Joseph T. Burns

Maintaining the integrity of our elections and ensuring that voters have confidence in our system is not and should not be a partisan issue.

I am very supportive of the Senator from Nebraska on this issue. I wish we could have gotten a vote and not have to deal with a point of order. I don't think the fires we have had in Montana and the dry weather we have had in Montana yield…

That is correct. This directs the Census Bureau to take a study and get the true impact of how counting illegal aliens affects the reapportionment in the House of Representatives.

If all of the money is not used for the set-top box and there is money left over, yes, it does go to debt reduction, but isn't it also earmarked in there for first responders and spectrum? Did we not talk about them? Basically that is why…

The Senator is correct. The Bureau of Land Management currently does not have the mechanism in place to implement a pilot project like this. However, there are entities in the private sector that have a well-established history of…

I will be happy to consider the Senator's request should funding become available.

My State of Montana is home to tens of thousands of Native Americans, and I am familiar with the health care challenges that they and other Native Americans around the Nation face. I understand that the minority leader expects IHS to meet…

The Senator is correct. The Phoenix Indian Medical Center Hospital System is at the top of the priority list for replacement of its inpatient facility. As part of this replacement, three ambulatory clinics will be constructed in the region…

It is my understanding, Mr. President, that the administration's budget requested $9.4 million to deal with phase-1 improvements to the water and wastewater systems at Lake Mead.

Well, let me assure the minority leader that we will look for ways to help fund this long overdue maintenance of Lake Mead's water and wastewater systems. One option we can consider is to find funding for the failing wastewater system this…

The Senator is correct. I am willing to work with the Senator from Wisconsin, Mr. Feingold, and the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Dorgan to request in writing this audit by the Government Accountability Office.

The role of partnerships is rapidly changing and our subcommittee has encouraged the Park Service to develop guidelines and standards for their partners. I am encouraged by the progress. It also seems appropriate that we not hobble…

We have another speaker coming on our side who is on his way. In the meantime, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I yield time to Senator Kyl for the purpose of withdrawing his amendment.

We will try the Congressional Budget Office. Of course, there are other things that have entered into this. I have often wondered why they always call it OMB, Office of Management and Budget. I think maybe they call it OB. Nonetheless, we…

If you want to close, I will make a short statement. Then we will go to the vote.

We have a vote coming up, and we probably can get to that in the next 5 or 10 minutes, if that is OK with the Senator from California.

That is reassuring; isn't it? Everybody gets to read it-- that is different in the Senate. We have it. Amendment No. 1068

Well, I will tell you, I have read those conference reports, also--even the bills that come over from the House--like you. If you have a clear paper trail, and you read everything, about 80 percent of all earmarks are contained in the…

Sure. Listen, I helped pass a law with Senator Lieberman on E-Government. Any citizen can go to their computer and dial it up online, and they can follow it all the way through. There are ways of doing that. I was part of that debate on…

I do not know how one signs on to all of what was just stated by my friend from Kentucky. I can also compliment him in a couple of areas and say that I would not be here had it not been for him. I do not know if I should mourn or celebrate…

And Senator Voinovich of Ohio, and Senator Akaka is after Mr. Isakson. Mr. Akaka, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Voinovich, and Senator Kerry--

We are setting the priority of amendments now and consulting. We will have that decision made in just a bit. We want to work on that. We have a lot of work to do this afternoon and on into the evening. There have been some changes as far…

I remind Senators that we are going to start calling up these amendments right after lunch. I want to warn Senators to come down and defend their amendments. If not, we are going to start taking action on them first thing after lunch. We…

We have some amendments we can accept. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment offered by Mr. Ensign, 1033; Mrs. Feinstein, 1024; the majority leader, Mr. Frist, 1028; Mr. Wyden, 1035; and Mr. Craig's amendment numbered 1041 be called…