[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4150-S4151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES--H.R. 3103

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
insist on its amendment to H.R. 3103, the Senate request a conference 
with the House, and that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees 
on part of the Senate.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, I ask 
unanimous consent that the request be modified to provide for the 
appointment of eight Republicans and six Democrats from the Committees 
on Labor and Human Resources and the Finance Committee instead of the 7 
to 4 ratio proposed by the majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, let me clarify the situation. Let me ask for 
a clarification and the parliamentary situation.
  Is the Senator from Massachusetts asking for a modification of my 
unanimous-consent request that you have appointments to this conference 
as he outlined just from the Labor Committee and the Finance Committee?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is the Chair's interpretation.
  Mr. LOTT. I would be constrained to object to that modification of 
the unanimous-consent request.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Then I object to the proposal of the Senator from 
Mississippi.

[[Page S4151]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard to the unanimous-consent 
request by the assistant majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, point of order: There is obviously a 
quorum here, Mr. President.
  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Craig). Objection has been heard. The 
clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk continued with the call of the roll.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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