Intelligence Committee Reorganization

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Oct. 7, 2004

INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the reorganization resolution is now the pending business before the Senate. I want to report to our colleagues an agreement that Senator Reid and I have reached-he is on the floor as well to discuss the matter-as to how we are going to proceed.

Point No. 1: any amendments will need to be offered. The issue we are dealing with, of course, is sensitive to a number of different committees in the Senate. It is the intention of Senator Reid and myself not to have a managers' package. If Members of the Senate feel strongly about a particular amendment, what we recommend to them is they come over to the Senate floor and offer the amendment so that everyone can understand fully what change in the underlying resolution is being proposed.

Senator Reid and I have said repeatedly that the underlying resolution is certainly not like the Ten Commandments; it should not be adjusted. We cobbled it together as best we could through a series of bipartisan discussions and compromises. Now it is the pending business before the Senate. We expect amendments. We would like amendments. We received notice last night by hotlining that there could be as many as 50 amendments Members may wish to offer. We are open for business, and we would like for Senators to come over and offer those amendments so we can move forward.

I also remind our colleagues that Senator Frist and Senator Daschle and Senator Reid and myself did file a cloture motion last night, not to shut anyone out but because we are about to leave on Friday and so many amendments were indicated as possibilities that we felt we needed to nudge the process forward by creating the possibility of an end time tomorrow.

Let me repeat before turning to my friend and colleague, Senator Reid, that if Senators have an amendment, please come and offer it, explain it to the rest of the Senate, lay it before the Senate, explain what it is about, and let's have votes and move the process forward as rapidly as we can.
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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, let me also take this opportunity to remind our colleagues what this is all about. The Secretary of Homeland Security and his principal assistants are being dragged around the Capitol continuously. Just this year, there have been 164 hearings, up from 148 last year. There are currently 88 committees or subcommittees in the House and Senate that have at least some part of the Homeland Security Department. Here in the Senate, which we are addressing in this underlying resolution, there are 25 Senate committees or subcommittees that have jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Tom Ridge called me on Monday pleading for relief. His job, as important as oversight is, is not to spend all of his time up here.

What we are trying to do in the underlying resolution is to consolidate in one place the jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security to simplify oversight for us and to simplify the very necessary process of oversight for the Secretary and his principal assistants.

