March 22, 1978
Page 8035
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I did not intend to say anything on this point. But given the number of Senators who have expressed concern about the majority leader's decision, I think he needs some support, and I must say I concur in his decision. I do not intend to repeat any of the reasons of the majority leader, but I wish to add one.
I have been around here many years in which an overriding issue that was very time consuming hit the session, and the result all too often was that we consumed and wasted so much time on that single issue that we gave inadequate attention to the issues that followed, that were thereby crowded into too few days and too few weeks. I have seen that happen too many times with time agreements becoming shorter and shorter and speeches on the floor more and more meaningless.
I understand the importance of these treaties and the importance of giving everyone adequate time to address the issue.
But we have other difficult issues coming down the pike and I for one wish to see those given the kind of adequate attention they have not always gotten when they have followed an issue of this kind that consumed a lot of time. I am concerned about that. I can see some of those issues down the road.
I do not like to give up an Easter recess either. It takes me a little longer to get around my State than it did when I was younger, so I like ample time. But I really think the majority leader is on target. He has indicated he is willing to go to the 13th, 14th, the 18th, and I suspect he would even give a couple more days on top of that in order to get certainty.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. No question about it.
Mr. MUSKIE. And I think that is reasonable.
We are always crowded with legislation. We have to begin markup on the budget resolution on the 4th of April. We must finish that by the 15th. If we did not adopt some time-collapsing procedures we would never get that bill marked up, and we have to cover the whole range of Government programs, $500 billion worth, in a week or more.
But we recognize time is a constraint. We discipline ourselves to live within that constraint and we get our work done or at least we have never failed up to now. It may be more difficult this year. But I really think what the majority leader has been proposing provides ample time to do the kind of thing that the Senator from Nevada is describing as being necessary.
I want to join the majority leader in complimenting Senator LAXALT on his management of this side of the debate.
I think he has been responsible, I think he has been decent, and I think he has been accommodating. So I am not being critical.
But I really think we have to discipline ourselves in this case to reach a date certain, and I do not care whether it is the 10th of April or the 20th of April. Certainty will enable us to address all the other problems that we have more effectively and with greater service.
So I join the majority leader, and I do not expect a response to these comments immediately, and I suspect the majority leader does not. But I would hope that all who are involved will take the next day-and-a-half to consider these matters, and this is why I rose to add this one other reason.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. I thank the distinguished Senator from Maine for his fine statement.