[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 108 (Thursday, June 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S9329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, my understanding was that morning business 
allocated one-half hour to the Republican side, controlled by Senator 
Thomas this morning, and then one-half hour to our side controlled by 
myself. Is that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The order provided to the Chair was that the 
Senator from Wyoming [Mr. Thomas] was to be recognized to speak for up 
to 30 minutes, the Senator from Alaska [Mr. Murkowski] recognized to 
speak for up to 15 minutes, the Senator from North Dakota [Mr. Dorgan] 
recognized to speak for up to 30 minutes, and the Senator from 
California [Mrs. Feinstein] recognized to speak for up to 15 minutes.
  Mr. DORGAN. Was it to have been in that order? My understanding was 
that----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is no specific sequence. That is the way 
in which it was provided.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I do not want to complicate this by any means. I think 
that there is some legitimate confusion relative to the process here. I 
asked for morning business. I was told that my time, the 15 minutes, 
began at 9:30. It is just a little after 9:30. I do not want to belabor 
it. My only effort in coming over was that I have to chair a hearing at 
10 o'clock. So I attempted to try to come over in order to make that. 
With the indulgence of my colleagues, with no objection, I prefer to 
make a brief statement and then go and open my hearing.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, if I might just respond, I arrived at 9 
o'clock and our caucus at the moment, our Democratic caucus, is meeting 
on regulatory reform. All of us have problems.
  My understanding was that we were going to have one-half hour over 
there and one-half hour over here. If that was not locked in, I guess I 
would be willing to be flexible on that. But I say that I arrived here 
at 9 o'clock. I know the Senator from New Mexico is missing the same 
caucus that I am missing, and I very much did want to respond to some 
of the points in the budget.
  The Senator from Alaska intends to take how long for his 
presentation?
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I will not take a full 15 minutes, in response in the 
Senator from North Dakota. I encourage the floor managers, or however 
the process works, if this could be alleviated perhaps. I am not being 
critical, but I appreciate the concern of my friend. We are both in the 
same situation. Maybe the best thing to do is for me to start and get 
out of here, and then I can yield to my friend from North Dakota the 
remaining time that I have.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I will not object to that. I hope that we 
will be able to sequence it in the future, if that side has 30 minutes, 
perhaps, if we have 30 minutes reserved, we would be recognized for the 
next 30 minutes. If the Senator from New Mexico has no objection, I 
would be happy to allow the Senator from Alaska to proceed at this 
point and assume the time following that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair thanks the Senator from North 
Dakota. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I thank my friend from North Dakota. I wish him a good 
day.

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