ILW.COM - Work of the 106th Congress

[Congressional Record: October 23, 2000 (Senate)] [Page S10886-S10887] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr23oc00-108] WORK OF THE 106TH CONGRESS Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, time has been reserved for two or three other Senators. We are checking to see if they are going to make it this afternoon. While we are waiting on that, I do want to put in the Record a report of some of the things that have happened in the Senate. There are those who are complaining that the Senate has not been doing its business. In fact, I have about four pages of legislation that has been passed over the past 2 years, but I want to read the list of things that have passed since Labor Day alone. I am not going to read them all. When the assertion is made the Senate has not been doing serious work, this belies that and [[Page S10887]] makes it clear we have been doing very important and serious work. For instance, we have already repealed the telephone excise tax, a tax that was put on temporarily to help pay for the Spanish-American War. That was a part of one of the bills we passed a week or so ago. That has been repealed. We passed the Safe Drug Reimportation Act as part of one of the bills that passed last week. We passed permanent normal trade relations with China, legislation I am sure most people would describe as important trade legislation, whether they disagreed or agreed with it. We passed the H-1B visa bill which certainly has a very important effect on small businesses and high-tech industries in the United States, as well as other bills related to children's health, breast and cervical cancer prevention, rural schools and community self- determination, and Aimee's law wherein a State can require or use law enforcement funds in relation to the release of a convict who commits a crime in another State. That information can be provided to the other State. The Violence Against Women Act was passed; victims of terrorism legislation; the Water Resources Development Act, including the very important Everglades provisions. We passed portions of the conservation bill called CARA, and perhaps even more of it will pass before we leave. We passed the intelligence authorization bill; the NASA authorization bill; and the Department of Defense authorization bill just last week, very important legislation for the future of our military men and women, not only in terms of their readiness and modernization of their equipment, but also a pay raise of 4.8 percent for our military men and women, and the strongest health care package for our military men and women, their families, and our retirees in the history of the country. In addition, we have passed seven appropriations conference bills. There have been questions about the tax bill. I do not think there is any big secret about it. All you have to do is look at bills that have passed the House or the Senate or the Finance Committee, and you will see that there is the community renewal legislation, which has the support of the President, the Speaker of the House, and a number of Senators. There has been an expectation that it would be done in some form before we leave; the very important improvements in pensions and IRAs, as well as 401(k)s, so that a greater amount can be put into these IRAs and 401(k)s. Then, since we have not been able to overcome objections from some of the Senators--I think Senator Wellstone, Senator Kennedy, and maybe others--the small business tax relief package, which is attached to the minimum wage, would be something that we want to get done before we leave here. Finally--certainly not least--I have tried to move, several times, the Foreign Sales Corporation legislation reported overwhelmingly by the Finance Committee--very important for our ability to do business in the trade area with Europe. We have not been able to clear it from an objection. So the expectation is that several of these bills that have broad bipartisan support would be joined together and passed before we leave at the end of the session. So I want the Record to reflect a portion of what has been done since Labor Day--not exactly an inactive period of time. Mr. President, so that this will be made a part of the Record, I ask unanimous consent that my entire list be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Legislation Cleared by Congress, Signed Into Law or Enroute to President's Signature Just Since Labor Day Telephone Excise Tax Repeal (to fund Spanish-American War). Safe Drug Re-Importation Act. Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. H1-B Visas. Children's Health Act. Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act. Internet Alcohol. TREAD bill. Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act. Intercountry Adoption Act. Aimee's Law (state can lose law enforcement funds if release convict early who commits crime in another state). Violence Against Women Act. Sex Trafficking. Victims of Terrorism. Water Resources Development Act (including the Everglades). CARA provisions of Interior. Wildland Fire Management (part of Interior). Intelligence Authorization. NASA Authorization. DOD Authorization (including help for workers at nuclear plants like Paducah, KY). Appropriations: Interior Conference Report; Transportation Conference Report; Energy & Water Conference Report Post-Veto Bill; Treasury/Postal Conference Report; Legislative Branch Conference Report; VA/HUD Senate Bill (may face conference with House). 3 Continuing resolutions. Final Week Expectations Restoration of payments to medicare providers so seniors-- especially in rural areas--will continue to have a choice of medicare plans. Appropriations remaining: Agriculture Conference Report; DC Conference Report; Labor/HHS; Foreign Operations; Commerce/ State/Justice. ____________________

FIND A LAWYER		More options
State:	Specialty:	Language:

Share this page | Bookmark this page | Print this page |

Add to del.icio.us