[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      UNANIMOUS-CONSENT AGREEMENT

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, the 
next recorded vote will be the last vote tonight. Unfortunately, we 
have not been able to work out an agreement that will allow us to 
vitiate the cloture vote on the FDA reform bill tomorrow morning. So 
there will be a vote at 9:45. After that, Senator Kennedy, assuming 
cloture is invoked, would have 4 hours of debate on FDA reform. We 
could go back to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill tomorrow for other 
amendments to be offered, but no further votes, other than the 9:45 
vote.
  On Monday, we will have FDA debate from 12 until 1. Then we will go 
to the Labor-HHS at Monday at 1. We will have a vote at 5 o'clock on 
Monday on either the Nickles amendment or any other amendment that 
Senators have taken up during the day, or any other pending amendment. 
I believe the McCain amendment is pending. We will have one vote at 5 
o'clock on Monday. And then, on Tuesday, we will have other amendment 
votes, if there are any pending, at 9:30. We would complete the list we 
have agreed on, all amendments, and final passage on Labor-HHS sometime 
Tuesday afternoon, and then we will go to the FDA reform package, but 
not earlier than 4 o'clock.
  I had hoped we could get an agreement that would allow us not to have 
had a cloture vote in the morning and be able to vitiate that. Senator 
Kennedy didn't feel he could agree to that. I hoped that we would not 
have to have votes on Monday, but we could not get all that worked out. 
So that is the outline of the UC that I would like to renew. I have 
discussed this with Senator Daschle. The list has been worked over by 
everybody. So I would like to renew my request with respect to the 
Labor-HHS appropriations bill that I made earlier and ask consent, if 
cloture is invoked Friday on the FDA reform package, that there be up 
to 8 hours divided between Senators Jeffords and Kennedy for debate on 
S. 830 and an additional 4 hours of debate on Monday, divided in the 
same fashion, beginning at 11 a.m.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. I further ask that the Senate proceed to S. 830 following 
passage of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, but not earlier than 4 
p.m. on Tuesday, September 9.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President. I want 
to ask a question. On Labor-HHS, amendments laid down by Monday, are 
you saying all amendments have to then be dispensed with and voted on 
by Tuesday?
  Mr. LOTT. By Tuesday afternoon. We don't have an exact time set. But 
looking at the list of amendments, we believe we can do that by 4 or 5 
o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. That is not part of the agreement. I am sorry.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. LOTT. Let me repeat, we have, we believe, a finite list. All 
amendments have to be offered by the close of business Monday. Look, 
there is not a lot of really tough stuff on the list. We believe we can 
finish all amendments, and all amendments would have to have been 
offered by the close of business Monday. We believe we can be through 
at a reasonable hour Tuesday afternoon. We are not locking in final 
passage.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. For the information of all Senators, again, there will be 
one vote at 9:50 on Friday. Any other votes ordered Friday or Monday 
before 5 will be stacked to occur on Tuesday morning, except for the 
one vote on Monday afternoon.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President, and I ask that we proceed with the 
regular order.

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