[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   UNANIMOUS-CONSENT AGREEMENT--CONFERENCE REPORT ACCOMPANYING S. 830

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now turn to the conference report accompanying the FDA reform bill; 
that it be considered as having been read; that there be 30 minutes for 
debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority 
member, with an additional 5 minutes for Senator Reed of Rhode Island; 
and that following the conclusion or yielding back of time, the Senate 
proceed to vote on the adoption of the conference report, all without 
further action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. HARKIN. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. HARKIN. As I understand this, we now have an hour of debate?
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Half hour; 30 minutes.
  Mr. HARKIN. And then we will vote.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Right.
  Mr. HARKIN. It will be a recorded vote.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. No, it will not be. It depends on the body, but it is 
intended to be a voice vote.
  Mr. HARKIN. Thirty minutes of debate, a voice vote and then there 
will be no pending business after that? What will the pending business 
be after that voice vote?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending business is the fast-track bill. 
My understanding of the request of the Senator from Vermont was 30 
minutes equally divided, plus an additional 5 minutes for the Senator 
from Rhode Island.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, since everybody else seems to be getting 
in line, I wonder if I can amend that to ask unanimous consent that 
after the disposition of this bill, after the voice vote, which I 
understand is included in your disposition, after the disposition of 
this bill, that the Senator from Iowa be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I was wondering if we could ask for 40 
minutes. I have a couple of Senators on our side who would like time, 
who have been very active on this issue. Perhaps we could have a few 
more minutes so that we could accommodate their requests. Would that be 
agreeable?
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Does that include the Senator from Iowa?
  Mr. HARKIN. No.
  Mr. KENNEDY. No.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Yes. I have an objection to the request from the 
Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, could we have 40 minutes then on the 
bill?
  Mr. JEFFORDS. I have no objection to the Senator from Iowa being 
recognized as in morning business for a period of 10 minutes after the 
vote.
  Mr. HARKIN. I understand that after the vote on this bill, the 
pending bill is the fast-track bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. HARKIN. I ask unanimous consent that after disposition of this 
bill, the Senator from Iowa be recognized to speak on the fast-track 
bill. That is all.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request?
  Mr. JEFFORDS. It would have to be in morning business.
  Mr. HARKIN. I don't understand why it has to be in morning business.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. It is my understanding from the majority leader that 
the 10 minutes the Senator is requesting should occur as in morning 
business. That is all I can tell you.
  Mr. KENNEDY. If the Senator would be recognized for 10 minutes----
  Mr. JEFFORDS. I believe the Senator would be recognized for 10 
minutes, but it would be in morning business.
  Mr. HARKIN. I want to ask unanimous consent that the Senator from 
Iowa be recognized for up to 20 minutes after the disposition of this 
bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous-consent 
request?
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Objection. I object.
  Mr. HARKIN. Then I will object to that unanimous-consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now turn to the conference report to accompany the FDA bill, and the 
conference report be considered as having been read, and that there be 
40 minutes of debate equally divided, and that following the conclusion 
or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to a vote for adoption of 
the conference report, all without further action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  Mr. HARKIN. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Reserving the right to object, I don't know what I did, but 
a few minutes ago I had 5 minutes. There wasn't 5 minutes----
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Then I will amend it to ask unanimous consent to add an 
additional 5 minutes for the Senator from Rhode Island, Senator Reed.
  Mr. REED. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous-consent 
request?
  Mr. HARKIN. Reserving the right to object, I ask unanimous consent to 
amend that unanimous consent so the Senator from Iowa would be allowed 
20 minutes in morning business after the disposition of it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous-consent 
request by the Senator from Iowa?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the entire unanimous-
consent request is agreed to.

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