The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from Montana is recognized. Xx. XXXXX. Mr. President, I thank my chairman and the Chair. First of all, I rise today to join my colleague in pledging my support for this piece of legislation, the Tele- communications Act of 1995. Let me first start out talking about the leader- ship that Senator XXXXXXXX has shown on this particular piece of legislation. As you know, we have gotten the re- form of telecommunications further than it has come since I have been in this body. In 1989, we started working on telecommunications in the reform, the deregulation of it, to do one thing, and that was to push new technologies into areas where we desperately needed those new technologies, because all one has to do is to look around and say we are going to do things differently when it comes to educating our kids, we are going to do things differently when we talk about telemedicine. I can remember almost 5 years ago I joined with then-Senator Xxxx to intro- duce a series of telecommunications in- frastructure bills. I remember that day. I think the ranking member of the Commerce Committee was chairman at that time. I can remember that situa- tion. We both strongly believed at that time in the need to unleash the digital revolution through the substitution of competition for excessive regulation. The bill basically achieves that basic goal, and because of this, it will accel- erate by decades the deployment of ad- vanced telecommunications infrastruc- ture. This is not to say, Mr. Xxxxxxxxx, that the conference report is perfect or the best it could possibly be. In some places I would like to change it. But, you know, you do not get everything you want, but at least you want every- thing that you got. I think basically that is the position we are in. We can- not let the best become the enemy of the good. It is time that we take what we can get now and move forward with this piece of legislation. Under this bill, the nature of regula- tion will change. Instead of regulating the profits of telephone companies, regulation will now focus on ensuring that competition can take root in all S700
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 2127) for the relief of the Pottawatomi Nation in Canada for settle- ment of certain claims against the United States. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 4558) to extend the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to the consideration of the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from Arizona declines to yield fur- ther to the Senator from Delaware? Xx. XXXXXX. I decline to yield. Xx. XXXXX. I am not seeking rec- ognition. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from Virginia has the floor. Xx. XXXXXX. I will try and summa- rize. Mr. President, how much time do I have? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator still has 11 minutes of the original 15 minutes remaining. Xx. XXXXXX. As a courtesy to the managers and the whip, I will not use all that time, but I would like to just finish our colloquy. Because I thought we were making a point, at least I felt very strongly, the President gave the assurances. And you said the way to settle this—and you wanted it for the House, the letter was sufficient for the House—why wouldn’t this letter con- tinue to be sufficient for the Senate? If it is sufficient for one body, it is suffi- cient for the other body. That is my point. Xx. XXXXX. Would the Senator like me to answer? I will try to do it quick- ly.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from North Dakota. Xx. XXXXXX. Madam President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Mississippi for his kind comments and also for his leadership on the Agri- culture Committee as our ranking member. I wanted to express my appre- ciation. With that, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Xx. XXXXXXX). The Senator from North Da- kota. Xx. XXXXXXXX. Mr. President, it should come as no surprise that two Senators from the great State of North Dakota stand today and talk about the importance of American agriculture. Ninety percent of the land we have in North Dakota is engaged in production agriculture. As much as we have heard—and it is all true—about this great economic renaissance we are hav- ing in our State, agriculture is still No. 1. Every year American farmers—North Dakota farmers—bet. They bet on good weather, good prices, that the crop will grow, and they spend millions of dol- lars on that bet. They are the biggest gamblers in the history of the world, and they are asking for a farm bill that gives them a little bit of risk help and makes sure when they plant, they know that maybe they have a chance to get cost of production back out. Why is that important? It is impor- tant because who is going to take that risk on behalf of the American people, on behalf of a global and worldwide supply of food? Who is going to take that risk if we don’t help a little bit? Today in America almost every State which has an agricultural base is doing a little bit better because agriculture has led the way. Agriculture has aided this economy. States with an agri- culture base have a much lower rate of unemployment, and they have been leading the way on our trade deficit. It cannot be overstated how signifi- cant this farm bill is not only to States such as North Dakota but to every State and every economy in this Union. There are 16 million jobs which hang in the balance. They are waiting for this body—the Congress—to give some assurance, to pass a farm bill. I applaud both the ranking member and the committee chair for their ex- cellent work. No bill which comes out of a committee with diverse opinions is absolutely perfect where everyone will agree on everything in the bill, but it is part of the great American com- promise we have been talking about and striving for in this body. We are working to move the issues forward and do what Americans sent us here to do. We are here to deliberate, discuss, debate, and compromise, and that is what this bil...
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 302) for the relief of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx-Xxxxxxxxx. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Xx. XXXXXXX. I ask unanimous con- sent the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any state- ments related to the bill be printed in the RECORD. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (S. 302) was read the third time and passed, as follows: S. 302 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 1019) for the relief of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill. Xx. XXXXXXX. I ask unanimous con- sent the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any state- ments related to the bill be printed in the RECORD.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- xxx will now return to legislative ses- sion. Xxx. XXXXXXX. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There is a sufficient second. The yeas and nays were ordered. Xx. XXXX. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk pro- ceeded to call the roll. Xx. XXXX. Mr. President, I ask unan- imous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment of the Senator from North Carolina. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll. The legislative clerk called the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Xx.
