[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S14407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--H.R. 2127

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 9 a.m. on 
Thursday, I be recognized to make a motion to proceed to consideration 
of H.R. 2127; that a vote occur on the motion to proceed at 10 a.m. on 
Thursday; that the time between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. be equally divided 
in the usual form.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that if the 
motion to proceed does not receive 60 or more votes, there then be a 
second vote on the motion to proceed at 11 a.m. on Thursday, with the 
time between votes to be equally divided in the usual form.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that if the 
second vote on the motion to proceed does not receive 60 votes in the 
affirmative, the motion automatically be withdrawn.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I think I have explained this. This, in 
effect, saves a couple of days going through the cloture route, 
intervening days and all these things. It seems to me we have so many 
differences on each side that this bill is in great difficulty, 
notwithstanding the splendid efforts made by the managers, particularly 
the chairman of the subcommittee.
  But it also seems to me if we are not going to have any movement on 
the bill, we at least ought to make the effort and then withdraw the 
motion to proceed and lay the bill aside.
  That would leave us one additional bill, State, Justice, Commerce 
appropriations to deal with yet this week, and also the continuing 
resolution, and also to complete in the Finance Committee and the 
Agriculture Committee our reconciliation obligations.
  I think the other committees, as far as I know, have completed them. 
The Finance Committee will meet this evening as soon as we recess, 
which will be in a few moments.
  So I hope this procedure will expedite something. I am not certain 
what. Maybe it will expedite getting out this week.
  Hopefully, this may not happen, but I have discussed this with the 
manager, Senator Specter, after we have these two votes, if we do not 
receive 60 votes, maybe then we can convince our colleagues on each 
side to let us pass this by voice vote, send it to conference, and get 
it down to the President. He already said he is going to veto it. There 
is no question about a veto. The veto cannot be overridden. Then we 
initiate a new bill in the House, it will come back to the Senate, and 
then we have our fight sometime probably late October. In the meantime, 
it will be wrapped in the continuing resolution.

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