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Thursday, June 03, 2004 |
There are no more votes during today's session of the Senate.
5:59:56 PM 
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Senator Dole is speaking about the campaign to end hunger. She noted that families in her home state of North Carolina are struggling because they are almost in a constant state of food insecurity, making it difficult for tens of thousands of citizens to get food. The Senator said that as she has learned more about anti-hunger campaign she has developed sincere appreciation for the Society of St. Andrew.
5:24:21 PM
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Senator Dorgan has been speaking for the past twenty minutes on a variety of issues, including the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the U.S. government's efforts to send television signals into Cuba and the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission's regulation of drug companies and the media.
5:08:35 PM
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Senator Kennedy is speaking about his amendment that would strike provisions in the defense authorization bill that would authorize funding for battlefield nuclear weapons. He noted that during the first Gulf War, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, rejected the use of any scenarios that used battlefield nuclear weapons. Senator Kennedy said that 5 kiloton weapon dropped on Damascus, Syria would kill hundreds of thousands of people and based on projections it fallout would kill many people in other countries.
4:39:11 PM
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Senator Feinstein is speaking on the floor about nuclear weapons and their massive destructive power. She noted that this bill would authorize funding for development of a 100 kiloton nuclear device and other battlefield nuclear weapons. She displayed a floor chart to show what the effect of the nuclear bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan during World War II. The Senator asked, why are we spending money almost $500 million on this program that would not be effective.
4:03:38 PM
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The Senate voted 93-0 to confirm the nominatino of Judith Herrera. The Senate will now return to legislative session and consideration of the Defense Authorization bill.
3:55:11 PM
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The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kenneth Karas and is now voting on the nomination of Judith Herrera to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico.
3:23:43 PM
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The Senate confirmed the nomination of Sandra Townes and is now voting on the nomination of Kenneth Karas to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
3:08:05 PM
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Senator Leahy said on the floor that he thanks Senators on both sides of the aisle for working with him to move through the log jam on judges. Senators Domenici and Bingaman both spoke in support of a nomination to the New Mexico District Court. The Senate will now vote on the nomination of Sandra L. Townes to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York.
2:48:08 PM
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With a vote of 48 yeas and 48 nays the Senate did not adopt the Cantwell amendment. Senator McConnell requested that the next three votes on judicial nominations be ten minute votes.
2:44:12 PM
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The Senate is now voting on the Cantwell Amendment.
2:12:36 PM
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Senator Cantwell that debate over her amendment has shown that this is a complex issue and that a few hours of debate on the floor is not sufficient. She recapped her argument by saying that the state of Washington has agreements with the Department of Energy and that she believes the DOE somehow convinced the junior Senator from South Carolina that the changes to the nuclear waste policy are a good idea.
1:50:28 PM
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Senator Levin of Michigan is speaking on the Department of Energy and their desire to be able to reclaissfy high level radioactive waste as low level waste. He noted that Congress prevented the DOE from taking this action. Senator Levin said at that heart of this matter is that the language in the bill allows the DOE to spend money on policies that are inconsistent with the nuclear waste policy. Senator Levin believes that this lanugage should be stricken from the bill.
1:36:55 PM
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Senator Crapo of Idaho said that in the debate over the Cantwell amendment the basic question is, does the South Carolina case set a precedent that would be used in other states? He said he believes that it does not set precedent and that the language in the bill is very clear and deals only with South Carolina. Senator Crapo acknowledged that there is debate ongoing about this issue but that he believes there is no intention to create a precedent that could be used for another state.
1:24:25 PM
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Senator Patty Murray of Washington has come to the floor to offer support for the amendment offered by her colleague also from Washington, Senator Cantwell. She is saying that the best situation would be for the Department of Energy to work in partnership with the states, but is stating that is not what is happening now. Claiming that our country has an obligation effectively deal with the nuclear waste sites, she is mentioning past examples when she has worked hard on behalf of cleaning up nuclear waste.
1:03:21 PM
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Starting with stating her support for Senator Cantwell's amendment, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is voicing her belief that a shift in nuclear waste cleanup policy should not be included in the Department of Defense Authorization but should be considered by the Energy Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee. She is saying that she worries that the amendment is being discussed with particular focus on South Carolina but is saying that it would set a precedent at the national level. She is concluding with saying that New York opposes Section 3116 and is saying that on behalf of herself and Governor Pataki, she will be supporting Senator Cantwell's amendment.
12:56:38 PM
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Senator Bingaman of New Mexico is joining Senator Chmabliss in talking about Section 3116 and the classification of high-level nuclear waste. Saying that Section 3116 is a troubling provision, he is saying that it deregulates the disposal of waste and allows the Department of Energy to declare work done and walk away. The Senator concluded with stating his support of Senator Cantwell's amendment.
12:45:45 PM
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Senator Saxby Chambliss is voicing his opposition to Senator Cantwell's amendment. He is talking about the deal that had been made when South Carolina and Georgia was dealing with the nuclear waste in those states. He is speaking in support of Section 3116 which Senator Cantwell's amendment would strike, saying that the section would greatly expedite the clean up process for nuclear waste across the country.
