficult division present in recent years over these
issues, we have been unable to get an authorization bill passed. I find
that unacceptable, and I am committed to finding a bill, but it can't
be just any bill. It must be the product of give and take and mutual
respect and compromise between both parties and both bodies and one the
administration can sign.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Will the vice chairman yield?
Mr. BOND. Yes.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, the Senator from Oklahoma has
indicated to me that he will not object to the managers' amendment
going forward, if he would be allowed to finish what he was talking
about, which I assume would happen within the next 5 or 8 minutes. If
that is the case, then we will have made progress.
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I didn't mean to cut the Senator off. For
the movement of this bill, we had hoped to
[[Page S4560]]
be able to clear some amendments so we could show progress, but the
Senator from Oklahoma is seeking recognition. I am sure he has some
important things to say. I hope we will finish in time to allow us to
pass the cleared amendments prior to 12:30. I apologize to the Senator
from Oklahoma and thank the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. COBURN. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business
for the next 10 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Earmarks
Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, it is very important we not leave the
debate on earmarks. What we saw was an issue about the integrity of
Congress which Senator DeMint and myself have been championing. There
are only 4 Members of the Senate who don't offer earmarks, 4 out of 100
who don't play the game of earmarks. It is important that the American
people know that if we are going to have earmarks, it ought to be
clearly identified. We ought to know who is benefiting, who is getting
the money, who is sponsoring the money, and what the outcome will be.
It is great that the Appropriations Committee has just stated that they
are going to voluntarily accede to the rules we passed 98 to 0, except
there is one small problem with that; the fact is, there is no
enforcement of the rules available to Senators when they violate that
very point, which means they may follow that, but if, in fact, they do
not, we have no course of action with which to raise a point of order
when they do not.
I wish to go back to something the esteemed Senator from Illinois
said, which is, we have gotten what we want. No, we have not. We have
not gotten it until the American people get the transparency they need
about how the Congress operates. If you eliminate earmarks in
appropriations but do not eliminate earmarks in authorizations, what is
authorized as an earmark will come to the appropriation as not an
earmark because it is then authorized, so we will play the same game
but one step further back.
I am disappointed at the leadership, that they would block what the
American people so fully want. And the idea we have to conference what
should be a Senate rule, when the House has already passed a rule--they
operate under the very same thing Senator DeMint has asked for--all we
have to do is agree we will, in fact, abide by those rules by accepting
that as a rule of the Senate. Anything less than that is political
Washington doublespeak which the American people are tired of.
There should not be one earmark, one special favor, one indication of
anything done at any level--authorization or appropriations--the
American people are not fully aware of as to who has the vetted
interest and who will be the benefactor and what the motivations might
be in association with that.
So the fact the majority objects to incorporating what we obviously,
supposedly, all agreed to--or was it the fact that people voted for it
because the people wanted us to and now we will not carry it out? What
it does, by not adopting this rule, Senator DeMint's rule, is we
undermine again the integrity of this body.
The American people deserve transparency. The American people should
have transparency. The only way we can truly be held accountable by the
American people is if they can see everything that is going on.
To deny this rule, to deny the fact we are going to operate in the
open, to deny the fact we are going to be held accountable is exactly
what the American people are sick of.
I remind my colleagues we do not have a higher favorability rating
than the President at this time, whom we are so quick to impugn, and
the reason we do not is the very reason we saw in the objection placed
on this rule, this resolution. To me, it is a sad day in the Senate
because we are playing games again with the American people. I said,
after we passed the ethics bill, it will be a long time until we see
anything. It will be a long time. It has already been a long time. Why
hasn't it been conferenced? There have been 80 days to conference an
ethics bill. There has not been the first step. There has not been the
naming of conferees. There has not been the first step to move forward
toward that.
The American people should surmise--and correctly--the Congress still
wants to work in the shadows, they still do not want to have
transparency; therefore, they still do not want to be held accountable
by the American people.
I thank you for the time and yield back, and I will offer no
objection to the request of the Senator from West Virginia to accept
amendments on the Intelligence authorization bill.
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. CORNYN. 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. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the
pending amendment so I may call up amendments Nos. 848, 849, 850, 851,
852, and 853, en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, as I indicated before, the
distinguished Republican manager, Senator Bond, and I and our staffs
have been working together to clear some amendments. We have cleared
10. I now ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the Senate to
consider en bloc the following amendments, that they be agreed to en
bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc.
