[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9321-S9322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, yesterday I witnessed what I think was 
probably the best day of legislating on both sides of the aisle and on 
both sides of the Capitol that I have seen in many, many years. 
Beginning here in the Senate, we did complete action on the nuclear 
waste disposal legislation. It took a lot of effort, a lot of 
cooperation, and I think everybody deserves a lot of credit for the way 
it was handled.
  Also, I want to commend the chairman of the Transportation 
Appropriations Committee and his ranking member. I think they put in an 
Olympic performance. Even though the hurdles were movable at times, 
they continued to persist and were able to complete the transportation 
appropriations bill, and we appreciate the chairman's efforts on that; 
also on a whole variety of conferences. Conferences were literally 
meeting all over the Capitol yesterday, on MilCon appropriations, on 
health insurance reform, small business relief package, minimum wage, 
on safe drinking water, on the terrorism task force. Everybody was 
working hard, and I really was very impressed with the effort that 
everybody put into the day yesterday. I hope we can replicate that 
again today.
  This morning the Senate will immediately turn to the consideration of 
the reconciliation bill conference report regarding welfare reform. 
That conference report will be considered under the statutory debate 
time limitation of 10 hours equally divided. I hope it will not take 
the full 10 hours. I know a lot of Senators want to be heard, and 
certainly they have that right in this time limit. But I hope maybe we 
can yield back some of that time so that we can take up conference 
reports. We have a couple of them that we will probably have to vote 
on. The D.C. appropriations conference report and military construction 
conference report will probably both have to be voted on.

  This conference report is not amendable. Therefore, a vote on the 
adoption of the report will occur on the expiration or yielding back of 
debate time. Following disposition of the reconciliation bill 
conference report, the Senate may be asked to turn to consideration of 
other available conference reports or appropriations bills.
  After we have votes on the conference reports, it is my intention at 
this time to go to the HUD-VA appropriations bill. The chairman, the 
Senator from Missouri, Mr. Bond, and the ranking member, Ms. Mikulski, 
have been very patient and understanding; their bill has slipped so we 
could move other, supposedly less controversial bills, but I hope we 
can take up the HUD-VA appropriations bill late this afternoon or even 
tonight. Therefore, rollcall votes can be expected throughout today's 
session and probably into the night.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  Mr. FORD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, let me say to the majority leader on behalf 
of the Democratic leader that we intend to cooperate with him as much 
as we can, but I might say to the majority leader, as he understood, 
the Democratic leader was quite upset last night when one of the judges 
had an objection. That level of cooperation kind of broke open last 
night.
  So I just want to advise the majority leader that we will be 
attempting to continue to help him through the day, but it received a 
bump last evening.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I understand that, and I understand that we 
will be in very close touch with the distinguished assistant minority 
leader, the whip, to make sure that when votes do occur today they are 
in coordination with the Democratic leader's

[[Page S9322]]

schedule, because we know he has some other things with which he is 
concerned.
  We understand about the bumps in the road, but it is kind of like the 
hurdles on the Transportation appropriations bill the Senator from New 
Jersey helped work through. You just keep moving forward. You deal with 
them, and you find a way to handle these problems, and we will keep 
working with Senators to see that we can do that.
  I yield the floor.

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