[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 103 (Monday, July 21, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7743-S7744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, today 
the Senate will be in a period of morning business until the hour of 3 
p.m. Following morning business, the Senate will begin consideration of 
the VA-HUD appropriations bill. We made great progress on 
appropriations bills last week and I hope that will continue. As a 
matter of fact, we completed action on four bills and completed 
everything on the fifth appropriations bill except for a vote on an 
amendment or amendments and final passage. So I ask all Members' 
cooperation in working with the chairmen of the remaining 
appropriations bills to enable us to finish each of these measures in a 
timely manner. We are hoping that we can complete the bill that we 
brought over last week, the Treasury, Postal Service, with votes this 
afternoon. As I said, we will begin the VA-HUD and will consider 
agriculture, military construction, and even State, Justice, Commerce 
this week.
  So I remind all Senators that at 5:15 today we will temporarily set 
aside the VA-HUD appropriations bill and resume consideration for final 
passage and, I believe, one amendment we have pending on the Treasury, 
Postal Service appropriations bill. Senators can expect, at 5:15, a 
series of rollcall votes on or in relation to those amendments on 
Treasury, Postal Service, and then final passage. Following those 
votes, I encourage Members who have amendments to the VA-HUD 
appropriations bill to remain and offer their amendments this evening 
so we can make progress also on that measure.
  There are 2 weeks remaining for business prior to the August recess 
period. There are a number of appropriations bills now available, and 
the committee will be reporting additional bills tomorrow. It is my 
hope that the Senate will be able to finish action on many, if not all, 
of these. Obviously, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the 
Senator from Alaska, Senator Stevens, and his ranking member, Senator 
Byrd, are doing an excellent job in getting these bills through the 
subcommittees of appropriations and through the full committee. So we 
can perhaps also have conference reports available soon, in September, 
on appropriations bills, and we will have, hopefully in short order, 
conference reports agreed to which accompany the Tax Fairness Act and 
the balanced budget amendment, and they will be available later on this 
week, or certainly early next week. Prior to the recess, we will 
conclude action on those conference reports.
  Some have suggested that we may not be able to do that, but I think 
we have made good progress. There has been a lot of work even over the 
weekend, Senators and Congressmen meeting on both sides of the aisle on 
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and also with administration officials. I 
think good progress has been made. Obviously, there are some very 
important decisions yet to be worked out. But I think we will be ready 
to be doing that today and tomorrow and maybe even Wednesday if it has 
to go over to that day.
  I previously announced that S. 39, the tuna-dolphin bill, and the FDA 
reform bill could be considered this week, and probably at least one 
will be brought up. On the tuna-dolphin bill, we will begin the process 
on Wednesday to move toward a cloture vote on Friday, if some other 
agreement is not worked out. I believe the interested parties can work 
out a compromise that is acceptable to all sides. I know the 
administration is very interested in getting this legislation 
considered. I have been called by the President to urge that we 
schedule this legislation and we come to an agreement. This is an 
international agreement with regard to tuna and dolphin that has been 
laboriously worked out by 12 or 13 countries. We should not leave for 
the August recess without acting on it. We intend to do that. Although 
I say to one and all, we cannot tie up the Senate for an extended 
period of time on either one of these issues, FDA reform or the tuna-
dolphin bill.

  Needless to say, the remaining sessions during the legislative period 
will be busy, and Members should expect rollcall votes occurring 
throughout each day and into the evening if necessary. Senators should 
be cautious with their scheduling during the next 2-week period as we 
will attempt to complete these items just mentioned.

[[Page S7744]]

They should expect votes, obviously, on this Monday and on this Friday. 
There is even a possibility that we will have to go over in session to 
Saturday to resolve the State, Justice, Commerce appropriations bill 
and/or the tuna-dolphin bill. Then we will have votes the following 
Monday and we will have votes, if necessary, on Friday of next week, so 
that we can complete action on these two very critical conference 
reports. But I feel very good about the prospects of doing that. There 
are those who are concerned right now, can we complete that work. I 
think the way to do it is just redouble our efforts and develop the 
attitude that we are going to complete action. I know the President and 
his administration wants us to get this done before we leave for the 
August district and State work periods.
  Mr. President, with that, I yield the floor.

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