[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 213 (Sunday, December 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--HOUSE MESSAGE ON S. 1508

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I said this on the floor yesterday 
afternoon, and I will repeat it this afternoon. I know that the 
distinguished majority leader wants an agreement as much as I do, and I 
do not hold him personally responsible for the fact that we are not 
able to overcome this impasse. I commend him for his efforts at trying 
to do so again today.
  Let me try one other option. We have already been unable to agree to 
a continuing resolution that would have put all Federal employees back 
to work with pay. We have been unable to agree to something that we 
agreed to last Friday, the 22d of December, which would have at least 
sent them back to their offices without pay. Perhaps we can try this.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the message from 
the House on S. 1508, that the Senate concur in the House amendment 
with a substitute amendment that includes the text of Senator Dole's 
back-to-work bill, and the House-passed expedited procedures shall take 
effect only if the budget agreement does not cut Medicare more than 
necessary to ensure the solvency of the Medicare part A trust fund and, 
second, does not raise taxes on working Americans, does not cut funding 
for education or environmental enforcement, and maintains the 
individual health guarantee under Medicaid and, third, provides that 
any tax reductions in the budget agreement go only to Americans making 
under $100,000; that the motion to concur be agreed to, and the motion 
to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I want to say a few words. But I will 
object.
  We are working on a lot of these things in our meetings at the White 
House, where we have both been for a number of hours. I think we have 
made some progress. We are a long way from any solution yet.
  I think all of the things listed by the Democratic leader are areas 
of concern in the meetings we have had. And the meetings will start 
again on Tuesday. But it seems to me that it would not be appropriate 
to proceed under those terms, and therefore I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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