[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H1618-H1619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. FAZIO of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Hastert] in order to learn more about the schedule for 
next week.
  Mr. HASTERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that this vote marks the end of 
legislative business for the week.
  When we return next week, the House will meet in pro forma session on 
Monday, March 4. Please be advised that there will be no legislative 
business and no votes that day.
  On Tuesday, March 5, the House will meet at 9:30 a.m. for morning 
hour and 11 a.m. for legislative business. We plan to take up three 
bills under suspension of the rules: H.R. 2778, a bill to give special 
tax treatment to United States troops in Bosnia; H.R. 2853, a bill to 
extend most-favored-nation status to Bulgaria; and H.R. 497, the 
National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission Act.
  Members should be advised that we do expect recorded votes sometime 
around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
  For the remainder of the week, we expect to consider the following 
bills, all of which will be subject to rules: 

[[Page H1619]]
H.R. 994, the Small Business Growth and Administrative Accountability 
Act; the conference report for H.R. 927, the Cuban Liberty and 
Democratic Solidarity Act; a bill to Increase temporarily the public 
debt; an omnibus appropriations or continuing resolution for fiscal 
year 1996; and it is possible that we may consider a resolution 
allowing staff depositions in the investigation of the White House 
Travel Office.
  On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we hope to conclude legislative 
business between 7 and 8 p.m. And we should have Members on their way 
back home to their districts by 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would further 
elaborate. There is an assumption that we would have votes as early as 
1 on Tuesday afternoon?
  Mr. HASTERT. If the gentleman will further yield, the assumption here 
is that the votes could come as early as 1 on Tuesday.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Would it not be possible if we had three 
suspensions to roll any votes on those suspensions and perhaps delay a 
little longer than 1?
  Mr. HASTERT. We will take it under advisement to roll those votes. 
Still even rolling those votes it may be 2.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. It might not prolong the time, but I think 
Members would appreciate, particularly on a suspension, as much delay 
as possible before a vote would actually be called.
  Mr. HASTERT. I can tell the gentleman from California that we will 
roll those votes, but we cannot guarantee that they will go much beyond 
2.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, let me yield to my friend, the 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer].
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I can tell the gentleman from Illinois I 
have a little bit of a problem, looking at the schedule, because the 
last part of it says Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we hope to 
conclude legislative business between 7 and 8 p.m. That says Tuesday. 
What are we going to do after we do the three suspensions because that 
is all you have got listed for Tuesday?
  Mr. HASTERT. We will go to the regulatory reform bill.
  Mr. VOLKMER. We are going to do regulatory reform, and where is that 
on the schedule?
  Mr. HASTERT. We will probably do the rule for the regulatory reform 
and then possibly get into the bill itself.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Where is that on this schedule? The Small Business 
Growth and Administrative Accountability Act?
  Mr. HASTERT. The name of the bill is H.R. 994, the Small Business 
Growth and Administrative Accountability Act.
  Mr. VOLKMER. In other words, what is proposed we will first do, I 
guess it will be 1-minutes on Tuesday.
  Mr. HASTERT. It will be 1-minutes.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Then we will do the three suspensions. We will roll 
those. Then we will do those and then we will do the rule and then get 
into debate and see how far we can go on regulatory reform?
  Mr. HASTERT. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, if I can reclaim my time here 
just to confirm. There would be no further legislative business on 
Tuesday other than the regulatory reform bill that the gentleman 
mentioned, is that correct?
  Mr. HASTERT. If the gentleman will yield further, at this time that 
is our assumption.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. We would take up the rule, general debate, 
and perhaps consider the legislation, is that correct?
  Mr. HASTERT. And amendments.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. And all amendments thereto?
  Mr. HASTERT. That is right.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Does the gentleman know what kind of rule we 
might anticipate?

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. HASTERT. The Committee on Rules will be meeting this afternoon, 
and we will have the rule out later this afternoon.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. We have no idea, really, how many amendments 
might be in order, whether an open rule would be required, but it would 
probably fill up the afternoon?
  Mr. HASTERT. We expect it to be an open rule, yes.
  Mr. VOLKMER. On the schedule, I appreciate that, because the way I 
read this, I did not see that in it.
  Mr. HASTERT. I understand.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Now we know why we are going to be here between 7 and 8. 
On the bill to increase temporarily the public debt, do you have any 
idea what date? Will that be a Wednesday or Thursday?
  Mr. HASTERT. It could be Wednesday or could be Thursday.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Do you know whether or not that would have an open rule, 
or would that be a closed rule like all of the other ones have been?
  Mr. HASTERT. I would say that that bill probably will be a closed 
rule.
  Mr. VOLKMER. The appropriation for continuing resolution, well, first 
let me ask this: The public debt, let us see, tomorrow is March 1, is 
it not?
  Mr. HASTERT. Tomorrow is March 1.
  Mr. VOLKMER. My understanding from earlier discussions with the 
leadership back before we recessed that we would be doing this by March 
1.
  Mr. HASTERT. That, plus we passed a piece of legislation that dealt 
with Social Security that said we could deal with it later than March 
1.
  Mr. VOLKMER. That is a firm schedule to do it next week?
  The continuing resolution, instead of waiting until March 5, you are 
proposing to do that also next week? Is that correct?
  Mr. HASTERT. We are proposing to do a continuing resolution or an 
omnibus appropriation next week.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Right. But that would take care of those that expire on 
March 15? Is that correct?
  Mr. HASTERT. That is our assumption.
  Mr. VOLKMER. And would that continuing resolution or appropriation 
bill, whatever we want to call it, is that going to be for the rest of 
the fiscal year then? Is that going to be for another 2 or 3 months?
  Mr. HASTERT. We are in negotiations with the White House, staff to 
staff, and intend that that will be on a higher level when those 
negotiations are finished. I think that result will show in the bill.
  Mr. VOLKMER. I have been busy with the farm bill the last 2 days. 
There may have been announcements on this floor that I have missed. So 
has there been an announcement by the Committee on Rules on what we 
call the regulatory reform bill or the Accountability Act that 
amendments had to be to the Committee on Rules before today so Members 
knew if they had amendments to this bill, they had to have them in?
  Mr. HASTERT. They just filed the rule, sir, and it is an open rule.
  Mr. VOLKMER. It is an open rule?
  Mr. HASTERT. Yes.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. I thank the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. 
Volkmer]. I think he has pretty much covered the issues that need to be 
covered.

                          ____________________