[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 201 (Saturday, December 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S18785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROPOSED ACTION ON LEGISLATION

  Mr. DOLE. I might say for the information of my colleagues we did 
have a meeting this morning with reference to welfare reform. We think 
we are very close to an agreement. We hope to have that before the 
Senate next week. The House will act first. We hope to take it up on 
Tuesday or Wednesday.

  We also believe that we have resolved the problem with the D.C. 
appropriations bill, and it is possible that might be acted on 
tomorrow. It is unlikely. But it would be acted on by Monday. We could 
take it up on Monday. I know there have been conversations with the 
Mayor today to indicate that we hope to have the D.C. appropriations 
bill wrapped up on Monday and on the way to the President, and on that 
basis I understand that there will not be any shutdown of anything in 
the District of Columbia. At least that is what I was advised.
  We also met with reference to the foreign operations appropriations 
bill. We have not yet resolved the one issue remaining with reference 
to abortion. But it is our hope that we could come to some resolution 
of that on Monday. If that were the case, then we will have completed 
action on all the appropriations except Labor, HHS, which we are unable 
to take up because of objections on the other side of the aisle. If 
cloture is invoked, then we can complete action on that.
  I would just say with reference to the budget negotiations, we have 
heard nothing from the President or any of the President's 
representatives today. It may be that there will be some information 
later today or tomorrow. We are available. We are prepared. We believe 
we should have serious discussions. If we are not going to have serious 
discussions, then we ought to sit down and say, OK, it is not going to 
happen this year and make some arrangements so that many Members and 
others and those who may be affected by a Government shutdown can be 
protected.
  I hope that we could get serious about this, sit down and start 
talking with the President of the United States, with the Speaker, with 
the majority leader of the Senate present so that we could make some 
movement. I think one way it might help is if we start canceling all 
the press conferences that everybody is having downtown and up here. 
That might speed up the process because it seems to be that every time 
you have a meeting you have to have a press conference. I am not sure 
that has been productive the last couple, 3 days.
  In any event, if the President wants us to be responsible, we are 
certainly prepared to do that. We are waiting for him to get with all 
of us. We would be glad to come to the White House or anywhere else to 
meet with the President to talk about the balanced budget in 7 years 
and how we can reach an agreement between now and next Friday, December 
22. If not then, sometime in the following week before New Year's.

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