[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 145 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H9541-H9542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. BONIOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the majority 
leader the schedule for the remainder of the day and of next week.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding.
  I am happy to announce that we have concluded legislative business 
for the week.
  The House will meet on Tuesday, October 28, at 10:30 a.m. for morning 
hour and 12 noon for legislative business. We do not plan to have any 
recorded votes before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28.
  On Tuesday, the House will consider a number of bills under 
suspension of the rules, a list of which will be distributed this 
afternoon.
  After the suspensions, the House will take up the conference report 
on the Department of Defense authorization bill.
  We will then proceed to the rule, and rule only, on H.R. 1270, the 
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997.
  For Wednesday, October 29, and the balance of the week, the House 
will consider the following bills, all of which will be subject to 
rules:
  We intend to finish H.R. 1270, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997; 
H.R. 2493, providing for uniform management for livestock grazing on 
Federal lands; H.R. 2616, the Charter Schools Amendments Act; the HELP 
Scholarships Act; and H.R. 2614, the Reading Excellence Act.
  On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. On 
Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. We should finish legislative 
business by about 2:00 p.m. next Friday, October 31.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, if the gentleman is 
available for a question, I would like my friend from Texas to maybe 
give us a sense of what is in the wind regarding suspensions and his 
intentions with respect to the Amtrak bill.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I 
appreciate the gentleman's request and his interest in the subject.
  We will be, at this point, consulting with the Senate and talking to 
the committee chairman, and we would expect to have announcement later.
  Mr. BONIOR. I would also say to my friend from Texas, with respect to 
the case of the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez, as 
the gentleman clearly knows from yesterday

[[Page H9542]]

and the activities that have gone before that, we feel very strongly 
about this situation. We think this case has dragged on long enough. 
And if these matters really have not been resolved next week, I want to 
inform my colleagues that we will continue to object strenuously and 
Members should make plans accordingly.
  Finally, I would like to make one other comment to my friend from 
Texas, and that is with respect to campaign finance reform. I recall 
the gentleman from Texas saying that he hoped that he would get to that 
issue before the end of this session, some comments to that effect, and 
I just want to inform him that we have close to 170 Members, if not 
170, at the desk, who have signed a discharge petition, and we hope 
that issue will be brought to the floor so we can have a full debate of 
all the alternatives before the American people before we adjourn this 
session.
  Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will continue to yield, let me first say 
again that I appreciate the gentleman's affirmation of commitment to 
his course of action with respect to the Sanchez matter. Let me just 
reaffirm our commitment on this side of the aisle that we will carry 
out our constitutional responsibilities regarding this question of the 
legitimacy of elections of our Members thoroughly, completely, and 
honestly to that conclusion which is defined by the facts of the matter 
when fully and completely understood. We can do no less. It is our duty 
under the Constitution.
  Regarding the other matter, I guess the gentleman can proceed with 
his discharge petition and we will proceed with the business of the 
House and we will see if either of us get to somewhere.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I want to make the gentleman aware that it 
is a bipartisan discharge petition and we hope to have a little more 
bipartisan help on it as the days move ahead.
  Let me also ask my colleague from Texas, I note in the schedule that 
we only have three suspensions scheduled for Tuesday next. Does the 
gentleman expect others might be added between now and next Tuesday?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank my friend from Michigan, and if he would continue 
to yield, we have some from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs that we 
have had fully vetted and cleared. We expect to perhaps complete the 
vetting and clearing with some others, and we will inform the 
gentleman's office as soon as possible.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague.

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