[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6793-S6794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me indicate to my colleagues that there 
is an effort underway to come to some agreement on H.R. 483, the 
Medicare Select bill. Hopefully, we can reach an agreement and pass the 
bill, maybe with one or two agreed upon amendments. If we can do it by 
voice vote, [[Page S6794]] there would not be any additional votes 
today. We do not have that agreement yet. As soon as we do, I will 
notify my colleagues. Senator Chafee has been working with Senator 
Rockefeller and others. Hopefully, we will be able to advise our 
colleagues in 10, 20 minutes.
  I yield to the Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. CHAFEE. The majority leader is exactly right. We are working now 
with staffs trying to see if we cannot come to an agreement on the 
problems raised by the Senator from West Virginia, Senator Rockefeller. 
Everything seems to take longer than anybody thinks around here. So I 
would say in the next half-hour, I hope, we can have some information 
on whether indeed there would be the necessity for a vote.
  Mr. DOLE. I think everything else that we can take up has been taken 
up. There is only one nomination on the calendar. There is no other 
legislation that we can take up at this time.
  Tomorrow we will start on the budget. I understand the Democrats will 
have a caucus at 10:30 in the morning and, hopefully, they will allow 
us to start on the budget at noon tomorrow. Otherwise, we would have to 
wait until tomorrow evening to start on the budget. There are 50 hours 
of debate. Of course, it is more than just 50 hours.
  We did indicate to and promise the President that we would try to 
complete the antiterrorist legislation before Memorial Day. So we would 
have to finish the budget by next Wednesday night. I think we will need 
probably a couple of days on the antiterrorism legislation and then 
there would be the Memorial Day recess, which could be the last recess 
of the year, but I hope not.
  Unless we can work out some accommodation on some of these major 
bills, the Senate will have no alternative but to stay here for a 
considerable period of time during what might have been the August 
recess. If we can start on the budget tomorrow--the House should pass 
their budget tomorrow. We will start on ours tomorrow and have votes on 
tomorrow and on Friday and on Monday. If I were Members, I would be 
back on Monday; if there is ever a Monday on which there will be votes, 
it will be this Monday on the budget, and on Tuesday and, hopefully, we 
can complete action on Wednesday. The final legislation would be the 
antiterrorism legislation.
  So I suggest that we complete action on this bill, and if we can do 
it without votes, we will do it. If not, Members should not leave until 
they have some final notice.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I want the majority leader to know--and 
I will share this amendment--I have one amendment which I think may be 
noncontroversial. I can limit it to 10 minutes. I would like to at 
least show it to colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It is on 
the Medicare Select.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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