Dirk Kempthorne

I am trying to determine what went into coming up with this CBO list and the analysis. But, again, is the requirement to remove mercury a current mandate in your hypothetical?

The CBO is to make a 5-year estimate. Based upon the input from State and local officials, I would think the committee would then ask either CBO, or based upon the input from those State and local officials: What is the effective date…

I had some discussion with the Senator from Wisconsin about this, and I understand the intent and I appreciate the intent of this. It sounds to me like it may be an incentive for States to continue to be progressive and know that there may…

I want to join my voice with so many other voices in expressing sorrow at the loss of Rose Kennedy, a woman who epitomized, I think, strength and class and grace; and say to Senator Kennedy and all the members of the Kennedy family that…

That is correct, Mr. President. We are certainly supportive of accepting this amendment and would state that I agree with the Senator, that there was no intention to leave out these classes. In fact, we had discussed that they would be…

We also would be very supportive of accepting this amendment. We thank the Democratic side for the agreement. We commend Senator Nickles and Senator Domenici for their work on this. It is an important addition to the bill.

I certainly will respect your time. But, Mr. President, that is the point. There is all of this emphasis, all of this discussion on a point of order. At any point--at any point--you may seek a waiver of that point of order. In all…

What sort of adverse impact might that have on competition between the public and private sector?

That is the point, Senator, that is the point. If that scenario were to unfold, No. 1, would it not be very healthy for the Senate to have the information as to what is the cost of that mandate?

Just in response to that, this concept of having a public hospital, the private hospital, are we going to presume that we would then proceed and only pay for a minimum wage increase on the private hospital?

I must respond to this statement by the Senator from Montana. He is so correct in pointing out that Micron is worth attracting to your State. Micron is an outstanding industry, and I know that because Micron is located in Boise, ID, of…

In summation, may I just say that this vote on cloture does not close off debate. It says we will now have 30 hours of debate but the amendments will pertain specifically to the legislation before us. That is what the American people would…

Mr. President I wish to thank the Senator from Ohio, the distinguished floor manager. He is correct. This is an issue that was of concern between the Governmental Affairs Committee and the Budget Committee. Through the evening hours and…

I would suggest to my friend from South Carolina, with a great deal of respect, that I have throughout this day been floating and suggesting unanimous-consent agreements to bring these amendments to the floor. And there has been objection…

Again, there is a point I would like to make, Mr. President. The Senator stated that this locks us in. There is nothing to preclude that in a subsequent year as we find that perhaps, now, based on actual cost, those costs have changed. It…

I believe, I say to my friend from Arkansas, that, as you have just stated it, in essence that is what we have provided here. The Senator from West Virginia is correct. We should not give our power away. But we do not. We make that…

If that authorizing committee chose the option that said, in the event it does not provide full funds, that is the threshold, and if that subsequent appropriation does not hit that threshold, then that Federal agency can in fact do a…

I appreciate that. Mr. President, the triggering mechanism is on the fund amount. In other words, if they choose the option that it is to provide the funds through a subsequent appropriations bill, and that appropriations bill provides…

Just in response to that--and I appreciate the idea of consistency--in this particular legislation, it was really many, many hours of working together with the House. I was not privy to what sort of arrangements the Senator had worked out…

To further answer that, that is correct. They have said in the inquiry, Could you put this in the bill? However, I tell you there has been further clarification that if the Senate were to determine that it just did not feel appropriate for…

I agree with that but it is up to Members not CBO to certify by note that they cannot do it. So there is no point of order, there is no basis for the Chair. I think we may be caught in a bit of a technicality or semantics issue. I would be…

If the Senator will yield, I really believe that--and the good Senator from Michigan keeps referencing the 87,000 jurisdictions--they would be arguing what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not very eloquent in saying it. It is not in any…

The difference, I say to the Senator, is he is saying the same language used in the private sector. If you do so, then there is no way the point of order can lie.

I say to the Senator, it might cause us to then rethink the mandate. But the Senator keeps going back, saying, let us be honest; let us be honest. S. 1 gives us this process to be honest. it is going to give us the best information…

But I say to the Senator, with the process as prescribed, you will have that report from CBO. You then, as the Chair of that committee, can use that and come down to this floor, and you can get a majority to vote to waive that. Because you…