I am wondering if I could engage the managers in some colloquy and dialog as to how this bill will function in the real world. There are some real problems in terms of the process. This bill is different from last year's bill. First, I…

I believe if we are going to be straight with ourselves, we have to acknowledge two things: That with this experience that the Congressional Budget Office has in making estimates, they are telling us there are times when they cannot make…

I was interested in the Senator from New Mexico's comment about leaving this to the Parliamentarian, as though the law assigns certain responsibilities to the Budget Committee. The way I read the law, the four references out of the five in…

first, I just have one additional question of the Senator from Nebraska. That has to do with the House of Representatives. We are in a position here where he, as ranking member of the Budget Committee, has said it is inappropriate to vest…

Why, then, do we not have the same language on the intergovernmental as we do on the private?

Which is a good goal. But if the author of the legislation attempts to obtain that estimate, and it is impossible for the CBO to make it, even if there is a diligent request, why not allow the Director to be honest? Why force the Director…

If the Director determines that it is not feasible for him to make a reasonable estimate that would be required with respect to Federal private-sector mandates, the Director shall not make the estimate but shall report in the statement…

The question is, should they be able to tell us they cannot make an estimate. The Senator from Idaho keeps saying sure, they ought to. A minute ago, he said a good-faith effort. The words ``good-faith effort'' are not in the bill. The…

Now, when we say, ``Just keep doing it the way we have done it before,'' let us understand what we are talking about. We have a Budget Act--and I will get to that in a minute, because the Budget Act makes specific references to the Budget…

The Senate has no basis. The CBO told us that they cannot make the estimate. You say they can be honest. You ought to say that in the bill, they can be honest. But you do not want to say that in the bill because then the point of order…

I can go on and on through these exemptions. I think the point is clear. We are skating out on a new pond. The Parliamentarian has never ruled on these issues, whether or not language constitutes a mandate; whether or not, because it is an…

We should allow them to be honest when it comes to the cost of an intergovernmental mandate. That is all I am saying. It is an honesty amendment. By the way, it will allow the Senate to legislate a lot better. We will not be gaining useful…

I think we are in a way on the same wavelength because I think it is important that we get honest estimates, too. My question is, If the CBO cannot estimate it--cannot estimate it, it is still out of order. Let me put it a different way…

it is a very good intent. We have a current law which says exactly the same thing. The Budget Act now requires the Congressional Budget Office to make the estimate, where practicable. The chairman, my friend from Delaware, asks, ``Where…

What this bill requires us to do, unlike last year's bill, is to get an estimate which at times we know is impossible to make from the experience of CBO, even on a bill, and we know it is even more impossible on more amendments to get…

I am saying quite the opposite, if the Senator would yield. Quite the opposite. It is worth getting an estimate. It is worth getting an honest estimate. And there is no way that in a few minutes, or in a few hours--indeed in a few days, if…

We have been diligent. We have tried for weeks and weeks and weeks and months to get an estimate and cannot get it because they say there is no way they can make this estimate for various reasons. It may be that the EPA is going to…

the point the chairman makes, it seems to me, cuts exactly the opposite way. Since an appropriation is hanging on the estimate when it comes to the intergovernmental money, it seems to me that is more of a reason that estimate should be…

And I do know that at some point they will be offered. But I would only point out also to the ranking member, to the Senator from Ohio, if he could also then give me his attention--forgive me--on this, that the Budget Committee has adopted…

First of all, we sure do need political campaign finance reform. I could not agree with the Senator more. One of the glaring omissions from the Gingrich contract, it seems to me, is that there is no reference to campaign finance reform and…

I was one of the conferees last year in that conference, and the language which was added here was not adopted by the conference. I do not know of any Republican in the conference or Democrat that supported the language being in the final…

I share the concern of the proponents of this proposal to modify Senate rule XXII that the right to filibuster has been abused in the Senate in recent years. In the entire 19th century only 16 filibusters occurred. In the 26 Congresses…

as I said earlier, the lobbying reform issue, the lobbying disclosure portion of that conference report is not incorporated in this amendment that we will be voting on. That issue, lobbying disclosure, lobbying registration reform, would…

The Senator from Alaska raised this very point during a debate on the language which would ban travel to the so-called charitable events. That exact argument was raised. The Senator from Alaska attempted to strike the language which would…