December 5, 1979
Page 34657
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I yield myself 1 minute.
I do wish to make the point that the average American family's real income is less today than it was 10 years ago. The fact is that when one takes inflation and tax it is recognized that the American family, despite the fact the wife and children are working, actual purchasing power is less.
Mr. President, I make a point that a quorum is not present and I ask unanimous consent that the time count not against either side.
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. Who yields time?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, if the distinguished Senator from Delaware wishes to have a quorum call on his time I am happy to do it, but I cannot accept that the time be charged to both sides.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield a minute?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair informs the Senate that if there be no speaker the time will run against both sides.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. I yield to the Senator.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, it is very unreasonable, in my opinion, to have one party in caucus and the other party forced to take its time because that party is going in caucus.
I ask unanimous consent that there be a quorum call and that it not be charged to anyone, and if this is not going to be recognized there will not be any more time agreements on this bill. We have gone through this once before today. We are not going to do it any more.
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The time will not be counted against both sides.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum, and it is going live.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On whose time?
Mr. STEVENS. It will be charged equally, but it is going to go live.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will inform the Senator it will be charged to the side suggesting the absence of a quorum.
Mr. STEVENS. The Senator has already agreed that it be charged equally.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to that?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. McCLURE. Mr. President, a parliamentary inquiry.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator will state it.
Mr. McCLURE. How much time remains to each side?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. 71 minutes and 40 seconds on the part of Mr. ROTH and 89 minutes and 55 seconds on the part of Mr. LONG.
Mr. McCLURE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time for a quorum call be charged proportionately according to the amount of time that remains to both sides.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. MUSKIE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I understand that the distinguished Senator from New York during my absence used the time available to me. Am I correct?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. The Senator is entirely correct.
Mr. MUSKIE. So I do not understand this indignation. He was using our time. He was using his time. The fact I was not personally speaking is the cause of the concern?
Mr. MOYNIHAN. I cannot answer for them.
Mr. MUSKIE. I do not understand the indignation. We had 6 hours of debate to be equally divided. I have been sitting here listening to the Senator's side. I think I listened to just about everything he had to say. It was not very persuasive, but he said it and I listened. And Senator MOYNIHAN used some of my time.
Mr. McCLURE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield briefly in response to that?
Mr. MUSKIE. Yes.
Mr. McCLURE. I am sorry the Senator did not find it very persuasive. We wish to use a little of the Senator's time and we do not expect to find him very persuasive either.
Mr. MUSKIE. I did not want to use 3 hours. Does the Senator wish to force me to use 3 hours? I can get by on less than a half hour. Does the Senator insist that I use 3 hours? Does the Senator think he should be able to mandate when I use that 30 minutes?
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President, how much time is involved? I do not think it is worth our fussing about. How much time is involved?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are approximately 70 minutes on one side and 89 minutes on the other.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. What is involved? I was out of the Chamber. What is the problem as to time?
Mr. STEVENS. Now that we are here, none. There was not anyone here at the time.
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President I ask unanimous consent that whatever time the Senator will allow on the quorum call be—
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, if my friend will yield, there was not any time. We are just seeking time for Senators to come back but they are back. We are happy to have them here and continue the debate.
It is my opinion when one party is not here out of courtesy in the past we let the time run without charging to either side. I do not see any reason why that should not be granted. I do not see why it should not be granted to me as the acting leader. It should have been granted as a matter of courtesy. I grant it to the majority leader at any time.
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, may I say that under no circumstances would I wish to have been the occasion of any discourtesy to the acting leader. I think the acting leader will find that there was — during the period that our side was in caucus — a debate continuing in the Chamber, and at the time the quorum was requested by the Senator from Delaware that caucus had broken up and was concluded, and the Democratic Members were in the Chamber prepared to continue the debate. But in any event I hope he understands that no discourtesy was intended and I hope he will not feel one was in fact.
Mr. DOMENICI. May I say to the leader and my good friend, Senator MUSKIE, that Senator STEVENS was not in the Chamber either when the Senator was here for however long or when we were here. When we left the Chamber to advise our acting leader of the situation there was at that moment no one in the Chamber on the Democratic side and we did not know
Mr. MOYNIHAN. With respect, the Senator from Montana was here, I believe, at all times.
Mr. DOMENICI. Had he arrived? When I left the Chamber the Senator from New York was leaving and I was wondering where we were going to be and our acting leader was advised of that situation. The disparity is not too great. I think Senator MUSKIE has persuaded us. Perhaps we should go ahead, and it only took him 3 or 4 or 5 seconds.
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Listen to Senator MUSKIE. He will inform you and enlarge your spirits and widen your vision and deepen your understanding.
Mr. DOMENICI. Everything was going all right until the Senator from New York chipped in, I might say to my friend. We were talking about the Senator from Maine having been very convincing.
I would kind of like to repeat that.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?