congressional_record: CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11854
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
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| CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11854 | 2000-12-15 | 106 | 2 | CONGRATULATING SENATOR STEVENS AND SENATOR BYRD | SENATE | SENATE | CONGRATULATIONS | S11854 | S11854 | [{"name": "Trent Lott", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Daniel Patrick Moynihan", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Thomas A. Daschle", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Ted Stevens", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Bob Graham", "role": "speaking"}] | 146 Cong. Rec. S11854 | Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000) [Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)] [Senate] [Page S11854] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRATULATING SENATOR STEVENS AND SENATOR BYRD Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, let me take this occasion to thank the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee and, in his absence, Senator Byrd for his cooperation with Senator Stevens. They work together as a team every day. They do an incredible job. They have one of the toughest jobs in the Congress. I have been working in budget processes now directly for I guess about 20 years. When I was in the House as the whip, I sometimes reluctantly became a participant in those budget renegotiations. They were never easy. But I don't think I have ever seen more fire, lightning, and thunder than we had on this bill, when you compare it to bills of the past that were relatively small in size and various parts. It was very tough. Everything was fought over so aggressively. Things didn't get in, such as Amtrak, and things got in, such as Medicare adjustments. But we found a way to make it happen. We found it very hard to let go. But the Senator from Alaska hung in there. I know he was working at 2 o'clock this morning, and I know he was back at the office today at 6:30. I talked to him sometime between 6:30 and 8 o'clock this morning. The amazing thing was he was sweet and charming and pleasant. Is this the deed? Is this what we have here? Mr. MOYNIHAN. I dare not ask a World War II pilot veteran to lift this or the rules on ergonomics might be contradicted. But I congratulate you, sir. Mr. LOTT. It probably violates the rules of ergonomics, I would like to say, if that is the package. Finally, all of us learned in the last 2 days more than we ever wanted to know about the Steller sea lion. What is it, and what are they? Whatever they are, I am sure they are beautiful, and I know they appreciate the effort of the Senator from Alaska. I know about 10,000 Alaskans appreciate the fact that their jobs will not be wiped out almost instantly. The administration was very tough, but they were protecting the Endangered Species Act. I don't know quite how Senator Stevens found common ground. But he did. Thank goodness for all of the persistence. He is affectionately known as ``The Tasmanian Devil.'' But today he did this job without his Tasmanian necktie. While we get very testy with each other sometimes, we still really appreciate the work that is done. Senator Stevens, congratulations, and I look forward to someday being able to know all that is in the bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Abraham). The Democratic leader. Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this will be the last time, because I know others want to speak. I, too, want to congratulate the chairman and ranking member. This has been a really difficult experience. He knows it. No one knows it better than he because he had to experience it as late as 3:30 last night and as early as 6:30 this morning. We know because of a very intense debate we had within our caucus. It would not have happened without his leadership. It would not have happened without his persistence and the work of his staff--and the staff whom both the majority leader and I have been fortunate to have serve with us as we have attempted to put this package together. I congratulate him. I thank him. I also congratulate the people of Alaska for the kind of representation they sent to Washington in the person of Ted Stevens. I yield the floor. Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska. Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I know others are going to take the floor. While the two leaders are here, I thank each of them for their comments. Nothing is done in the Senate without the concurrence of the leadership. I know full well the help they have given us in the past days and weeks which led to the final solution. I will be speaking about that later. I thank the Senator from Mississippi and also my friend, the Senator from South Dakota, for their help and for the sincere comments they made today. They are very welcome, as far as I am concerned, and I am humbled by them. I thank them very much. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida. Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I appreciate the positive remarks that have just been made about our leadership and those who have supported them throughout these difficult 2 years, and look forward at an appropriate time to hearing the comments of the chairman of the Appropriations Committee on this legislation. |