[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 213 (Sunday, December 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that once the Senate 
receives the document entitled ``A Bill to Provide for Deficit 
Reduction and Achieve a Balanced Budget by the Fiscal Year 2002,'' that 
is agreed to by the President and the congressional leaders, that the 
bill be considered under the following restraints:
  That there be 12 hours for debate on all amendments, motions, and 
appeals in connection therewith, and all other provisions in the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 be in effect as if it were a 
reconciliation bill.
  I further ask that once the Senate receives from the House the bill 
entitled ``A Bill to Provide for Deficit Reduction and Achieve a 
Balanced Federal Budget by 2002,'' that it be in order for the majority 
leader to introduce and place directly on the Senate Calendar the 
concurrent resolution revising the first concurrent budget resolution, 
as provided for under the Budget Act of 1974, and that the 
consideration of that concurrent resolution be limited to 1 hour to be 
equally divided in the usual form, with all other provisions of the 
Budget Act in effect with respect to the consideration of that 
concurrent resolution.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, our colleagues should know that the 
effect of this unanimous-consent agreement is to ask Federal workers to 
show up in their offices without being given authority to do virtually 
anything. Anything that would cost money would be prohibited. They 
would be required to sit on their hands and stare at each other day 
after day after day, until we pass something that gives them the right 
to do something.
  So what this would allow them to do is to go to their offices, sit on 
their hands, and do nothing. They could not get in their trucks because 
they use gas. They could not make a long distance phone call because 
that would incur an expense. Anything that any office would do that 
incurs an expense would still be prohibited.
  So, Mr. President, this is a facade. This does not work. This is not 
what we should be doing. Federal employees ought to come back to work. 
They ought to be paid. And the services they are paid to deliver ought 
to be funded. Federal employees ought to be allowed to come back to 
work, not just go to their offices, but to actually work, and Federal 
employees--who have been without pay since December 15--ought to be 
paid. This does not do it, and so I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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