The amendment numbers are 845, 846, 856, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863,
and 872.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. CORNYN. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Would the Senator yield?
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I believe the Senator from West Virginia
has the floor. I don't.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. The Senator from West Virginia would be interested
as to why it is the distinguished Senator from Texas objects.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, let me suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia has the floor.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. 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. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 849 to Amendment No. 843
(Purpose: To amend chapter 113B of title 18, United States Code, to
prohibit the recruitment of persons to participate in terrorism, to
provide remedies for immigration litigation, and to amend the
Immigration and Nationality Act to modify the requirements related to
judicial review of visa revocation and to modify the requirements
related to detention and removal of aliens ordered removed)
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the
pending amendment and call up Amendment No. 849.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Texas [Mr. Cornyn] proposes an amendment
numbered 849 to amendment No. 843.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of Monday, April 16, 2007,
under ``Text of Amendments.'')
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized.
Amendments Nos. 846, as modified; 856, 858, 859, 860, as modified; 861,
as modified; 862, 863, and 872, as modified, en bloc, to amendment No.
843
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I resume my request which I will make
in full, and that is that the Republican
[[Page S4561]]
manager, Senator Bond, and this Senator from West Virginia and our
staffs have been working together to clear some amendments. We have
cleared 10 amendments--9 amendments. I ask unanimous consent that it be
in order for the Senate to consider en bloc the following amendments,
that they be agreed to en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid
upon the table en bloc. Those amendment numbers are 846, 856, 858, 859,
860, 861, 862, 863, and 872.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendments were agreed to, as follows:
amendment no. 846, as modified
On page 37, between lines 19 and 20, insert the following:
``(7) develop 15-year projections and assessments of the
needs of the intelligence community to ensure a robust
federal scientific and engineering workforce and the means to
recruit such a workforce through integrated scholarships
across the intelligence community, including research grants
and cooperative work-study programs;
amendment no. 856
(Purpose: To strike the requirement for a study on the disclosure of
additional intelligence information)
Beginning on page 11, strike line 18 and all that follows
through page 12, line 20.
amendment no. 858
(Purpose: To improve the notification of Congress regarding
intelligence activities of the United States Government)
Strike section 304 and insert the following:
SEC. 304. IMPROVEMENT OF NOTIFICATION OF CONGRESS REGARDING
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
(a) Clarification of Definition of Congressional
Intelligence Committees to Include All Members of
Committees.--Section 3(7) of the National Security Act of
1947 (50 U.S.C. 401a(7)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, and includes each
member of the Select Committee'' before the semicolon; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, and includes each
member of the Permanent Select Committee'' before the period.
(b) Notice on Information Not Disclosed.--
(1) In general.--Section 502 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 413a)
is amended--
(A) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(c) and (d), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection (b):
``(b) Notice on Information Not Disclosed.--(1) If the
Director of National Intelligence or the head of a
department, agency, or other entity of the United States
Government does not provide information required by
subsection (a) in full or to all the members of the
congressional intelligence committees, and requests that such
information not be so provided, the Director shall, in a
timely fashion, notify such committees of the determination
not to provide such information in full or to all members of
such committees. Such notice shall be submitted in writing in
a classified form, include a statement of the reasons for
such determination and a description that provides the main
features of the intelligence activities covered by such
determination, and contain no restriction on access to this
notice by all members of the committee.
``(2) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as
authorizing less than full and current disclosure to all the
members of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate
and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the
House of Representatives of any information necessary to keep
all the members of such committees fully and currently
informed on all intelligence activities covered by this
section.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Subsection (d) of such section,
as redesignated by paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection, is
amended by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting
``subsections (b) and (c)''.
(c) Reports and Notice on Covert Actions.--
(1) Form and content of certain reports.--Subsection (b) of
section 503 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 413b) is amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
(B) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(b)''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Any report relating to a covert action that is
submitted to the congressional intelligence committees for
the purposes of paragraph (1) shall be in writing, and shall
contain the following:
``(A) A concise statement of any facts pertinent to such
report.
``(B) An explanation of the significance of the covert
action covered by such report.''.
