Bob Dole: “I think this amendment will be accepted. Let me just say for the record here, there is an effort to try to work these…”

“I think this amendment will be accepted. Let me just say for the record here, there is an effort to try to work these things out on a bipartisan basis. We have had some success in this area. I thank the Senator from Michigan for his cooperation. I think it does answer some of the questions that some have raised, legitimate questions. We have tried to address legitimate questions as we did in the last amendment, though I do not think the amendment was necessary--nor, for that matter, that this one is necessary. But if it helps to move the bill along, obviously we are prepared to do that. Mr. President, opponents of S. 343, the regulatory reform bill, have repeatedly expressed concern that it would override existing laws providing for protection of health, safety, and the environment. They have made this argument despite the fact that the bill clearly states that its requirements "supplement and do not supersede" requirements in existing law. They have made this argument despite the fact that every sponsor of S. 343 has insisted that its provisions do not override requirements of existing law. It is ironic that this language is similar to language in other statutes, and no one seems to have had difficulty understanding the plain meaning of the phrase before. As I stated yesterday, I do not for 1 minute really believe that Ralph Nader or President Clinton's staff are unaware of the language in our bill.”