[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 212 (Saturday, December 30, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STATUS OF LEGISLATION

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, we have been in recess subject to the call 
of the Chair, and we will recess again in a moment, but I wanted to 
announce that the House did pass the bill that we tried to pass last 
night in the Senate. It extends the Mideast Peace Facilitation Act for 
I think 90 days. It deems all Federal employees essential. In other 
words, they can all go back to work. It guarantees they are going to be 
paid. And it also has attached to it expedited procedure so when we get 
a balanced budget, we will not be engaged in weeks and weeks and months 
and months of debate in the Senate.
  Now, some of my Senate colleagues may wonder why that is in the House 
bill. It is in the House bill because we could not pass it on the 
Senate side. So they agreed to put it in their bill. And we have been 
working together on the theory that if we get a balanced budget 
agreement with the President of the United States and with the 
Democratic leaders and the Republican leaders, we ought to pass it. The 
American people want us to pass it.
  So I would only say that later this afternoon, after having an 
opportunity to visit with the Democratic leader, I will make a 
unanimous-consent request that we turn to the message from the House on 
S. 1508, the so-called back-to-work bill, which also provided for 
expedited procedure and extension of the Middle East Peace Facilitation 
Act. That is what we will try to clear later today. If we cannot do it, 
we cannot do it. It just takes one objection.
  I wish to commend the House for their leadership, Congressman Wolf 
and Congresswoman Morella and Congressman Davis, for their initiative 
this morning in getting this done and also the majority leader, 
Congressman Armey, and the Speaker, Congressman Gingrich.
  So hopefully we will get this done. If this happens, people can start 
making plans to go back to work after the New Year's holiday.

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