(2) Notice on information not disclosed.--Subsection (c) of
such section is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(5) If the Director of National Intelligence or the head
of a department, agency, or other entity of the United States
Government does not provide information required by
subsection (b) in full or to all the members of the
congressional intelligence committees, and requests that such
information not be so provided, the Director shall, in a
timely fashion, notify such committees of the determination
not to provide such information in full or to all members of
such committees. Such notice shall be submitted in writing in
a classified form, include a statement of the reasons for
such determination and a description that provides the main
features of the covert action covered by such determination,
and contain no restriction on access to this notice by all
members of the committee.''.
(3) Modification of nature of change of covert action
triggering notice requirements.--Subsection (d) of such
section is amended by striking ``significant'' the first
place it appears.
amendment no. 859
(Purpose: To strike the pilot program on disclosure of records under
the Privacy Act relating to certain intelligence activities)
Strike section 310.
amendment no. 860, as modified
Beginning on page 29, strike line 24 and all that follows
through page 31, line 15, and insert the following:
(1) Report required.--Not later than 60 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National
Intelligence shall provide to the members of the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives a report on any clandestine prison or
detention facility currently or formerly operated by the
United States Government for individuals captured in the
global war on terrorism.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) The date each prison or facility became operational,
and if applicable, the date on which each prison or facility
ceased its operations.
(B) The total number of prisoners or detainees held at each
prison or facility during its operation.
(C) The current number of prisoners or detainees held at
each operational prison or facility.
(D) The total and average annual costs of each prison or
facility during its operation.
(E) A description of the interrogation procedures used or
formerly used on detainees at each prison or facility,
including whether a determination has been made that such
procedures are or were in compliance with the United States
obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Convention
Against Torture.
amendment no. 861, as modified
Beginning on page 96, strike line 24 and all that follows
through page 97, line 6, and insert the following:
``(2)(A) As directed by the Director of National
Intelligence, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
shall also develop a system to facilitate the analysis,
dissemination, and incorporation of likenesses, videos, or
presentations produced by ground-based platforms, including
handheld or clandestine photography taken by or on behalf of
human intelligence collection organizations or available as
open source information into the National System for
Geospatial-Intelligence.
amendment no. 862
(Purpose: To change the name of the National Space Intelligence Center
to the National Space Intelligence Office)
Strike section 410 and insert the following:
SEC. 410. NATIONAL SPACE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Title I of the National Security Act of
1947 (50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) is amended by adding after
section 119B the following new section:
``NATIONAL SPACE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE
``Sec. 119C. (a) Establishment.--There is established
within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence a
National Space Intelligence Office.
``(b) Director of National Space Intelligence Office.--The
National Intelligence Officer for Science and Technology, or
a successor position designated by the Director of National
Intelligence, shall act as the Director of the National Space
Intelligence Office.
``(c) Missions.--The National Space Intelligence Office
shall have the following missions:
``(1) To coordinate and provide policy direction for the
management of space-related intelligence assets.
``(2) To prioritize collection activities consistent with
the National Intelligence Collection Priorities framework, or
a successor framework or other document designated by the
Director of National Intelligence.
``(3) To provide policy direction for programs designed to
ensure a sufficient cadre of government and nongovernment
personnel in fields relating to space intelligence, including
programs to support education, recruitment, hiring, training,
and retention of qualified personnel.
``(4) To evaluate independent analytic assessments of
threats to classified United States space intelligence
systems throughout all phases of the development,
acquisition, and operation of such systems.
``(d) Access to Information.--The Director of National
Intelligence shall ensure that the National Space
Intelligence Office has access to all national intelligence
information (as appropriate), and such other information (as
appropriate and practical), necessary for the Office to carry
out the missions of the Office under subsection (c).
[[Page S4562]]
``(e) Separate Budget Account.--The Director of National
Intelligence shall include in the National Intelligence
Program budget a separate line item for the National Space
Intelligence Office.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for that Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
119B the following new item:
``Sec. 119C. National Space Intelligence Office.''.
(b) Report on Organization of Office.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the
National Space Intelligence Office shall submit to the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives a report on the organizational structure of
the National Space Intelligence Office established by section
119C of the National Security Act of 1947 (as added by
subsection (a)).
