[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 170 (Tuesday, October 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ACCOMMODATING THE SENATE SCHEDULE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me say that last week we began with 
about 130 amendments which Senators on our side had hoped to offer. I 
indicated to the majority leader that it would be my hope we could 
bring that list down to under 30, and we checked the record again and 
that list was reduced to 25 amendments, as I had hoped we could reduce 
them to. And so I think to the degree it was possible we accommodated 
both in time as well as in number the desire on the part of the 
leadership on both sides to successfully complete the deliberations on 
the budget resolution Friday night.
  With regard to the conference report, again, we faced a number of 
motions to instruct; that it was my hope we could reduce in number from 
perhaps as many as 20 to less than a handful. I think we have agreed as 
a result of the discussion in conference that it will not be 20; it 
will not be 12; it will not be anything more than 4--4 very specific 
targeted motions that we would be willing to agree, timewise, to not 
take the 10 hours.
  I wish to accommodate the schedule of the distinguished majority 
leader, and I hope we could work through this in a way that would 
accommodate both of our needs. Let me emphasize, our colleagues feel 
very strongly about a number of the issues that we raised through 
amendments last week. We feel very strongly this week. We will be 
watching with the great interest of everybody in the conference what 
develops in that conference, and we think it is very important to 
articulate in as strong a way as we can what our concerns are. We have 
a number of concerns that will not be addressed in these motions to 
instruct. There were a number of Senators who said they wanted the 
opportunity to move an amendment or a motion, and we will do that in 
other ways--in the form of letters, in the form of conversations with 
our colleagues--but we will limit our motions to instruct to four.
  So it is an effort to balance, Mr. President, our degree of concern 
with our interest in working through this effort procedurally in an 
effort to accommodate all Senators.
  That is what we will do whenever the distinguished leader decides to 
bring up the conferees motion, and we will be prepared to work with him 
in that regard.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. D'AMATO addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair informs the Senator we are now in 
morning business. The Senator from New York.

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