12:37:10 PM
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Senator Lindsey Graham has come to the floor to respond to comments made about the classification of nuclear waste. He is introducing letters of support that he has received for his amendment concerning this matter.
12:19:50 PM
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Reminding his colleagues that he used to serve as the chairman of the Regional Advisory Council on Nuclear Energy, Senator Hollings is talking about the classification of high-level nuclear waste. He is stating that the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 make it so that the high-level nuclear waste should not be redefined by an amendment. In addition, he is mentioning that the New York Times called this amendment "a stealth amendment." Saying that he would like the waste to be dealt with as expeditiously and effectively as possible, Senator Hollings is claiming that Senator Graham's amendment is not the way to go about doing this. Senator Hollings concluded with thanking Senator Cantwell for her leadership on this issue.
12:04:48 PM
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Senator Wayne Allard spoke is response to Senator Cantwell's comments about contaminiation to the Colombia River and said that there has been a number of hearings already held on this topic.
11:40:16 AM
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Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington is talking about the level of contamination in water and about her amendment which deals with reclassification concerning waste management.
11:35:08 AM
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The period of morning business has concluded. Debate on S.2400, the Defense Authorization Act has resumed. The Senate will first discuss the Cantwell amendment #3261 which deals with the reclassifcation of nuclear waste, followed by three stacked votes on judicial nominees.
11:18:26 AM
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Senator Reid of Nevada came to the floor to discuss the need for Congress to continue moving forward on the Highway bill, which is currently stalled in the House. The Senate is awaiting the appointment of conferees to the conference committee by the House. President Bush is threatening to veto this bill as he feels it is too expensive. Senator Reid feels the cost of the bill is appropriate and it will help with the creation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
11:14:41 AM
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Senator Corzine from New Jersey came to the floor to discuss some of his concerns with the positive outlook on the economy offered by some of his Republican colleagues in their earlier statements. Senator Corzine stated that the average weekly earnings are up only 1% whereas college tuition costs are up 28%. With the use of floor charts, he further highlighted the fact that gas prices are up over 25% and health care prices are up 36%. In his home state of New Jersey property taxes are up 7%. Senator Corzine is concerned that while the middle class is getting squeezed many industry leaders, such as oil executives as well as people in the top 1% income bracket are enjoying huge profits. He said that this discussion isn't about class warfare but rather about who's winning and who's losing right now in this country.
10:59:53 AM
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Senator Nickles from Oklahoma came to the floor to also speak about the economy. He stated that payroll growth has significantly increased and that 1.1 million jobs have been created in the past 8 months. He continued his remarks by claiming that there are more and more examples of investments in manufacturing and that growth in manufacturing employment has also been documented, reversing a trend that was in place for quite some time. He attributes these growth trends to the tax bill passed last year. Like many of his colleagues, Senator Nickles would also like to see the tax cuts made permanent.
10:39:26 AM
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Senator Zell Miller from Georgia came to the floor to state his belief that the best way to jumpstart the economy is to leave more money in the hands of the American people. He went on to state that he was a proud cosponser of the plan that lowered taxes for 111 million taxpayers. He claimed that small businesses across the country are investing in new equipment and manufacturing is picking up. Senator Miller feels the President has done an outstanding job of stewarding our economy through difficult times. Like Senator Frist, Senator Miller also feels the tax cuts passed during the Bush administration should be made permanent.
10:28:28 AM
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Senate Minority Leader, Tom Daschle is discussing the poor state of many schools on Native American reservations. During his remarks, he stated that President Bush's budget for next year cuts funding for the reconstruction of Indian schools long overdue for renovation, which is something Senator Daschle feels is completely unacceptable. One graduating class of Native American children recently had to hold their graduation ceremony in a gymnasium that had been condemned. Senator Daschle further discussed the suicide crisis plaguing certain reservations. For instance, there were 21 suicide attempts on one particular reservation last year. Senator Daschle concluded by stating that Congress needs to do more to keep the promises it has made to Native Americans.
10:21:36 AM
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Senator McConnell from Kentucky came to the floor to stress that he feels our country has enjoyed tremendous economic growth in recent months. As a chief example of the economic recovery he was heralding, he stated that home ownership is now at an all time high.
10:09:18 AM
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Majority Leader Senator Frist began the day announcing that after a period of morning business the Senate will resume consideration of the Defense Authorization bill. Four votes will follow debate on Senator Cantwell's amendment which will include votes on district judge nominations. Following a discussion of today's schedule, Senator Frist discussed the tax cuts implemented to date under the Bush administration. He stressed the importance of making these tax cuts permanent.
10:02:36 AM
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The Senate reconvenes this morning at 9:45 for an hour of morning business prior to resuming debate on S.2400, the Department of Defense Authorization bill. Presently pending to the bill are Senator Graham's amendment and Senator Cantwell's amendment. Votes are expected throughout today both on amendments to S.2400 and on judicial nominations.
9:21:52 AM
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