[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 33 (Monday, March 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the Senate will begin consideration of 
S. 1768, the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. As earlier 
announced, a vote will occur today at 5:30, hopefully with respect to 
an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill, but if that 
cannot be arranged, or if there is not an amendment available at that 
time, then the Senate will be voting with respect to an Executive 
Calendar item. Therefore, Senators should be on notice that a vote will 
occur at 5:30.
  It is my hope the Senate can make good progress, if not complete 
action, on the supplemental appropriations bill, since it is an 
emergency. It is the funds for our activities in Bosnia and the Persian 
Gulf, as well as for natural disasters. I hope we can get it completed, 
certainly prior to an anticipated cloture vote at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 
That cloture vote would be on H.R. 2646, which is the Coverdell A+ 
Education Savings Account Act. Perhaps we will be able to work out a 
unanimous consent agreement on a limited number of amendments and how 
those amendments could be handled so that cloture would not be 
necessary, but if not, we will have cloture at 5:30. And I assume and 
hope that that cloture motion will be agreed to.
  So I ask all Members who must amend that important legislation to 
notify the managers of their intentions. Senator Stevens will be coming 
here later, and he will be looking for notification of any amendments 
that might be necessary.
  As announced earlier, consideration of the NATO treaty has been 
postponed, to occur at a later date, possibly even after the Easter 
recess. The Senate has several very important emergency items we have 
to consider prior to the recess, including, probably on Thursday of 
this week, the Mexico decertification issue. The rules require that we 
have to act on that before Saturday, and I believe the rules also 
provide for up to 10 hours of debate. So we have to do that Thursday, 
we have to complete the supplemental appropriations, and we have to 
complete the education bill. So we just do not have the time to have 
the necessary focused debate that we need to have on NATO enlargement. 
It may be after the Easter recess before we come back to that. A number 
of Senators have asked that we have the final debate and votes after 
the Easter recess, so we may have to do that.

  So we will have a vote at 5:30 this afternoon on the supplemental 
appropriations bill, an amendment perhaps, and then we will have the 
Coverdell education bill tomorrow. I hope that we can find a way to 
work together and not spend the whole week with filibusters and cloture 
votes, but if not, we will go with the cloture votes and take up the 
emergency issues we have to deal with. I hope we will get cooperation. 
I thank the Senators for that.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to speak as in 
morning business for 15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
Senator is recognized.

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