30 June 2000 Text: Lott Requests Unanimous Consent on China Proliferation Bill Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Republican of Mississippi) sought unanimous consent from the Senate June 30 to schedule a time for debate and a vote on a bill that would penalize China for its role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. But his efforts were stymied by a supporter of the bill that would grant Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status to China, Senator Max Baucus (Democrat of Montana). "I must respectfully object," Baucus said, thus derailing Lott's request. Lott was seeking to get agreement for the Senate to open debate on S. 2645, the China Nonproliferation Act. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Fred Thompson (Republican of Tennessee) and Robert Torricelli (Democrat of New Jersey) calls for the United States to monitor China's proliferation activities, and calls for sanctions against firms that assist those activities. Lott requested a July 10 date for start of the debate on that bill, with a vote to be held no later than July 11. Senator Max Baucus (Democrat of Montana) expressed doubts about the bill and the impact it would have on getting a date and time set for H.R. 4444, the bill that would grant PNTR status to China. Lott said that by granting a set time for S. 2645 to be considered as a stand-alone bill, the Senate would avoid the complications of that bill being offered as an amendment to H.R. 4444, which, if it were to be adopted as such, would require a House-Senate conference on the possibility of a compromise bill on PNTR, and would require that compromise bill to go before both the Senate and House for a vote. According to Senate rules, a senator may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings. If no senator objects, the Senate permits the action, but if any one senator objects, the request is rejected. Lott, who says he backs PNTR, has also said that he wants to deal with several appropriation bills before taking up the issue of China's trade status with the United States. Starting July 10, the Senate is scheduled to be in session 15 days to conduct business before going on its August recess, July 31. It will be back in session after Labor Day, September 4. Following is the text from the June 30 Congressional Record: China Nonproliferation Act (Senate - June 30, 2000) Mr. Lott: Mr. President, we have talked a great deal about the need to find a way to consider the China trade bill and also to consider the problem of China nuclear weapons proliferation. Senator Thompson has done a lot of work in this area, as have others. He has a bill that he would like to have considered and has agreed for it to be considered freestanding, separate from the China PNTR legislation, and that he would not feel a need--if I could speak for him just momentarily--to offer it as an amendment to the China bill, if we can get it considered freestanding. So we have worked through that. I have discussed this with a number of interested parties, including Senator Daschle, and other members on both sides of the aisle. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Monday, July 10, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, after consultation with the minority leader, that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 583, S. 2645, the China Nonproliferation Act. I further ask consent that the bill be limited to relevant amendments. I finally ask consent that not later than 12:30 on Tuesday, July 11, the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, with no intervening action or debate. Before the Chair rules, I would like to announce that it is my intention, as I have reiterated to the Armed Services Committee, that I will give them the opportunity to consider and, hopefully, conclude the DOD authorization bill. In fact, I am going to try to do a unanimous consent request on that next. We will try to get that Department of Defense authorization bill done--a very important bill--before the August recess. We are now working on a consent that was outlined last night by the chairman and ranking member. It is my hope that we could get an agreement on that time. If there is a problem with it, we will continue to work to find an agreement where we can remove the non-germane amendments, deal with the Defense amendments, and complete that very important legislation. So that is my request that I propound at this time. The Presiding Officer: Is there objection? Mr. Reid: Reserving the right to object. Mr. Shelby: Reserving the right to object. Mr. Reid: Mr. President, I will have to object until Senator Baucus arrives. He is on his way. Hopefully, this matter can be resolved very quickly. He has just walked in the Chamber. Senator Baucus is here. He can speak for himself. So until Senator Baucus has a chance to---- Mr. Lott: Others might seek to be recognized on this on their reservation. Mr. Reid: I have my reservation. Mr. Domenici: Reserving the right to object, might I ask the leader a question? Mr. Lott: Certainly. Mr. Domenici: I ask the majority leader, you said something about a freestanding nonproliferation bill? Mr. Lott: Yes. Mr. Domenici: What is that? Mr. Lott: Mr. President, in answer to the question of the Senator from New Mexico, this is legislation that has been developed by Senator Thompson. It is the China Nonproliferation Act. Perhaps under the Senator's reservation, he would like