[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13902-13903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3210

  Mr. REID. Madam President, when I today read Congress Daily, as I 
often do, I was stunned. I was stunned as a result of what the 
President said in his radio address.

[[Page 13903]]

  I have to acknowledge that I didn't wait around and listen to it 
Saturday. But I read about it here.
  Let me read what the President said on Saturday. I say this with 
total sincerity. I am so disappointed in the President. I am sure 
others think that what he has done is hypocrisy. I will not use that 
word.
  I am just terribly disappointed in the President.
  This is what he said. The headline is:

      Bush Urges Congress To Send Him Terrorist Reinsurance Bill.

       President Bush made another plug for enactment of a 
     terrorism reinsurance bill, noting in his radio address over 
     the weekend, ``Until Congress sends a bill to my desk, some 
     buildings will not be able to get coverage against terrorist 
     attacks, and many new buildings will not be built at all. 
     Commercial development is stalling, and workers are missing 
     out on those jobs. This year alone, the lack of terrorism 
     insurance has killed or delayed more than $8 billion in 
     commercial property financing. Congress should pass a 
     terrorism insurance bill without unnecessary measures.''

  Can you imagine giving an address to the American people about 
Congress needing to do something on terrorism insurance?
  Rather than wasting time on the radio address, why doesn't he call 
the Republican leadership in the Senate and ask: Why don't you let us 
go to conference?
  Almost everything we have done with this terrorism insurance, we have 
had to fight the minority every step of the way. We fought to get it on 
the floor. We tried to do it even last year, right after the events of 
September 11, and we were stopped from doing so.
  I have been on this floor maybe 10 or 12 times offering a unanimous 
consent request that we be allowed to go forward with the conference.
  Just to remind everybody, we were told by the leadership that all we 
needed to do is change the ratio. Senator Daschle--and he has that 
right--decided the ratio should be 3 to 2. We were told: Make it 4 to 
3, and we will go right to conference. That was weeks ago. We changed: 
OK, if that is what you want, then we will be happy to do that. We 
changed it to 4 to 3.
  Then we are told: Well, there are two people in the minority who want 
that third spot, and they can't work that out.
  So, as a result of that, as the President has indicated, there is no 
question about it, there is work being held up in Nevada and all over 
the country because they cannot get terrorism insurance. We cannot go 
to conference because you will not let us.
  Last week, we were told: Give us 24 hours to resolve this. I have 
said here, for this unanimous consent agreement that I have been 
seeking for several days: I will put it in my desk and do it again. No 
more. No more. This is the last. As far as I am concerned, terrorism 
insurance is dead.
  The industry, obviously, does not care enough to put enough pressure 
on the minority so that we can go to conference. If the role were 
reversed, and we, the Democrats, were holding up the appointing of 
conferees on a terrorism insurance bill, our phones would be ringing. 
We would have petitions. We would have demonstrations. But because it 
is the insurance industry, which is a little closer to the minority 
than we are, nothing happens. Day after day after day goes on, and I 
guess they expect me and Senator Daschle to come and offer this 
unanimous consent request.
  No more. They can do it. In the meantime, terrorism insurance is 
dead. Nothing is going to happen. The House is going out Thursday.
  So, as far as I am concerned, this bill is dead. I am not putting the 
unanimous consent request in my desk anymore; I am putting it in the 
garbage can. And we will wait and see what happens.
  I think it is too bad. But maybe there has been something that has 
happened in the last few hours that will change their minds. Maybe my 
statement now will change their minds.
  So I ask unanimous consent--I better take it out of the garbage so I 
can read it; and then I will put it right back, as soon as I finish--
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 
252, H.R. 3210, the House-passed terrorism insurance bill; that all 
after the enacting clause be stricken, and the text of S. 2600, as 
passed in the Senate, be inserted in lieu thereof, the bill, as thus 
amended, be read a third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table; that the Senate insist on its amendment, request a 
conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, 
and that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of 
the Senate, with the ratio of 4 to 3, all without intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Dayton). Is there objection?
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, let me say 
to my friend from Nevada that his words are well-taken. His passion is 
understood. At least as far as I am concerned, his determination to get 
this bill through is fully shared.
  However, on behalf of the ranking member of the Banking Committee, 
Senator Gramm, and reserving his rights, as I am sure the Senator from 
Nevada has from time to time reserved the rights of some of his 
colleagues, I must object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

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