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<br />Senate blocks McCainb~~tJ'
<br />to protect Grand Canyoni_:,;~;
<br />
<br />u'" ~.
<br />procedural move, voted 6&-34 to p~t.
<br />him from attaching the Grand Canyon
<br />Protection Act to an Interior Departmeiit'
<br />appropriations bill . c;,;,,,,,,.
<br />'.l'} ~.!;.C'
<br />The vote followed an acrimonioWl
<br />debate on the Senate floor betweeIr
<br />McCain and Sen. Bill Bradley;' n:~;.r~
<br />over the timing of McCain's surprise m~
<br />to amend a budget measure. with ..the
<br />Grand Canyon bill ",:.i ~~~.
<br />
<br />Bradley, who has been holding up thli
<br />bill in the Senate Energy and Natilral
<br />See .CANYON, Page'A4
<br />
<br />By Michael Murphy
<br />DiE PHOENIX GAZETTE
<br />
<br />WASHINGTON - In what Sen. John
<br />McCain angrily called an "unconsciona-
<br />ble" move, the Senate today blocked an
<br />attempt by the Arizona Republicantowm
<br />passage of a bill aimed at protecting the
<br />Grand Can)'on from the operations of
<br />Glen Canyon Dam.
<br />"What has been done here is very
<br />interesting, and 1 believe that people all
<br />over the country are going to be out-
<br />raged," McCain said after the Senate, in a
<br />
<br />A4' iHE PHOENIX GAZETTE Fri,. S.ePt 13, 1~91
<br />
<br />.i;CANYON
<br />
<br />~urces Committee, accused
<br />McCain of attempting to make an
<br />"etia'i-un" around the panel Brad-
<br />ley, who supports the measure.
<br />said'his committee would consider
<br />the'biIJ next month.
<br />
<br />.;J.:know he's motivated by the
<br />best. of impulses . ., to protect the
<br />G~d Can)'On . . . but his action is
<br />des!;ructive of the Senate, " Bradley
<br />said "of McCain. "1 think that is
<br />cl~!1 not the way to do busi.
<br />n~
<br />
<br />McCain lashed back. accusing
<br />BraaJey of allowing "paro..hi.li<m
<br />over committee procedure" to
<br />bloCk efforts to prevent the "irrep-
<br />arable damage of the Grand Can-
<br />
<br />yon. "
<br />
<br />"Frankly, I'm astounded,"
<br />McCain said. "To me that's uncon-
<br />scionable .. _ to hold the greatest
<br />natural resource of this globe,
<br />certainly of this nation, hostage in
<br />order that other agendas might be
<br />pursued.
<br />
<br />"We are addressing one of the
<br />most critical issues for this na-
<br />tion's environment that we could
<br />possibly do . . . and to allow it to be
<br />hung up on procedural grounds, . .
<br />is something that, frankly, 1 can-
<br />not comprehend."
<br />
<br />Echoing warnings of national
<br />environmental groups, McCain
<br />said the Grand Canyon is being
<br />
<br />The Arizona Republic B3
<br />
<br />Saturday, September 14. 1991
<br />
<br />I
<br />I1RIZONA NEWS BRIEf!
<br />
<br />,Bill to shield Canyon
<br />
<br />rgiven temporary setback
<br />
<br />t;;;The u.s. Senate on Friday defeated
<br />r~measw-e to strengthen._ environmen-
<br />tal protection at the Grand Canyon,
<br />.but it appears to be just a temporary
<br />'Setback.
<br />, Sen: John McCain, R-Ariz., who
<br />, pushed Ihe issue to a vote, said he
<br />! received assurances that the proposal
<br />;'will be brought to the floor again later
<br />'this year.
<br />The prooosal, which would require
<br />that c3.nyon preservation be the
<br />primary consideration in all
<br />operations of Glen Canyon Dam and
<br />
<br />, '.
<br />. hnmediately implement a policy of
<br />: Unvarying waler flows below the dam.
<br />was voted down, 65-35.
<br />However, McCain said Republican
<br />;,' and Democratic leaden; assured him
<br />~-thal tbe proposal was defeated be-
<br />o cause it "'as attached to the appropri.
<br />ations bill of the Interior Depanmen[
<br />and that the Senate was tr:ing to
<br />
<br />remove an)' extraneous iegislarion
<br />from the bill.
<br />A similar bill already has passed
<br />the House Ihis year. It passed both [he
<br />House and the Senate last year but
<br />died when Congress adjourned.
<br />
<br />Compiled from reports by The Ari.
<br />zona Republic and The Associated
<br />Press.
<br />
<br />destroyed 11)' the effects of widely
<br />fluctuating water releases from
<br />Glen Canyon, which backs .up the
<br />Colorado River to fonn Lake
<br />Powell
<br />
<br />His bill. which passed the Sen-
<br />ate last vear but died in the
<br />waning hours of Congress, would
<br />require Interior Secretary Manuel
<br />Lujan to take immediate action to
<br />curb the dam's operations to pro-
<br />tect the Canyon, located 16 miles
<br />downstream.
<br />
<br />Lujan is scheduled to make a
<br />decision by Nov. 1 on interim
<br />measures to restrict water releases
<br />from Glen Canyon, but M<:Cain
<br />and environmental groups want to
<br />
<br />impose congressional direction
<br />over the Western Area Power
<br />Administration, a federal agency
<br />that operates the dam for power
<br />interests and utilities.
<br />
<br />"This is an obligation that 1
<br />have not to the people of Arizona,
<br />not to the people of the U.S.. but to
<br />the people of the worid," McCain
<br />told his fellow senators.
<br />
<br />But his effort to win quick
<br />passage of the bill met sudden
<br />death when Sen. 'Robert Byrd,
<br />D-W.V.. head of the appropriations
<br />committee, rose to oppose
<br />McCain's amendment, saying it
<br />represented a violation of last
<br />year's budget agreement.
<br />
<br />'. '1:""
<br />,:.'.:' ; .;2. From A1
<br />
<br />Byrd moved to block McCain's
<br />amendment, and. the seriate fol-
<br />lowed ~itli ~e~ 6&-34 .Vote; The
<br />sellllW then . defeated. McCain's
<br />anieridrii:ent~rl ~Viiicevbt<i:~ ~ "
<br />. ......... -:--,...,..:.t!,,,, <.: h. -
<br />.M......;;;..'. ~;'ni;n..g;: ~"1lird's
<br />stra~';u~il"niIing'froin the
<br />chairthaf Byrd" had made the
<br />wrong point. of order in :objecting
<br />to McC8iit'll amendment,.but Byrd
<br />replilld thai he 'woUld cOme .back
<br />and block McCain . ..
<br />-"-' .~f'
<br />..-'... t~~.-......-.s.;.-- "4~_i:::';":..~_.
<br />An ai4~ ~q ~r .tl1e, v9J.e that
<br />McCain probablj;Jrould make an-
<br />other attempt" tO~ pass8ge of his
<br />bill at a later i:ime.~~ ,;-,.;..<:
<br />
<br />-"~.~........_-.':""""-~~----.~-.
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