[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 87 (Friday, June 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H4121-H4122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. FAZIO of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Armey), the majority leader, for the purpose of inquiring 
about the schedule for next week.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, before proceeding to the House schedule, I would like to 
have everyone's attention for a very important announcement.
  My son and my lovely daughter-in-law last night graced me with a new 
little fishing buddy. David and Laurie Armey became the proud parents 
of a beautiful baby boy, as yet without a name, my first grandson, my 
first grandchild. And even though I am not a registered lobbyist, I 
would like to make a pitch to the new parents. Richard, a great name, a 
name of kings, presidents, race car drivers and country music singers. 
I would hope that the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Gephardt), the distinguished minority leader, would join me in this 
lobbying effort to add one more Richard to this world.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Reclaiming my time, I would certainly like 
to indicate I will intercede with him, and the gentleman from Texas has 
my commitment to help him in the lobbying for another little Richard.
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman, and I thank him for his timely 
reminder of even one more classification, pop singers named Richard as 
well as country singers.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, if I can return to less important matters, the 
business of this House, we have finished the last vote for the week. We 
will meet for legislative business on Monday, June 23; let me 
reiterate, we will meet for legislative business on Monday, June 23. We 
will start morning hour at 10:30 a.m. and consideration of legislation 
will commence at 12 noon.
  Members should note that we will not hold any recorded votes before 5 
p.m. on Monday. On Monday, June 23, we plan to take up a number of 
bills under suspension of the rules, a list of which will be 
distributed to Members' offices this afternoon. The House will then 
resume consideration of H.R. 1119, the National Defense Authorization 
Act, for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. We expect to work well into the 
evening on Monday, probably until 10 or 11 p.m., on DOD amendments.
  On Tuesday, June 24, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for morning hour 
and 10 a.m. for legislative business. We will take up the following 
bills: H.R. 1316, the Federal Fishery Clarification Act on the 
Corrections Day Calendar;

[[Page H4122]]

House Joint Resolution 79, to Disapprove Most-Favored-Nation Treatment 
to the Products of the People's Republic of China, which will be 
subject to a rule; and the House will then continue consideration of 
H.R. 1119, the National Defense Authorization Act. We hope to finish 
DOD on Tuesday evening.
  On Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26, the House will meet at 
10 a.m. to consider the fiscal year 1998 budget reconciliation. We 
expect to take up the spending component of reconciliation on Wednesday 
and the tax cut component on Thursday. We should finish the week's 
business by 6 p.m. on Thursday and have Members on their way back to 
their districts for the July Fourth district work period.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, if I could 
ask the distinguished majority leader, we have just been informed by 
the colloquy between the gentleman from California [Mr. Hunter] and the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums] about the concern that a number 
have, I am sure on both sides of the aisle, about extremely important 
amendments being voted on on the defense authorization bill late Monday 
night.
  Is it possible that since we have some time on Tuesday dedicated for 
the defense bill, we could take the 3 items that the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Hunter] mentioned: Bosnia, the depot issue, and the B-
2, and designate them on Tuesday, so that the majority of the Members 
who might not make it on Monday, certainly maybe the overwhelming share 
of them, would be here for those three very important debates.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, again, if the gentleman would yield, 
obviously the management of the bill within the time slots granted to 
it is at the direction, and should be, of the committee floor managers. 
This office is always ready to stand willing to work with the floor 
managers of a bill to assist in any way to help them achieve the 
flexibility that will give them the greatest opportunity to manage 
their bill in the most effective and responsive way possible, and we 
will do that in this case on this subject as well.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. Since the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Hunter] believes that the gentleman from 
South Carolina [Mr. Spence] may be able to accommodate the concerns 
expressed about so many important votes so late Monday night, I would 
hope that the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey] would intercede with the 
chairman and we could assure the Members, who may not have been 
prepared to come back on Monday, that they will have an opportunity on 
the key issues and final passage perhaps on Tuesday.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, I will 
encourage the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spence] in every way 
possible and assist him in any way that I may.
  If I might just add, I certainly would like to do everything I can on 
behalf of my good friend, the gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums], 
to have the body fully informed about his amendments that it might make 
the most judicious vote possible, and I am sure he appreciates my 
interest in the matter.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California 
[Mr. Dellums] says he understands, Mr. Leader, and I appreciate the 
fact that you did not further reference the depot issue.

  I would like to inquire a bit about reconciliation and the tax bill. 
It has been my understanding and I think the understanding of many 
Members that we were going to have separate votes on the reconciliation 
package and the tax package.
  Just to clarify, is there a continuation of that commitment, or is 
there some move afoot to perhaps combine two separate bills into one 
and have one vote on the package?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would continue to yield, 
our current plan is to take the two components, reduction in spending 
and reduction in taxes of reconciliation as two separate bills. The 
House has retained the option to treat that as a single reconciliation 
bill and we do that, although I must say I have no indication now that 
there would be a movement in that direction.
  I do think it is only fair, though, to recognize that while we 
currently plan to have them in two bills, that that option still 
remains and should there be a decision to make a change, obviously we 
would notify the minority as quickly as possible.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, so it is fair to say at the 
moment there is no intention of doing so, but the gentleman from Texas 
[Mr. Armey] retains, he believes, the option of doing so?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is absolutely correct.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I know the gentleman 
understands that Members on this side of the aisle feel very strongly 
about the commitment that they believe has been made that we deal with 
them on a separate level, and I think that is a broadly-believed 
feeling on this side from one end of the political spectrum on the 
other.
  The gentleman has indicated that we are going to be having very late 
nights next week. What nights would we be expected to be here and how 
late would we be?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I 
believe Monday night would probably, as I anticipate, be the only night 
where we would expect to stay late. Of course partially because in 
order to accommodate the people's travel requirements, we really 
effectively begin the day late, but the other evenings of next week I 
do not believe our work requirements would require us to go late, and I 
do not anticipate that there would be anything that would cause that to 
happen.
  So I would think that generally 6, 7 p.m. on the other evenings would 
be approximately, until Thursday, of course, where it is our hard and 
fast hope to complete our work by 6 p.m. in order to accommodate the 
travel arrangements that Members like to make.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader. I believe 
Members appreciate the firm commitment for departure time, and I 
appreciate the degree to which the gentleman has been sticking to that. 
On behalf of the minority we appreciate very much that commitment 
consistently being made and kept.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Fazio], who helped all of us Richards get it right, and 
I encourage people to understand the importance of the name Richard in 
the lives of little children.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to have had 
this colloquy.

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