[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 59 (Thursday, May 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2398-H2399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. BONIOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
Armey], the distinguished majority leader, for the purpose of engaging 
in a colloquy on the schedule for today, the rest of the week and next 
week.
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that we have just had our last 
vote for the week. However, this afternoon the House will continue to 
debate amendments to H.R. 2, the Housing Opportunity and Responsibility 
Act of 1997. Members should note that any recorded votes ordered on the 
housing bill today will be postponed until Tuesday, May 13, after 5 
p.m.
  I would like to outline, Mr. Speaker, next week's schedule.
  The House will meet on Monday, May 12, for a pro forma session. There 
will be no legislative business and no votes on that day.
  On Tuesday, May 13, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning 
hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Members should note that we 
will not hold any recorded votes before 5 p.m. on Tuesday next.
  The House will consider the following bills, all of which will be 
under suspension of the rules:
  H.R. 5, the IDEA Improvement Act of 1997.
  H.R. 914, a bill to make certain technical corrections in the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 relating to graduation data disclosures, as 
amended.
  House Concurrent Resolution 49, authorizing use of the Capitol 
grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
  House Concurrent Resolution 66, authorizing use of the Capitol 
grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.
  House Concurrent Resolution 67, authorizing the 1997 Special Olympics 
Torch Relay to be run through the Capitol grounds.
  House Concurrent Resolution 73, a concurrent resolution concerning 
the death of Chaim Herzog.
  And House Resolution 103, expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that the United States should maintain approximately 
100,000 United States military personnel in the Asia and Pacific region 
until such time as there is a peaceful and permanent resolution to the 
majority security and political conflicts in the region.
  After consideration of the suspensions on Tuesday, the House will 
resume consideration of amendments to H.R. 2, the Housing Opportunity 
and Responsibility Act of 1997. We hope to vote on final passage of the 
public housing bill on Wednesday morning.
  Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15, the House 
will meet at 10 a.m., and on Friday, May 16, the House will meet at 9 
a.m. to consider the following bills, all of which will be subject to 
rules:
  H.R. 1469, the Fiscal Year 1997 Supplemental Appropriations Act; and 
H.R. 1486, the Foreign Policy Reform Act.
  Mr. Speaker, we should finish legislative business and have Members 
on their way home to their families by 2 p.m. on Friday, May 16.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this occasion to notify 
all Members of some potential changes in the schedule as it affects the 
month of June.
  Mr. Speaker, because we anticipate a heavy work month with 
appropriations bills and budget reconciliation bills throughout the 
month of June, I should like to advise all Members that contrary to the 
published schedule in their possession, that they should expect and we 
anticipate that we will have votes on Monday, June 9; Friday, June 13; 
and Monday, June 23. Appropriate notification will be sent to Members' 
offices. We will keep Members posted about those dates, but I think in 
all deference to their June scheduling concerns, Members should have 
this notice as soon as I can give it and, therefore, it is given at 
this time.
  Mr. BONIOR. Can I just repeat those dates, because I think they are 
important. Monday, June 9, Friday, June 13, and Monday, June 23 we will 
be meeting.
  Mr. ARMEY. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. BONIOR. I thank the gentleman.
  I noticed on the schedule that we are going to have two athletic 
events on the Capitol grounds, the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby 
and the Special Olympics Torch Relay to be run through the Capitol 
grounds.
  I am wondering if the gentleman from Texas would be interested in 
engaging someone here on the minority, namely myself, in the soap box 
derby with the winner writing the tax bill. What does the gentleman 
think?
  Mr. ARMEY. I am not quite sure. If the soap box derby is racing, I 
think I might be willing, but if it is orating, I would never want to 
engage the gentleman in such a derby.
  Mr. BONIOR. I have just two brief questions, if the gentleman would 
indulge me.
  On the supplemental, it is an emergency bill that is badly needed for 
relief of flood victims. It has been pulled for the past 2 weeks. What 
day next week do we expect that? Do we expect that on Wednesday or 
Thursday?
  Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will yield further, it is our expectation 
that

[[Page H2399]]

it will be on Wednesday and we should hope to have it completed on 
Wednesday morning.
  Mr. BONIOR. And the budget resolution, can the gentleman enlighten us 
on this side of the aisle when we expect to have that resolution before 
us? Before the Memorial Day break? After?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again if the gentleman will yield, the Budget chairman and 
the ranking member on Budget have been discussing that, and I believe 
they are prepared to go to markup on Wednesday next on that in 
committee. It is our expectation that we would have it on the floor for 
consideration on Tuesday, May 20. Then, of course, we would hope that 
the other body would keep pace and we would hope to have that 
resolution agreed upon between the two bodies and passed in final 
conference report before the recess.
  Mr. BONIOR. I thank the gentleman.
  Finally, just one other inquiry. On Friday next, is it my 
understanding from the gentleman's comments that we will be meeting in 
session next Friday?
  Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will yield further, yes, we do anticipate 
being in session and voting on Friday next with, of course, every 
effort to have our Members' work completed by 2 p.m. for their Friday 
departure.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I wanted by way of this inquiry to thank the 
majority leader for visiting the Red River Valley area in my home 
State, in his home State of North Dakota, but we had contemplated 
dealing with some emergency regulatory suspension with regards to the 
Committee on Banking and Financial Services to accommodate the needs of 
the Red River Valley and the Minnesota River Valley area in both the 
Dakotas and Minnesota.
  We were hopeful that the gentleman would consult with the chairman of 
the Committee on Banking and Financial Services with whom I have 
consulted and we are trying to do that, and I would hope that it would 
be possible to bring that measure up on suspension next Tuesday. I note 
that it was not addressed in the gentleman's outline and I would just 
want to request the gentleman's attention to that matter and hope that 
we can work out something along those lines.
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman for his inquiry.
  If the gentleman will yield further, I see the distinguished chairman 
of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services is here. We will 
discuss it privately. Certainly I understand the gentleman's concern 
and the gentleman's anxiety. We will try to be as responsive as 
possible on that matter.

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