[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 122 (Monday, September 15, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, we have the opportunity this week, I 
believe, to complete action on the Interior appropriations bill and on 
the Food and Drug Administration reform package. There has been a lot 
of work done on FDA, and I believe a consensus is evolving. Hopefully, 
within a day or day and a half, we could complete action on that bill 
this week. And if time permits, we will also take up the D.C. 
appropriations bill which would be the last of the 13 appropriations 
bills the Senate needs to pass.
  Today, though, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 2107, the 
Interior appropriations bill. As announced earlier, there will be no 
rollcall votes today. Any votes ordered on amendments to this bill, 
H.R. 2107, will be set aside to occur at a time to be determined by the 
majority leader in consultation with the minority leader. Presumably, 
that would be in the morning, hopefully even early in the morning. The 
Senate will be able, hopefully, to conclude debate on the Interior bill 
by Tuesday. We have one of our most outstanding chairmen who is 
managing this bill. I think this one is going to be a handful for him, 
but they have worked out a number of issues. I feel like we will be 
able to get an early resolution and complete action on the Interior 
appropriations bill. Members are encouraged to contact the managers of 
the bill to schedule floor action on any possible amendments. I hope 
Members will not wait until sometime Tuesday afternoon or late Tuesday 
night, or whenever, when it is convenient for them to drop by if they 
have any amendments. If you have a good amendment, you get more 
attention, you get a better chance to have it properly considered and 
even get a vote if you show up early for work and offer your amendment.
  As Members are aware, then, there will only be one appropriations 
bill left, and we will take it up later on this week or the D.C. 
appropriations bill will come up perhaps early next week. We need 
Members' cooperation in scheduling floor action, and we will attempt to 
conclude action on both these bills this week. We will notify the 
Members when rollcall votes are agreed to.
  Under rule XXII, all first-degree amendments to S. 830, that is the 
FDA reform bill, must be filed by 1 p.m. today. I want to remind 
Members of that deadline.
  I thank my colleagues for their attention, and I wish the chairman 
and manager of the bill, the great Senator from the State of 
Washington, good luck in completing his work.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.

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