to yield to Senator Thompson so he could give a brief response to that question. Mr. Thompson: Mr. President, if I might please respond to my colleague. Mr. Domenici: Please. The Presiding Officer: The Senator from Tennessee. Mr. Thompson: I say to Senator Domenici, this is a piece of legislation that is in response to the continuing array of reports and information that we have concerning the continued proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in which the Chinese are engaged. As you know, we are in the process of having an extensive national missile defense system debate in this country. Much of the reason for that need is what the rogue nations are doing. Much of what the rogue nations are being supplied with is coming from the Chinese Government and Chinese governmental entities. What this bill does is provide for an annual assessment. It is China specific. It is an annual assessment as to their level of proliferation activities. If any entities are engaged in those activities, there are certain responses in which our country engages to cut off those entities with regard to dual-use trade, munitions trade, access to our capital market. There is an array of things the President has to choose from to respond to that. Mr. Domenici: I say to the majority leader, I have no objection. I withdraw my reservation. Mr. Shelby addressed the Chair. The Presiding Officer: The Senator from Alabama. Mr. Domenici: Mr. President, I have a reservation that maybe the majority leader can clarify, if he will yield for a question. Mr. Lott: Mr. President, I would be glad to yield under the Senator's reservation and respond to the question. Mr. Domenici: Does this only relate to bringing up the Thompson bill and nothing else? Mr. Lott: This unanimous consent request only deals with the bill S. 2645, the China Nonproliferation Act. No other issue, no other bill is included in it. Mr. Domenici: I have no objection. Mr. Baucus addressed the Chair. The Presiding Officer: The Senator from Montana. Mr. Baucus: I arrived on the floor a little late. What is the pending business? The Presiding Officer: A unanimous consent request by the majority leader is pending. Mr. Baucus: Mr. President, reserving the right to object, my concern is that we are setting the July schedule, albeit part of the July schedule, but without inclusion of a date or time for PNTR. I am very concerned that as we start taking up matters in July--even though it is the Thompson amendment--who knows what might intervene. You have reconciliation; you have appropriations bills, and whatnot. Because we do not have a date certain on the request for PNTR, it could very easily slip into September or even a later date. I know it is very much the intention of the majority leader to bring up the PNTR in July. He has said that many times. And I very much appreciate that. But as I have said personally to the majority leader, I am not so certain that, despite his best intentions, he can totally control whether or not PNTR actually does come up in July. In addition, the merits of the bill that would otherwise be scheduled to come up after the July recess is very dangerous. I do not think Senators have really had the time to look at the provisions of that bill, to think through the implications of that bill. It has unilateral sanctions, mandatory--not discretionary--sanctions against China. It is very overdrawn. American companies doing business in China could be sanctioned. It has extraterritorial provisions which are way beyond the ordinary rules of international law. I think it would cause a tremendous strain in the context of PNTR. My concern is that we are setting the schedule for July, albeit just a part of July, that does not include probably the most important vote that this Senate is going to take up this Congress; that is, passage of PNTR. And until there is a date set for PNTR, I must respectfully object. The Presiding Officer: Objection is heard. Mr. Lott: Mr. President, we will continue to work with both sides of the aisle to see if this matter can be dealt with in an acceptable way, aside from it being offered as an amendment to the China PNTR bill. I think that would be potentially a large problem because if it were adopted, certainly then that legislation would have to go back to the House, and there is a lot of concern about that. As far as a time to consider the major bill, the China PNTR, this is an important part of the process in a move in that direction. And until we get this resolved, then it is going to be very hard to focus on exactly what date we could get a vote on the bill. I must also add that it is true we have a lot of important work to do in July. We have to deal with the very unfair death penalty. We have to deal with eliminating the marriage penalty tax. We have to pass the agriculture appropriations bill. We have to pass the Interior appropriations bill. We have to pass the Housing and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. We have to pass the Commerce-State-Justice appropriations bill. We have to pass the Treasury-Postal Service appropriations bill. We have a lot of work to do, and none of it is insignificant. The people's business needs to be taken care of. This is just a part of that process. But I understand the Senator's objection. We will keep working to see if we can find a time and a way to do it. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) Return to the Washington File