[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S10245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this morning, the Senate will resume 
consideration of H.R. 3756, the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill. I 
understand there are two pending amendments, and I hope we may dispose 
of those amendments in short order and continue to make progress on the 
bill.
  It is my intention to complete action on the Treasury-Postal 
appropriations bill this evening. That will certainly take 
cooperation--it always does--across the aisles. We need to help the 
managers by coming on over and offering amendments. Amendments are, in 
fact, needed so that we can be able to complete action at a reasonable 
hour tonight so we can then go tomorrow to the Chemical Weapons 
Convention.
  If we do not get the Treasury-Postal Service appropriations bill 
completed this evening, then I am going to have to weigh exactly what 
we do with regard to the Chemical Weapons Convention. We made a 
commitment to do that. I intend to do that, but in order to do that, we 
are going to have to get this bill done. We are going to have to have 
some cooperation with that.
  In accordance with the consent agreement reached on June 28, I do 
anticipate beginning the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 12, 
which is the Chemical Weapons Convention. We hope to be able to 
complete that in 1 day, instead of going all day tomorrow and going 
over until Friday. Again, with cooperation of the Members, we would 
like to see if we can complete that tomorrow, because we do have a 
Jewish holiday on Friday. We will not have any votes after 12 o'clock 
for sure, but if we could complete work on the CWC by tomorrow night, 
then Members will have more time to get to their homes to celebrate 
this special date for our Jewish Members.
  We will probably have a 1-hour closed session at the end of the 
debate on the Chemical Weapons Convention, because it appears that some 
of the information Senators really need to have will not be 
declassified. If it is not declassified by noon tomorrow, we will give 
Members, I believe 4 hours notice is required under the rules. We will 
convene in the Old Senate Chamber, and then we will go to votes right 
after that.
  Again, I urge all Senators to come to the floor if they have 
amendments. The smart thing to do would be to not offer a lot more 
amendments. Let's just go ahead and pass the Treasury-Postal 
appropriations bill and be done with it. Would that be all right with 
the chairman?
  Mr. SHELBY. That will be fine.
  Mr. LOTT. So go to third reading as soon as you can.
  Mr. SHELBY. In 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor.

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