Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I hope both of my friends from Oklahoma and my friend from North Carolina--speaking to my friends from Oklahoma--understand that we do not want the delay in this bill. This bill got delayed in the House of Representatives for close to 6 months. I did not hear people coming to the floor with me and saying, `Where is the bill, where is the bill, where is the bill, where is the bill?' Now we are told to make this bill workable, and we should not attempt to do better.

I cannot believe the Senator from North Carolina would support a provision allowing, for example, someone to be taught how to make another fertilizer bomb to blow up another Federal building--maybe this one in North Carolina--and maybe learn how over the Internet. He would not want that to happen. Yet, he is probably going to vote against adding that provision back into the bill. He will probably vote, `No, I will not send it back to the conference and have them include that provision.'

We had a provision saying you cannot teach people how to make fertilizer bombs, plastic bombs, and baby food bombs on the Internet, when you know the intent is for that person to use it. Yet, they are all going to stand here and vote against me on that. I find that fascinating.

I hope the folks in every one of our districts remember this. They are going to vote against me when I say we want to prevent future Oklahomas. We want to take care of those victims of Oklahoma and make sure retribution is had. That is why the crime bill I authored set the death penalty for it. And there would not even be a death penalty had President Clinton's crime bill not passed. Those people in Oklahoma would not be able to get the death penalty.

Some of my colleagues voted against the crime bill, and now they are hailing the death penalty. The only reason why those people are being tried and, if convicted, will get death, is because of the crime bill they voted against. I find this kind of fascinating logic going on here.

The third thing I point out, and that was tried in Federal court--and then I will yield to my friend from Georgia, who has a very important amendment or very important motion to make--I also point out that we should be worried about future victims. Future victims.

The comment was made--and a legitimate comment--by one of my colleagues a moment ago, when he said, `On behalf of the victims of the bombing in Oklahoma, please pass this bill.' On behalf of the tens of millions of Americans who may be the next victims, on behalf of them, please give the police the authority they need to enhance their ability to prevent future Oklahomas by allowing them to wiretap these suspected terrorists under probable cause, just like we do the Mafia.

What is good enough for the Mafia ought to be good enough for a bunch of whacko terrorists.

So not only mourn those who died, which I do, but pray for those who are living that they continue to be able to live. I mean, how in the Lord's name can we, after Oklahoma, stand here on the floor and vote against the motion I predict they will vote against which says you cannot teach someone how to make a fertilizer bomb on the Internet when you know it is going to be used? They are going to vote against that. What about future Oklahomas?

I see my friend from Georgia is ready to proceed. So I will yield the floor for the purpose of his making his motion after I make a concluding statement.

In each of these amendments that I offered yesterday, Chairman Hyde in the transcript of yesterday's proceedings said--this is what this is all about--and I quote. He said:

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Mr. Chairman, [Chairman Hyde speaking] may I say something? Mr. Chairman, let us cut to the chase. I agree with the Senator [i.e. Senator Biden] and have always agreed with the Senator on this issue, the wiretap issue. The facts of life are that we lose about 35 votes in the House if we pass the wiretap provision.

That is what this is about--35 folks in the House who do not like it. That is why we are going to vote against our interest probably in the next couple of hours.

I yield the floor.

Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, if I could take a second.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). The Senator from Utah.

Mr. HATCH. I agree with the 35, but all of those oppose the bill anyway. But it is a lot more than 35 people who will vote. I just wanted to make that statement.

I thank the Senator from Georgia.