[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S10907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. LOTT. Tomorrow, the Senate will be in a period of morning 
business until the hour of 12:30, after coming in at noon. At 12:30, we 
will go back to the ISTEA legislation. It is hoped that the Senate will 
make some progress on this important legislation which authorizes the 
funding for transportation projects and safety programs so essential to 
the transportation infrastructure of this country.
  As a reminder to all Senators, a cloture motion was filed this 
afternoon on the ISTEA legislation. Therefore, all second-degree 
amendments must be filed prior to the vote on Thursday. In addition, a 
cloture vote will occur on Thursday, with the exact time to be 
announced later, with the mandatory quorum being waived.
  In addition, the Senate may turn to appropriations conference reports 
that become available at any time and, of course, Members can expect 
votes during the day tomorrow.
  I know Senator Chafee, the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, 
would like very much to get on with the substance of this bill. I 
believe it is important legislation and that there is a growing desire 
to work together on this bipartisan issue, and I believe and hope that 
we will get cloture on Thursday. If not, then we would have another 
vote on Friday, so that we could get to the germane amendments and deal 
with this issue in a serious way.
  It is my intent to continue to work with the members of the 
committee--they have done good work on this legislation, it was 
reported out of the committee unanimously--and complete action on it 
next week so we will have this 6-year bill completed in the Senate. 
Then we can see what might happen at that point. Then it would be my 
intention, shortly after that, whenever that may be, late next week I 
hope, to go to fast track legislation.
  This is ambitious, but these are very important bills that I believe 
most Senators want us to act on. The President of the United States 
today personally asked me to try to move both of these bills, and I 
will continue to work with Senator Daschle and other Senators to try to 
find a way to move this process forward. We did have some good faith 
exhibited today. Our committees were allowed to meet. We did move some 
nominations that are required, needed for the administration in order 
for it to be able to do its work. I hope we can continue in that vein.
  So far we have not been able to get everybody to agree to a process 
whereby we can move on to important, substantive legislation like ISTEA 
and fast track and Amtrak and adoption and foster care legislation. But 
it is certainly my intention to do everything I can to get to these 
serious issues.

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