Liberated Text -> Congressional Record -> Nine Senators of Shame
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, we will have a request for votes to commence at 7:30, but first I offer a managers' package, as we call it, with modifications.
Amendments Nos. 1914; 1972; 1962; 1979, as Modified; 1976; and 1945, En Bloc
Mr. President, I send to the desk, for Senator Nelson of Florida, amendment No. 1914, for surface sonar dome windows; for Senator Dodd, amendment No. 1972, for countermeasures to nerve agents; for Senator Lieberman, amendment No. 1962, for defense manufacturing technology; for Senator Chambliss, amendment No. 1979, as modified, for environmental cleanup; for Senator Lott, amendment No. 1976, for lightweight ammunition; and for Senator Roberts, amendment No. 1945, for intelligence scholars. I send those amendments to the desk and ask that they be considered en bloc, with Senator Chambliss's amendment modified according to my submission.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Alaska [Mr. Stevens], for other Senators, proposes en bloc amendments numbered 1914; 1972; 1962; 1979, as modified; 1976; and 1945.
The amendments are as follows:
Amendment no. 1914
At the appropriate place insert the following: Sec. . Of the amount appropriated in title III under the heading "OTHER PROCUREMENT, NAVY", up to $2,000,000 may be made available for the Surface Sonar Dome Window Program.
Amendment No. 1972
(Purpose: To make available $700,000 from Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Army for Medical Countermeasures to Nerve Agents)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. Of the amount appropriated by title IV under the heading "Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Army", up to $700,000 may be used for Medical Countermeasures to Nerve Agents.
Amendment No. 1962
(Purpose: To make available $5,000,000 from Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, for High Performance Defense Manufacturing Technology Research and Development)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. Of the amount appropriated by title IV under the heading "Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Defense-Wide", up to $5,000,000 may be used for High Performance Defense Manufacturing Technology Research and Development.
Amendment No. 1979, as Modified
(Purpose: To provide that, of the amount made available under title II for Operation and Maintenance, Army, up to $600,000 may be made available for removal of unexploded ordnance at Camp Wheeler, Georgia)
On page 220, after line 25, add the following:
Sec. 8116. Of the amount appropriated by title II under the heading "Operation and Maintenance, Army", up to $600,000 may be made available for removal of unexploded ordnance at Camp Wheeler, Georgia.
Amendment No. 1976
(Purpose: To make available $4,000,000 from Research, Development Test, and Evaluation, Army, for the development of light-weight rigid-rod ammunition)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. Of the amount appropriated by title IV under the heading "Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Army", up to $4,000,000 may be used for the development of light-weight rigid-rod polyphenylene ammunition.
amendment no. 1945
On page 220 after line 25, insert the following:
Sec. __. Of the amounts appropriated by title VII under the heading "Intelligence Community Management Account", up to $2,000,000 may be used for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I urge adoption of the amendments.
The Presiding Officer: Is there further debate on the amendments en bloc? If not, the question is on agreeing to the amendments.
The amendments (Nos. 1914; 1972; 1962; 1979, as modified; 1976; and 1945) were agreed to.
Mr. Stevens: I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. Inouye: I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
amendment no. 1979
Mr. Chambliss: Mr. President, I rise today in support of my amendment, No. 1979, as modified, to H.R. 2863.
Camp Wheeler, near Macon, GA, was a World War II Army facility which has a proud history of training American soldiers. Unfortunately, and like many formerly used defense sites in the United States, there is unexploded ordnance on the former Camp Wheeler site that, today, threatens the safety of people who live in the vicinity. This amendment would earmark $600,000 to clean up Camp Wheeler.
The unexploded ordnance at Camp Wheeler was found during an inspection sponsored by the Savannah District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has indicated that cleanup of Ordnance Operable Unit No. 1 at Camp Wheeler, which is in a neighborhood in Twiggs County, GA, is the No. 1 munitions cleanup program in the State of Georgia.
I have worked with the Corps over the past several months on this project, and my staff has received briefings and updates from the Corps on a regular basis.
Since filing my amendment, the Corps has announced that $1.5 million in fiscal year 2005 funds will be used to conduct cleanup at Camp Wheeler. Additionally, the Corps of Engineers has assured me that there are funds available in their budget to work toward completion of cleanup of Ordnance Operable Unit No. 1 at Camp Wheeler in the fiscal year 2006 budget.
This amendment will ensure that the necessary funds are spent on this project and that the Camp Wheeler cleanup is completed as the Corps of Engineers has promised.
I ask my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, it is my understanding that at 7:30 we will start with the vote on Senator Warner's submission of the Defense authorization bill as an amendment. Is that correct?
The Presiding Officer: The Senator is correct.
Mr. Stevens: We already have an agreement to have 3 minutes on each side on that amendment, Senator Bayh's amendment No. 1933, and Senator McCain's amendment No. 1977, is that correct?
The Presiding Officer: The Senator is correct.
Mr. Stevens: We are working on a modification to Senator Reed's amendment. We then also have Senator McCain's amendment, which is amendment No. 1978. And we have Senator Graham's amendment, which is 2004.
I say to the Senator, are you prepared to accept that amendment now?
Amendment No. 2004
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Graham's amendment No. 2004 be laid before the Senate so we might consider it.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered. It is pending.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I withdraw that request.
Amendment No. 2033
Mr. President, is it in order for me, as manager of the bill, to move to table Senator Kerry's amendment No. 2033 at this time?
The Presiding Officer: The amendment is not presently pending. The Senator may ask for the regular order with respect to the amendment.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I ask for the regular order with respect to that amendment.
The Presiding Officer: The amendment is now pending.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I move to table Senator Kerry's amendment which deals with LIHEAP and ask for the yeas and nays.
The Presiding Officer: Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that be put into the schedule to be developed by the leadership as to the time at which that vote will occur.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, as to the amendment offered by Ms. Stabenow, I have made the point of order. At what time would that vote occur?
The Presiding Officer: The time for the vote has not yet been scheduled.
Mr. Stevens: Would it be all right with the Senator if we ask for it to be scheduled according to the leadership in this process this evening?
Ms. Stabenow: Yes. That is fine.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that amendment be added to the list for a vote this evening.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, I yield the floor to the Senator from West Virginia.
I suggest the absence of a quorum first.
The Presiding Officer: The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. Stevens: 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. Stevens: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the votes already scheduled at 7:30 today, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the following amendments, in the order listed, provided no second-degree amendments be in order to the amendments prior to the votes: first is Senator McCain's amendment No. 1978; the next is Senator Kerry's amendment No. 2003, for which I made a motion to table, and next is Senator Stabenow's amendment No. 1937, which is a motion to waive my point of order; provided that there be 2 minutes equally divided prior to the debate on each of the above ordered votes. And I ask unanimous consent that for the votes that start at 7:30, the first vote be the regular number of minutes--20 minutes, I believe--and that following that--we have six in the order--the five remaining votes be limited to 10 minutes each.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. Stevens: 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. Obama: 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. Obama: Mr. President, my understanding is that Senator Sessions is going to speak for approximately 10 minutes. I ask unanimous consent to speak as soon as he is finished.
The Presiding Officer: Without objection, it is so ordered.