[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19069-19070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            PROVIDING FOR CORRECTION TO ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 3

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 226, which corrects the 
enrollment of H.R. 3; provided further that Senator Baucus be 
recognized to speak for up to 8 minutes, and following his remarks, the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 226) providing for a 
     correction to the enrollment of H.R. 3.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana is recognized.

[[Page 19070]]


  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to address an issue of critical 
importance to my constituents in Montana. Early this morning, in the 
dead of night, the House of Representatives took an extraordinary 
action to delete a commonsense provision in the transportation 
conference report that would have reopened the runway at Malmstrom Air 
Force Base in Great Falls, MT. I am sorry the House acted as if it 
knows what is best for Great Falls, MT.
  I cannot possibly put into words my outrage for the extraordinary 
action that the House took early this morning. My amendment would have 
opened the runway that is in the heart of Malmstrom Air Force base, 
which is active, healthy, and vibrant. Malm-
strom is located outside of Great Falls, MT, and is a highly secure 
missile facility, employing the largest number of security forces in 
the entire U.S. Air Force.
  Currently, the roadways and the infrastructure of Great Falls are 
strained due to the frequent crosstown movement of heavy cargo and 
equipment during deployments of the 219th and the 819th Red Horse 
Squadrons of the U.S. Air Force and National Guard. They must travel 
from Malmstrom to the other side of town on a congested roadway in the 
middle of town to fly out of a municipal airport. The Montana Air 
National Guard conducts all of their missions out of the same municipal 
airport.
  This amendment would have enabled those units to deploy from a runway 
within their secured perimeter. Despite the mischaracterization of the 
House, this provision would not overturn a BRAC decision, nor would it 
influence the current BRAC round. It could not. Malmstrom is not on the 
BRAC list. The amendment was drafted, discussed, and deliberated in the 
light of day, agreed to by the relevant committees and conferees.
  I was also pleased to have worked with the chairman and ranking 
member of the Armed Services Committee, as well as the conferees of the 
highway bill, all of whom accepted this amendment. To now have the 
House of Representatives cut this provision in the dead of night is an 
outrage.
  My amendment would have simply provided a commonsense solution to a 
local problem. Local elected officials, civic leaders, the U.S. Air 
Force, and the National Guard have all requested that I find a way to 
open the runway at Malmstrom. Senator Burns and I are dedicated to 
making this commonsense solution happen. But I cannot allow the highway 
bill to be a victim of the House's actions after the countless hours I 
have spent making sure it is right for America and right for the State 
of Montana.
  The House actions in the dead of night have put in jeopardy our 
national highway bill. This bill will pump more than $2.3 billion into 
my State economy, and I am proud of this bill. It will help sustain and 
create more than 18,000 jobs and boost safety on Montana's roads. I 
dare say that very few in this Congress have worked harder to get this 
highway bill across the finish line than has this Senator. I will not 
give up the fight to reopen Malm-
strom's runway. I have given it my best, but I cannot, in good faith, 
derail this important bill for the country at this late hour. My 
colleague from Montana, Senator Burns, and I will continue to work to 
find another way to make this happen.
  This action by the House shows how important was the Founders' genius 
in creating the Senate, where States with real needs but small 
populations, such as Montana, have their champions. I will never 
apologize for fighting for Montana.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the concurrent 
resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the 
table.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 226) was agreed to.
  Mr. DORGAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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