[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1995

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now 
resume consideration of H.R. 4554, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 4554) making appropriations for Agriculture, 
     Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related 
     Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     1995, and for other purposes.

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       Heflin amendment No. 2303, to make funds available for 
     emergency community water assistance grants, low-income 
     housing repair grants, and the Agriculture Credit Insurance 
     Fund Program account.

  Mr. COCHRAN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Madam President, I wonder whether my colleague from 
Mississippi would let me take 10 seconds for a unanimous-consent 
request.
  Mr. COCHRAN. I have no objection.


                        Privileges of the Floor

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Margo 
Dean, an intern in my office, be granted the privileges of the floor 
today with me.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, I was rising to suggest the absence 
after quorum, but I see my good friend, the distinguished floor manager 
of the bill, Senator Bumpers from Arkansas, on the floor, and I yield 
the floor.
  Mr. BUMPERS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. BUMPERS. What is the parliamentary situation, Madam President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending business is amendment No. 2303 by 
Senator Heflin, the Senator from Alabama, committee amendments having 
been set aside.
  Mr. BUMPERS. Madam President, we have excepted six or seven committee 
amendments because various Senators have said that they would like 
those excepted and wanted either an up-or-down vote on them or wanted 
to amend them. So far, the only debate has been held was the debate by 
Senator Bryan yesterday on the market promotion program. We will resume 
that debate at 2:15 p.m. today and no further debate on that will be in 
order until then.
  Between 12:30 and 2:15 this afternoon, we have the party caucuses, 
but there is not anything to prohibit anybody from coming over here and 
offering an amendment right now. If we are going to finish this bill 
tonight, as the majority leader is insisting, the people who have 
business on this bill are going to have to get here and offer their 
amendments, because the time is running.
  I am saying this for the benefit of our colleagues who hopefully are 
watching the proceedings in their offices, to let them know at some 
point, either with or without an objection, I am going to move to start 
adopting those committee amendments, either en bloc or one at a time, 
because they hold the potential for keeping us here for 2 or 3 days.
  There are at least seven amendments that I have been told about that 
various Senators are going to offer on the bill. But I would strongly 
urge them to get those amendments over here.
  Having said that, Madam President, I hope that I would have the 
concurrence of my good friend, the distinguished ranking Member from 
Mississippi, Senator Cochran, in running a hotline to see if we can get 
a fairly comprehensive list of amendments that are likely to be offered 
on both sides, with a view toward getting a unanimous-consent agreement 
on an exclusive list of amendments which will be offered and possibly 
time agreements on each one. But one step at a time. I would settle 
right now for trying to get a list of all the amendments that are 
likely to be offered. We can worry about the time agreements later.
  I can already see this bill going into tomorrow, unless something 
starts happening; namely, Senators coming over here and offering their 
amendments.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to proceed 
for not more than 5 minutes as if in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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