[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 102 (Friday, July 29, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              SCHEDULE FOR REMAINDER OF LEGISLATIVE PERIOD

  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, a number of Senators have asked me to 
comment on the scheduling for the remainder of this legislative period, 
including my plans with respect to health care reform legislation.
  I have received a large number of inquiries from members of the press 
on the same subject. Some of those press inquiries were in response to 
reports or suggestions or rumors of my plans in this regard. Some of 
them were wholly unfounded and represented, I believe, nothing more 
than speculation.
  Accordingly, in an effort to provide Senators with the most detailed 
and current information possible, I thought it would be useful to take 
just a few minutes before completing our business today to describe 
where we are in the legislative process and what I hope to accomplish 
over the next few weeks.
  As the agreement just obtained indicated, the Senate will return to 
session at 9 a.m. on Monday and will resume consideration of the 
elementary and secondary education bill. There will be a vote at or 
about 10 o'clock Monday morning on the pending Hatch amendment. That 
will be followed by a debate and vote on an amendment to be offered by 
Senator Feinstein of California.
  I expect there will be other amendments offered and votes held during 
the day on Monday. I hope that we can complete action on this bill 
during Monday, and it is my intention to remain in session on that day 
until we do so.
  If that does occur, we will then proceed on the following day, 
Tuesday, August 2, to consideration of the VA-HUD appropriations bill. 
Upon completion of that bill, we will, by then, I expect, have received 
from the House of Representatives the conference report on the crime 
bill, and it is my intention to proceed to that conference report as 
soon as possible following disposition of the VA-HUD appropriations 
bill.
  On Tuesday, August 2, I intend to announce my decision with respect 
to the health care reform legislation, and I hope to have available for 
all Senators, by the close of business on that day, draft legislative 
language so that all Senators could have before them the bill language 
itself, although it will be subject to what I hope will be relatively 
few minor modifications in the final legislative process.
  I emphasize that the legislation to be presented will be largely 
drawn from the bills which have already been reported to the full 
Senate by the Senate Labor Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. 
Each of those committees held dozens of days of hearings and several 
days in which the committees considered, marked up, voted on, and 
completed action on the bills. So most of the provisions of what is 
presented next week will be very familiar to all Senators, at least 
those Senators who have followed the process so far, because they will 
have been included in the debate on the bills reported by the Finance 
and Labor Committees. While the legislation presented will not be 
identical and there will be some modifications, I stress that the vast 
bulk of the provisions will have already been the subject matter of 
extensive debate, discussion, and voting, and, therefore, should be 
familiar to all Senators.
  Notwithstanding that fact, because there will be some provisions not 
included in either bill and because this is a matter of such 
importance, I believe that all Senators should have ample opportunity 
to read, review and consider this matter, and I repeat what I have said 
here publicly in the Senate and publicly in other places on many, many 
occasions. No one will be rushed on this important measure. Every 
Senator will have the most full opportunity to speak for as long as he 
or she wants on the subject. Every Senator will have the most full 
opportunity to offer any amendment he or she wants to offer on this 
subject.
  I believe that it will be appropriate to begin deliberations in the 
Senate on that bill early the following week, which begins on Monday, 
August 8. I will not now attempt to set a precise day or time, pending 
further consultations with my colleagues, both Democratic Senators and 
Republican Senators and the Republican leader, but I will now also 
repeat something I have said on many, many occasions previously: that 
once we do begin on the bill, we will continue in session until we 
complete action on that bill.
  Neither I nor any other person can now predict precisely when that 
will be, because the Senate rules permit unlimited debate and unlimited 
amendments. No one can now foresee how long any individual Senator will 
want to speak or how many amendments Senators individually or in the 
aggregate will offer. But I want to make it clear that there will be no 
attempt to prevent anyone from speaking for as long as he or she wants 
or to offer any amendment he or she wants.
  Once we begin on the bill, as I have also said many times before, we 
will be in session 6 days a week, including Saturdays, with lengthy 
sessions during each day, to give every Senator the opportunity, as I 
have just stated, that is, the opportunity for a full debate and 
amendment.
  I have suggested this course of procedure in discussions today with 
the Republican leader and with other Senators of both parties. I have 
not made a final decision because I have invited them to consider my 
suggestions and to consult among themselves and to respond, and I will, 
as I always do, take carefully into account their responses.
  But, in view of the number of requests I have received from Senators 
about at least the current state of my thinking in this regard, I 
wanted to make this report. I welcome any suggestions any Senator may 
have on how best to proceed with respect to these matters. I am 
completely open to suggestion now, as I always have been, and will, 
before making any final decision, consider any such suggestion.
  In the course of making my decision on the schedule during this 
period, I will also attempt to accommodate the wishes of as many 
Senators as possible. But I emphasize in advance that our first and 
primary responsibility is to the American people to meet our public 
responsibilities and to conduct ourselves in an appropriate way in 
attempting to diligently make decisions on these important matters.
  I believe that at least the general outline of what I have suggested 
will enable us to do that in the most fair and appropriate way. But, as 
I have said earlier, I will not make a final decision in that regard 
until I have had a chance to consult further with all Senators, and 
specifically to receive and consider any reactions by Senators to these 
suggestions.
  In conclusion, Mr. President, I will sum up and repeat briefly that 
we will, on Monday, have a rollcall vote at 10 a.m, and during the day 
thereafter I expect further rollcall votes. We will attempt to complete 
action on that education bill on Monday. We will then attempt to 
complete action on the VA-HUD appropriations bill. And then we will 
attempt to complete action on the conference report on the crime bill.
  On Tuesday I hope to have ready, draft bill language of the health 
care reform bill for every Senator to review. And I hope to begin 
action on that measure sometime early the following week.
  I thank all of my colleagues for their cooperation on this week. We 
have made good progress on important measures and I look forward to 
prompt action next week, as I have previously indicated.

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