[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 113 (Tuesday, September 2, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8631-S8632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today, the Senate will be returning from the 
August recess and will begin immediate consideration of S. 1061, the 
Labor-HHS appropriations bill. The chairman of the subcommittee, 
Senator Specter, is here and is ready to go with the opening debate. As 
announced prior to the recess, there will be no rollcall votes during 
today's session. Members will be offering amendments, hopefully, to the 
bill. Today, however, any votes ordered on those amendments will occur 
during Wednesday's session.
  Also under the order, at 2:15 p.m. today, the Senate will resume 
consideration of the Agriculture appropriations bill to allow Senator 
Harkin to offer an amendment regarding the FDA. A rollcall vote will 
occur on or in relation to Senator Harkin's amendment at approximately 
9:50 on Wednesday morning, tomorrow morning.
  I remind my colleagues, in addition to the Labor-HHS appropriations 
bill this week the Senate needs to consider and complete action on the 
Interior appropriations bill as well as the Food and Drug 
Administration reform bill. If there is difficulty continuing with the 
FDA reform, it would be my intent to file a cloture motion tomorrow, 
which would then ripen on Friday morning, and unless some agreement can 
be worked out we would have to have that vote on Friday morning.
  Therefore, after today's session, votes will be occurring each day. 
The chairman just indicated to me he would hope to finish the Labor-HHS 
bill tomorrow night, but we will stay on the bill and get it completed 
except for the one vote at 9:50 on Wednesday, and of course, if we have 
to go to FDA reform--we can complete the bill, although I hope it can 
be completed by the time we get to FDA.
  I urge Senators that are back in town that have amendments to the 
Labor-HHS appropriations bill to please come to the floor, offer those 
amendments today, so that you can have them debated now and not get 
under a time pressure late tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night or 
whenever we get to the close of the debate. I think you get a lot 
better consideration of amendments if you come and offer them early 
rather than later.
  I want to thank all Senators for their past and hopefully continued 
cooperation during the remainder of the first session of the 105th 
Congress. As all Members are aware, as we approach adjournment at the 
end of this legislative session it will be very busy and will 
necessitate everyone working with the leaders as we try to complete the 
remaining schedules. We have not had an opportunity to meet with the 
leadership and to talk with the leadership on the Democratic side of 
the aisle about exactly when our target adjournment will be, but during 
the remainder of the week we will be doing so. Later on this week, to 
early next week, we will give Senators some idea of our hoped for 
adjournment.
  I do want to say again how much I appreciate the cooperation that we 
have had this year. We did complete the Balanced Budget Act and the tax

[[Page S8632]]

relief package. We also have already passed 10 of our 13 appropriations 
bills, with only 3 remaining, this bill, the Labor-HHS appropriations 
bill, Interior, and the District of Columbia. We would like to finish, 
in fact, we plan to finish, all three of those bills by the end of next 
week. Then we will begin to take up conference reports and other bills 
that are necessary before we end the session for this year. It did take 
cooperation from all Senators and it took cooperation of the leadership 
on both sides of the aisle. I hope we can continue that and do the 
people's business in a way that produces results that will help the 
quality of life of all Americans.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor. I see Senator Harkin is here. 
Therefore, the managers of the bill are now ready. I yield the floor.

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