October 9, 1978
Page 34758
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I do not know whether there are other Senators who wish time between now and 2 o'clock. I understand I have 12½ minutes left. I yield myself 30 seconds so that I may make one observation about the mounting costs of this bill.
Now, Members who have been following the debate noted that many amendments have been adopted which have escaped the discipline of the 1979 concurrent resolution, because the date has been slipped toward the end of this fiscal year with the full year costs of the amendments not apparent until fiscal year 1980 and beyond.
I simply want to say, as a rough estimate at this point, certainly, we have added $10 billion in full year tax reductions that will have full effect subsequent to fiscal year 1979.
I am going to do my best, and I am sure the distinguished floor manager will cooperate fully in this, in describing the full year costs of amendments which have been added at dates which minimize the full year's costs in fiscal year 1979.
I thought Members ought to understand that has taken place and that we have to take it into account before we ask Members to vote finally on this bill. But the total cost of that bill on a full year basis now is at least $50 billion, including the amendments which do not take effect fully in fiscal year 1979.
So Members ought to understand that, that it is the sort of thing we do on the floor with tax bills, as my good friend, Senator LONG, understands all too well, and we hope to have a complete analysis at that time.
Mr. President, as I understand the parliamentary situation, Senator LONG and I share the time until 2 o'clock. At that time, we begin debate on the conference reports. At 3 o'clock, we begin debate on the Heinz amendment for 20 minutes, which will then go to a vote about 3:20, and then after that vote, there will be, hopefully, 20 minutes of time left to debate the first cloture motion, and at 4 o'clock, we will have back to back votes on the conference reports, to be followed by a vote on the first cloture motion, and if that one fails, that we then have an hour of debate on the second cloture motion.
That is as I understand the time situation this afternoon. May I ask the Presiding Officer whether or not I have accurately described the scenario for the afternoon up until about 5 to 5:30?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Let me say that the time from now until 2 o'clock is under the control of the Senator from Louisiana, the Senator from Wyoming, and the Senator from Maine.
I say that from 2 to 3, the time is not under control, but will be used up in debating the conference reports, two different conference reports on the energy legislation.
At 3 o'clock the Heinz amendment will be laid down.
Mr. MUSKIE. How much time do I have remaining between now and 2 o'clock?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Twelve and a half minutes.
Mr. MUSKIE. I am happy to yield.
Mr. PROXMIRE. If the Senator could yield me 10 minutes, I would appreciate it. If not, I would be happy to take only part of it.
Mr. MUSKIE. Let me have 2 minutes.
Mr. PROXMIRE. All right.
Mr. MUSKIE. The Senator can have the rest of my time if no others wish it.
Mr. President, I would simply like to make this point about the first cloture motion which will be voted on sometime around 4:30 this afternoon.
The effect of that motion, if approved by the Senate, will be to set aside all nongermane amendments, including the sunset amendment, the Glenn amendment to the sunset amendment. I am not sure what the status of Humphrey-Hawkins is with respect to that motion, but I suspect it may affect that as well.
If that cloture motion prevails, all nongermane amendments are ruled out for the balance of the consideration of the tax bill.
So I would like to make the point to those who are interested in the sunset amendment, particularly, because that is of primary concern to me, that a vote for cloture at that time is a vote against the consideration of the sunset bill, in connection with this legislation, and, in my judgment, it will be the last effective chance we will have, however effective that may be, it will be the last effective chance that we will have to vote for sunset.
I will repeat this theme at, roughly, quarter of 4, or thereabouts, if there is time left after the vote on the Heinz amendment. But I wanted to make that point, and only that point, at this moment.
Now I yield to the Senator from Wisconsin.