The resolution is pending. As I said, we are open for business, and we hope to have amendments in the very near future.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we are hoping to get a vote on this amendment in the near future. Is Senator Bayh going to offer an amendment as well?
Mr. REID. Yes.
Mr. McCONNELL. Is there anyone else in the Chamber to speak on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment? If not, it might be a good idea to lay that aside and let Senator Bayh offer his amendment.
Mr. REID. I say through the Chair to the manager of the bill, I think that is totally appropriate. He has something to do in a half hour or so, so it would be good to have his amendment taken care of at this time.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that we temporarily lay aside the Chambliss amendment to give Senator Bayh an opportunity to send his amendment forward.
I repeat that we are looking for a time agreement to vote on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, we hope in the next 30 to 45 minutes.
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Mr. McCONNELL. Could the Senator suspend for one moment?
Mr. ROBERTS. I would be delighted. Maybe my blood pressure would come down. I would be delighted to suspend on behalf of the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, as a fan of the Louisville Cardinals.
Mr. McCONNELL. We have a number of speakers in the Chamber now, and I want to try to get consent to establish some order.
How much more time does the Senator from Kansas wish?
Mr. ROBERTS. I haven't quite figured it out yet. I got wound up pretty good.
I have one more page, and the Senator from Pennsylvania asked how long will that take? How about 2 minutes, 3 minutes.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent the Senator from Kansas be permitted an additional 3 minutes, to be followed by the Senator from Virginia for 12 minutes.
Mr. ROBERTS. May I inquire of the distinguished Senator, are we getting time limits now? I wanted to have a good colloquy with my dear friend and esteemed chairman of the Armed Services Committee who has a willing offer to make because I am not quite sure in regard to this issue what it will be, and if we put in an artificial time limit-I don't know.
Mr. McCONNELL. There is no time limit on any agreement, but we are seeking a time agreement on the Chambliss amendment. And Senator Cornyn would like to speak on that amendment, as well as Senator Specter and Senator Kennedy.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I see my colleague from Michigan.
Mr. McCONNELL. Senator Levin also wishes to speak on the amendment?
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Mr. McCONNELL. I am trying to accommodate the Senator on the other amendment, the Chambliss amendment. He must leave town around 1 o'clock. We were hoping to get a vote on that amendment.
Mr. KENNEDY. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. McCONNELL. Yes.
Mr. KENNEDY. I am a cosponsor of the Chambliss amendment, so I would appreciate it if I could have maybe 6 or 7 minutes prior to the time we vote. I, too, want to cooperate with the managers, and particularly the chairman, to make sure he is able to work his program.
If the leader could ensure that.
Mr. McCONNELL. I make this suggestion: I ask unanimous consent Senator Roberts complete his remarks. He has asked for an additional 3 minutes. I ask unanimous consent we then return to the Chambliss amendment, and in order, have Senator Kennedy for 6 minutes, Senator Cornyn for 6 minutes, Senator Specter for?
Mr. SPECTER. If I may, I follow Senator Roberts for just 3 minutes.
Mr. WARNER. No objection.
Mr. McCONNELL. I am asking consent to accommodate a Member of the Senate who must leave in the not too distant future, to return to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, have the discussion on that because that is the amendment we are hoping to get a vote on in the not too distant future.
Since discussions are underway on the Bayh amendment, it would be my hope those involved in that will continue their discussions off the floor, and we will resume that discussion on the floor after that.
Let me ask unanimous consent that at the end of Senator Roberts's remarks, we take up the Chambliss, resume consideration of the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, and Senator Kennedy be recognized for 6 minutes, Senator Cornyn be recognized for 6 minutes, and Senator Specter?
Mr. SPECTER. I won't be here.
Mr. McCONNELL. Anyone else on the Chambliss?
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to speak on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment. So far as we were eviscerating the Judiciary Committee, I thought possibly I might say a word or two.
Mr. McCONNELL. How much time? There is no time agreement.
Mr. LEAHY. I would like to have 10 minutes.
Mr. McCONNELL. And 10 minutes for the chairman.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, at the conclusion I would like 3 minutes.
Mr. McCONNELL. And 3 minutes for Senator Specter.
Mr. REID. If I could, reserving the right to object, is everyone speaking on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment?
Mr. McCONNELL. No.
Mr. ROBERTS. No.
Mr. REID. It has nothing to do with the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. McCONNELL. My consent agreement was related to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, and the time for the Senators was related to discussion of that amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. McCONNELL. To which we would return when Senator Roberts completes its discussion on the Bayh amendment.
Mr. LEAHY. I assure the Senator from Kentucky I wish to speak on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, could I ask the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee whether his 12 minutes will defer to the Bayh amendment or the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment?
Mr. WARNER. I was here early this morning with Senator Bayh, so that is the purpose of my presence, solely for that amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. It is probable that the chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, from time to time recognized by the Armed Services Committee, would like to at least have something to say about what the distinguished chairman will say about the Bayh amendment.
I am not trying to set the record straight because that is not in the realm of possibility of the distinguished chairman, but I don't know how to accomplish that now if we go to the other-I guess we will have time.
Mr. McCONNELL. I might suggest to the Senator from Kansas, there is no time agreement on the Bayh amendment, and the unanimous consent agreement I just propounded was entirely related to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment which we would like to resume consideration of. I am sure the Senator from Kansas will have more to say about the Bayh amendment later. There are no restrictions.
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Mr. McCONNELL. I am trying to accommodate the Senator on the other amendment, the Chambliss amendment. He must leave town around 1 o'clock. We were hoping to get a vote on that amendment.
Mr. KENNEDY. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. McCONNELL. Yes.
Mr. KENNEDY. I am a cosponsor of the Chambliss amendment, so I would appreciate it if I could have maybe 6 or 7 minutes prior to the time we vote. I, too, want to cooperate with the managers, and particularly the chairman, to make sure he is able to work his program.
If the leader could ensure that.
Mr. McCONNELL. I make this suggestion: I ask unanimous consent Senator Roberts complete his remarks. He has asked for an additional 3 minutes. I ask unanimous consent we then return to the Chambliss amendment, and in order, have Senator Kennedy for 6 minutes, Senator Cornyn for 6 minutes, Senator Specter for?
Mr. SPECTER. If I may, I follow Senator Roberts for just 3 minutes.
Mr. WARNER. No objection.
Mr. McCONNELL. I am asking consent to accommodate a Member of the Senate who must leave in the not too distant future, to return to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, have the discussion on that because that is the amendment we are hoping to get a vote on in the not too distant future.
Since discussions are underway on the Bayh amendment, it would be my hope those involved in that will continue their discussions off the floor, and we will resume that discussion on the floor after that.
Let me ask unanimous consent that at the end of Senator Roberts's remarks, we take up the Chambliss, resume consideration of the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, and Senator Kennedy be recognized for 6 minutes, Senator Cornyn be recognized for 6 minutes, and Senator Specter?
Mr. SPECTER. I won't be here.
Mr. McCONNELL. Anyone else on the Chambliss?
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to speak on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment. So far as we were eviscerating the Judiciary Committee, I thought possibly I might say a word or two.
Mr. McCONNELL. How much time? There is no time agreement.
Mr. LEAHY. I would like to have 10 minutes.
Mr. McCONNELL. And 10 minutes for the chairman.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, at the conclusion I would like 3 minutes.
Mr. McCONNELL. And 3 minutes for Senator Specter.
Mr. REID. If I could, reserving the right to object, is everyone speaking on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment?
Mr. McCONNELL. No.
Mr. ROBERTS. No.
Mr. REID. It has nothing to do with the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. McCONNELL. My consent agreement was related to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment, and the time for the Senators was related to discussion of that amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. McCONNELL. To which we would return when Senator Roberts completes its discussion on the Bayh amendment.
Mr. LEAHY. I assure the Senator from Kentucky I wish to speak on the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, could I ask the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee whether his 12 minutes will defer to the Bayh amendment or the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment?
Mr. WARNER. I was here early this morning with Senator Bayh, so that is the purpose of my presence, solely for that amendment.
Mr. ROBERTS. It is probable that the chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, from time to time recognized by the Armed Services Committee, would like to at least have something to say about what the distinguished chairman will say about the Bayh amendment.
I am not trying to set the record straight because that is not in the realm of possibility of the distinguished chairman, but I don't know how to accomplish that now if we go to the other-I guess we will have time.
Mr. McCONNELL. I might suggest to the Senator from Kansas, there is no time agreement on the Bayh amendment, and the unanimous consent agreement I just propounded was entirely related to the Chambliss-Kennedy amendment which we would like to resume consideration of. I am sure the Senator from Kansas will have more to say about the Bayh amendment later. There are no restrictions.