[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 84 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5985-S5986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, today, there is a period for morning 
business, with the following Senators in control of the designated 
times: Senator Hollings, 30 minutes; Senator Domenici will be 
controlling the time from 1 to 3:30; Senator Daschle, or his designee, 
from 3:30 to 4:30; Senator Coverdell, or his designee, from 4:30 to 
5:30.
  It is hoped that any Senator wishing to speak on the budget 
resolution conference report will do so today in order to complete 
action on the budget during tomorrow's session--hopefully before noon--
on that matter. Rollcall votes are possible today.
  I indicated, I think, on Thursday that we are still trying to clear a 
number of the nominees. We have cleared some. We have not had much 
success in the judicial nomination area. I would like, where we can, to 
dispose of those before I leave the Senate tomorrow. If you want to 
have a vote, let us have a vote. I hope we can move the nominations 
that may be on the calendar--maybe with one or two exceptions--so that 
those people who have been nominated and have had their hearings will 
be able to pursue their careers.
  I have suggested that, if we cannot agree on the package, we can 
start down the list and go one at a time. If people want to vote, we 
will vote on judge A, judge B, judge C. That way, at least we can 
dispose of some of those matters.
  It is also my hope today that we can clear for immediate 
consideration Calendar No. 253, S. 1438. This deals with the World 
Trade Organization. In fact, it is an agreement I made with President 
Clinton. We are talking about passage of the GATT agreement. I was 
concerned about the World Trade Organization and concerned about there 
not being enough input from Congress. So there was an agreement between 
myself and Mickey Kantor, the Trade Representative, and the President, 
that we would pursue legislation to give Congress additional input and 
permit Congress, in certain cases, to withdraw--or at least initiate 
proceedings to withdraw--from the World Trade Organization. It was 
carefully worked out at one time. At one time, it had cleared on both 
sides. Senator Byrd had a problem, and I think that problem has now 
been resolved.
  I have not asked for much around here, as far as clearing things for 
myself, although I have done it for other people. I hope we might be 
able to clear this without amendment today and send it to the House, so 
the President will have it on his desk for signature--which he is 
perfectly willing to do.
  It is my understanding that a new offer will be made with reference 
to health reform, the bill that passed this body by a large margin. It 
is still my hope--maybe only a hope--that we can complete action on 
that matter, if not today, sometime tomorrow. In any event, it is my 
hope that we can get the agreement. If I am not here to vote on it, I 
hope we can have the agreement. It is going to take some give on all 
sides. We cannot have people dictate to us and attack us up in the 
Press Gallery and expect to make any progress. I will not engage in 
that myself. I do not think that advances the cause of what we are 
attempting to do.
  Hopefully, we can reach some agreement on that today. I will do all I 
can to make it happen. I think there has to be give and take on each 
side. I think, in this case, the House has been very

[[Page S5986]]

forthcoming on a number of issues that we did not want in our bill. It 
is not in the Senate bill. It is down to the issue of medical savings 
accounts. The House feels very strongly about it, and I think about 
half of the Members here feel very strongly about it.

  So it seems to me that we ought to reach some accommodation on 
medical savings accounts and send this bill to the President for his 
signature. I assume he will sign it. There have been a lot of different 
proposals made--some rather useless, and others that I think have some 
merit. Hopefully, we can resolve that.
  I understand Senator Kassebaum will be sending us--and maybe it is in 
my office now--a counterproposal, on which I will meet and discuss with 
my House colleagues, in the hopes that we can resolve that, too, before 
the day is out.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Will the Senator be willing to yield briefly on that 
subject matter?
  Mr. DOLE. Sure.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. If the Senator will suspend for a 
moment, I will take care of another matter.

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