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) The proposed organizational structure of the National
Space Intelligence Office.
(B) An identification of key participants in the Office.
(C) A strategic plan for the Office during the five-year
period beginning on the date of the report.
amendment no. 86
(Purpose: To modify the requirements related to the Director and Deputy
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency)
Strike section 421 and insert the following:
SEC. 421. DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
(a) Establishment of Position of Deputy Director of Central
Intelligence Agency.--Subsection (a) of section 104A of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403-4a) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (f),
and (g) as subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (i)
respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsections (b) and (c):
``(b) Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Agency.--(1)
There is a Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate.
``(2) The Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency shall assist the Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the
Director.
``(3) The Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency shall act for, and exercise the powers of, the
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency during the
absence or disability of the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency or during a vacancy in the position of
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
``(c) Military Status of Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency and Deputy Director of Central
Intelligence Agency.--(1) Not more than one of the
individuals serving in the positions specified in subsection
(a) and (b) may be a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces
in active status.
``(2) A commissioned officer of the Armed Forces who is
serving as the Director or Deputy Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency or is engaged in administrative
performance of the duties of Director or Deputy Director of
the Central Intelligence Agency shall not, while continuing
in such service, or in the administrative performance of such
duties--
``(A) be subject to supervision or control by the Secretary
of Defense or by any officer or employee of the Department of
Defense; or
``(B) exercise, by reason of the officer's status as a
commissioned officer, any supervision or control with respect
to any of the military or civilian personnel of the
Department of Defense except as otherwise authorized by law.
``(3) Except as provided in subparagraph (A) or (B) of
paragraph (2), the service, or the administrative performance
of duties, described in that paragraph by an officer
described in that paragraph shall not affect the status,
position, rank, or grade of such officer in the Armed Forces,
or any emolument, perquisite, right, privilege, or benefit
incident to or arising out of such status, position, rank, or
grade.
``(4) A commissioned officer described in paragraph (2),
while serving, or continuing in the administrative
performance of duties, as described in that paragraph and
while remaining on active duty, shall continue to receive
military pay and allowances. Funds from which such pay and
allowances are paid shall be reimbursed from funds available
to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2) of subsection (e)
of such section, as redesignated by subsection (a)(1) of this
section, is further amended by striking ``subsection (d)''
and inserting ``subsection (f)''.
(c) Executive Schedule Level III.--Section 5314 of title 5,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new item:
``Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.''.
(d) Role of DNI in Appointment.--Section 106(b)(2) of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403-6(b)(2)) is
amended by adding at the end the fallowing new subparagraph:
``(J) The Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency.''.
(e) Effective Date and Applicability.--The amendments made
by this section shall take effect on the date of the
enactment of this Act and shall apply upon the earlier of--
(1) the date of the nomination by the President of an
individual to serve as Deputy Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency, except that the individual
administratively performing the duties of the Deputy Director
of the Central Intelligence Agency as of the date of the
enactment of this Act may continue to perform such duties
after such date of nomination and until the individual
appointed to the position of Deputy Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, assumes the duties of such position; or
(2) the date of the cessation of the performance of the
duties of Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
by the individual administratively performing such duties as
of the date of the enactment of this Act.
amendment no. 872, as modified
On page 28, line 19, strike ``legal opinions'' and insert
``legal justifications''.
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that it
be in order for any of the cleared amendments to be modified to comport
to the substitute.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I thank the Chairman. We are moving forward
now on the bill. As indicated, we have some drafting problems we are
working out, but we also have high hopes of being able to adopt a
number of the amendments that have been filed on both sides. Some of
them may require modification.
Mr. President, as we get ready to go to our policy lunches, I once
again ask that Members with amendments come forward and let us know
what the amendments are. We ask that they be germane, because
nongermane amendments, even if they are passed, will not survive
conference. We want to keep the proceedings moving forward, so we ask
that amendments be germane. We ask Members to work with us so we can
accept them or offer a compromise to make them acceptable. We want to
do that. Otherwise, when votes are needed, and I am sure they will be,
we ask that a reasonable time period be agreed on by both sides, the
proponent of the amendment and the opponent, so we may get some orderly
procedure so our colleagues will know how we are moving forward and we
can show progress.
I thank the Chair and I yield the floor.
____________________