*EPF405 07/27/00
Transcript: Cloture Motion on China Permanent Normal Trade Relations
(Senator Trent Lott seeks early vote on cloture motion) (850)
Senator Trent Lott (Republican of Mississippi), the Senate Majority Leader, submitted a cloture request July 26 that would move the Senate closer to voting on H.R. 4444, the bill that would grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.
Lott, along with 15 Senators, moved "to bring to a close debate on the motion to proceed to calendar No. 575, H.R. 4444, a bill to authorize extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the People's Republic of China."
The move to cloture could be voted on either July 27 or July 28. If 60 senators support the move, attempts to delay or block H.R. 4444 would be severely limited.
A move to cloture that is accepted would allow only an additional 30 hours of debate on the bill and would give the bill precedence over other Senate business.
Lott, who has wanted to dispose of appropriation bills before taking up the issue of PNTR, noted there was support for and opposition to granting China PNTR in both political parties.
Following is an excerpt from the July 26 Congressional Record:
(begin excerpt)
NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
MOTION TO PROCEED
(Senate - July 26, 2000)
Mr. LOTT. So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 575, H.R. 4444, regarding normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. REID. Objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. LOTT. I am sorry there is objection just to proceeding to the bill. But I know that Senator Reid is objecting on behalf of others who do not want us to proceed to it. I hope we can get to a vote on Friday; and then when we come back in September this will be an issue we can go to soon rather than later in the month.
CLOTURE MOTION
I move to proceed to the bill. So I make that motion to proceed at this time, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to proceed to calendar No. 575, H.R. 4444, a bill to authorize extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the People's Republic of China:
Trent Lott, Pat Roberts, Larry E. Craig, Christopher Bond, Chuck Grassley, Ted Stevens, Connie Mack, Orin Hatch, Frank H. Murkowski, Wayne Allard, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Don Nickles, Bill Roth, Michael Crapo, Slade Gorton, and Craig Thomas.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this cloture vote will occur on Friday, unless consent can be granted to conduct the vote earlier or we are in a postcloture situation on the Treasury-Postal Service appropriations bill. There is opposition, obviously, to this motion to proceed. But I still think that adequate time can be used for discussion. I know there are a number of Senators who would like to see this vote occur on Thursday instead of Friday. I am willing to accommodate that. But if that cannot be worked out, then we will have the vote on Friday. If we are in a postcloture situation, the vote could be postponed for some time. But I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum be waived.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LOTT. I now withdraw the motion to proceed. I believe I have that right.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right.
The motion is withdrawn.
Mr. LOTT. In conclusion, while we seek Utopia in dealing with these appropriations bills, the promised land of how we can work together to do the people's business, which we are not doing right now, at least in the case of this bill, I believe we will have broad bipartisan support for the China PNTR bill. I might add, there is going to be some bipartisan opposition, too.
So as we get into the substance of this--which I would rather be getting into rather than having to once again file cloture on a motion to proceed--I think we will have a good debate. I think it is going to serve the Senate well. I think it will serve the American people well. I believe when we do finally get to a vote, it will pass--and probably should. But there are a lot of serious questions still involved in how we are going to deal with China. So I look forward to this discussion.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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