[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1481-1482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    MAKING FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003--
                               Continued


                            Amendment No. 27

  Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, I ask for regular order on amendment 
No. 27, the LIHEAP amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right. The amendment is 
now pending.
  Mr. STEVENS. I ask for the yeas and nays on that amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. STEVENS. For the information of the Senate, this is the LIHEAP 
amendment. The statements concerning the amendment will be after--
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that there be 1 
minute for myself and Senator Collins to explain the amendment.
  Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, that would be in order. I have no 
problem with that. I ask for 1 minute on each side to explain this 
amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, this amendment would direct the President 
to release $300 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 
Program. It will be offset by using unexpended emergency LIHEAP funds 
which were already appropriated in the 2001 Supplemental Appropriations 
Act. Today, as the temperatures freeze, people throughout the country--
people in the Northeast, the Midwest, many parts of the country--are 
freezing. This includes low-income seniors. With rising oil prices, a 
declining economy, and

[[Page 1482]]

cold temperatures, it is the ``perfect storm'' for those people. We can 
help them with this amendment.
  The amendment will also provide assistance to address the scorching 
heats of summer in other parts of the country. I urge passing.
  I yield the remaining time to my colleague Senator Collins.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, when I left Maine earlier today, the 
forecast was for temperatures with a wind chill of 40 below zero 
tonight. We are facing a ``perfect storm'' of exceedingly cold winter 
weather, high energy prices, and a difficult economy.
  This amendment is a modest amendment with very little budget impact. 
But it is an amendment that will make a real difference in the lives of 
low-income families in Maine and States across the Nation.
  No one should have to choose between being warm in the winter, buying 
prescription drugs, or buying the food they need to remain healthy. 
This amendment will address the needs of thousands of low-income 
families across this Nation so that they will not be faced with those 
choices.
  Madam President, I urge adoption of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
  Mr. STEVENS. We are prepared to accept this amendment, but I think 
the sponsors wish a vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The 
question is on agreeing to the amendment of the Senator from Rhode 
Island, Mr. Reed.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL, I announce that the Senator from Kansas (Mr. 
Brownback) is necessarily absent.
  Mr. REID, I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Bingaman), 
the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Daschle), the Senator from 
California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Graham), the 
Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. 
Hollings), and the Senator from Arkansas (Mrs. Lincoln) are necessarily 
absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from 
California (Mrs. Feinstein) and the Senator from Arkansas (Mrs. 
Lincoln) would each vote ``aye''.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Alexander). Are there any other Senators 
in the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 88, nays 4, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 10 Leg.]

                                YEAS--88

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Allard
     Allen
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Cantwell
     Carper
     Chafee
     Chambliss
     Clinton
     Cochran
     Coleman
     Collins
     Conrad
     Cornyn
     Corzine
     Craig
     Crapo
     Dayton
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Dole
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Graham (SC)
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Hatch
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lott
     Lugar
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Miller
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (FL)
     Nelson (NE)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Shelby
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Stevens
     Sununu
     Talent
     Thomas
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wyden

                                NAYS--4

     Ensign
     Kyl
     Nickles
     Sessions

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Bingaman
     Brownback
     Daschle
     Feinstein
     Graham (FL)
     Harkin
     Hollings
     Lincoln
  The amendment (No. 27) was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

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