[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5308-S5309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, tomorrow we will convene at 9:30, and there 
will be 1 hour for morning business, and then we will begin 
consideration of two items tomorrow, calendar No. 299, H.R. 2709, 
relative to Iran sanctions, with a total of 3 hours for debate. We 
already entered into an agreement back before the Easter recess as to 
how this issue would be considered, on or before May 22. So we will 
have this issue up tomorrow. There could be an amendment offered by 
Senator Levin. But we hope to get that up tomorrow.

[[Page S5309]]

  I won't even announce at this moment exactly which one of these two 
bills will come first, because we will need to see, for instance, if 
the ISTEA highway and infrastructure bill is ready to go. As soon as we 
get it, we want to take that up. But it will be the Iran sanctions 
issue, and then we will consider and dispose of the ISTEA conference 
report. So, votes will occur tomorrow, probably at least one, maybe two 
or three. It will depend on how these issues develop.
  Some people are saying, Will the ISTEA conference be completed? I am 
told by the leaders that they will be able to complete it tonight. They 
may need a little extra time in the morning to make sure that Senators 
who are affected one way or the other have been briefed as to exactly 
what is in it, but they know that we need to complete this legislation 
before we go home for Memorial Day recess, and we should be committed 
to get that done.
  With that, I yield the floor and the morning business would be in 
order.
  Mr. FORD. Will the majority leader yield?
  Mr. LOTT. I am happy to.
  Mr. FORD. I approve of what you have been doing. I think you have a 
hard job and you have done well. One thing that bothers me--you come to 
Kentucky to see friends and family one of these days. There are a lot 
of holds here and a lot of people are caught up in holds that have 
nothing to do with the disagreement among Senators. Next week, the 
Uranium Enrichment Corporation will make a final decision on whether 
they go public or whether they go sell to an individual. And we have 
one member who needs to be on that. She has been held up 4 months now, 
and that vote and that expertise, for 4 years, needs to be on that 
board.
  I hope that somewhere--it is on our side as well--but when I get our 
side worked out, then it comes back on that side.
  Mr. LOTT. If I can say to the Senator from Kentucky, I know he is 
interested in this nominee. Over a week ago, I believe, we had it 
cleared.
  Mr. FORD. We did until we got problems on this side.
  Mr. LOTT. Then I thought we worked it out again, and another problem 
popped up.
  Mr. FORD. Oh, yes.
  Mr. LOTT. But I think we will take another run at it tomorrow and see 
if we can maybe work it out.
  Mr. FORD. The only reason I am asking is, we have the budget process. 
The Senator from New Mexico, Senator Domenici, has worked hard on this. 
It should not be jammed up because of a hold on the Senate floor for an 
individual who has nothing to do with it, and it is jeopardizing the 
budget process, because funds are in there as it relates to the sale of 
this item.
  So I just--I plead with you, if you can, and I will do the best on my 
side, and if somehow, tomorrow, we will not be back, able to do it--and 
I do not want a recess appointment. It will all be over before the year 
expires. I don't like to do recess appointments.
  Mr. LOTT. I will say to the Senator from Kentucky, I realize Margaret 
Greene----
  Mr. FORD. Yes.
  Mr. LOTT. Needs to be released. We also have worked out, I believe, 
an agreement that involves releasing Mr. Barry for the Department of 
the Interior and Mary Anne Sullivan to be counsel at the Department of 
Energy. We would like to move all three of those.
  Mr. FORD. I agree with that, and I will try to help. My pleadings 
have fallen on hard times.
  Mr. LOTT. We will work on it tonight and tomorrow. Keep working on 
it.
  Mr. FORD. I appreciate it. I want you to know--I want everybody to 
know--we are trying to operate in an efficient manner, and other things 
are jeopardizing the ability to do it in an efficient manner.
  Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Presiding Officer. I will proceed in morning 
business.

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