[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9462-S9463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I think we had some good discussion this 
morning and I believe we made some progress in talking to Senators on 
both sides of the aisle, working out problems.
  I know several Senators are going to need an opportunity to talk to 
the minority leader. I know the minority whip will be doing that here 
in a few minutes. So, hopefully, after those conversations we can get 
an understanding of how we can move on these very important issues. So, 
at this time, rather than just keeping the Senate here, what I propose 
to do is to have the Senate stand in recess until 2:30 p.m., at which 
time I will again enter into a colloquy with the Senator from Texas and 
the Senator from New Jersey about how we will deal with the stalking 
issue and the Lautenberg amendment; and then I would move to get 
unanimous-consent agreement on Judge Montgomery; and then I would move 
the CFTC nominees, and then the military nominations, including the new 
Chief of Naval Operations, which is needed very badly to be on duty. 
Then I would move to take up the health care issue.
  In the meantime, I understand there will be some efforts made to deal 
with the drug patent issue in a way that, hopefully, is acceptable. And 
then we would go to the small business tax relief and minimum wage 
issue, and the safe drinking water conference report; all three of 
those conference reports.
  I would also go to the DOD authorization and I would--of course, we 
would need to talk to the minority leader about exactly how we deal 
with that.
  I would also attempt to move the three noncontroversial, universally 
supported military construction appropriations, legislative 
appropriations and D.C. appropriations. If we could get those issues 
worked out and completed, we would have made tremendous achievement 
here today.
  If at 2:30 we cannot get an agreement on these, or an agreement on a 
package of these items, it would be my intent to take the Senate out 
for the balance of the day and come back tomorrow morning. I see no 
sense in standing around here waiting or going in and out on recess. So 
we will have 2\1/2\ hours now in which we can consider the situation, 
decide if we want to pass health insurance reform that so many people 
labored so hard on, that every voting representative in the House but 
two voted for just yesterday, the small business tax relief, minimum 
wage--everybody wants to get this done--and the safe drinking water. 
Everybody wants these three bills done.
  I understand the White House is very anxious for us to get that done. 
There is no reason why we should not do these three appropriations 
conference reports. So we will have some time here to work through that 
and have a chance to talk to the minority leader. I hope to hear from 
him in the next hour or two. And we will see if we can

[[Page S9463]]

get this all worked out. And if we can, it would be really great. If we 
cannot, we will just go out and come back in the morning. I have had 
that on my mind all week anyway. So we can do that.
  Mr. FORD. Would the Senator yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I would be glad to.
  Mr. FORD. I have no objection to the recess. But we do have a couple 
Senators that were on their way to make some remarks on our side. If 
you could withhold that or set it at the end of the statements by 
Senator Kennedy and Senator Wyden and maybe Senator Baucus, because 
those three would like to make some remarks. That way we would not be 
wasting the time.
  Mr. LOTT. As long as there are Senators who would like to speak, 
obviously, we want to allow that. If those three are going to speak, we 
would probably want to have maybe some response on our side. But when 
we reach the point where Senators are not here speaking, instead of 
just keeping everybody here waiting, I would propose we recess then 
until 2:30. But at 2:30, regardless, I will move to get this underway.

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