[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6917-S6918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will resume 
consideration of the Coverdell education conference report. Under the 
previous order, after the expiration or yielding back of debate time, 
the Senate will proceed to vote on the adoption of the conference 
report. That vote is expected to occur at approximately 11:30 a.m. 
Following that vote, the Senate will immediately resume consideration 
of the defense authorization bill.
  It is my hope that the defense bill can be concluded soon, hopefully 
today, certainly tomorrow. In that vein, I want Senators to be on 
notice that we will plan on working into the night. I have tried very 
hard all year, and since I have been majority leader, to be sensitive 
to night sessions so that Members can be with their families, but we 
must get more work done. We must get this bill done. So Senators can 
expect a vote around 8 o'clock tonight. That may be moved a little bit 
one way or the other depending on how the debate is going, but we will 
have a vote on the defense authorization bill, an amendment, or on a 
judicial nomination tonight. So just make your plans to be here around 
8 o'clock. If the committee wants to continue to work after that, they 
should do that also.
  So Senators should be on notice that we could very well be in session 
late Thursday night, and they should be prepared to have votes Friday 
afternoon at around 2 o'clock. So if you have flights out of here 
Thursday night, cancel them unless you want to miss some votes. If you 
plan on leaving Friday morning, cancel it, unless you want to miss some 
votes. We will be voting as it now stands Friday afternoon. It may be 
on DOD, if we haven't completed it; it may be on a conference report. 
It could be on IRS reform and restructuring. I don't think any Senator 
would want to miss a vote on that conference report. If we could get 
some more cooperation around here, which we have not been getting, we 
could maybe not have to do that. But we are going to act on this 
authorization bill, we are going to move toward appropriations bills, 
we are going to do conference reports, and we are going to do 
nominations.
  I asked the Senate to help me. The Senate has not been doing that. 
And so we will be voting tonight, Thursday night, and Friday afternoon. 
In fact, I don't have to leave until Saturday afternoon late so I would 
be delighted to stay here. This sword can be pointed both ways. But we 
have to go to work, and we have to cooperate with each other on behalf 
of the country. We are talking about defense authorization. Is there a 
more important bill we will do this year? We are developing a hollow 
military. We are not funding defense adequately, and yet we have 
military men and women steaming all over the world, stretched to the 
limit. It is ridiculous that we are here arguing over details when we 
ought to be acting on this very important bill.
  If you have amendments, what are you waiting on? Get over here and 
offer them, because I have already heard, ``Well, I haven't had my 
chance yet.'' This is the sixth day, I believe, we have been on this 
bill. If you have an amendment, come offer it. Otherwise, I would like 
to move to third reading and just let the chips fall where they will 
because enough is enough. If you have an amendment that is important, 
you should be over here at 11:30 to offer it as soon as we go back to 
that bill.
  Rollcall votes should be expected throughout the day. We are still 
working to try to get an agreement on the Higher Education Act. There 
is a great deal of irresponsibility on that act; Senators are saying, 
oh, I have two, three, six amendments. This bill expires, the 
authorization expires July 1, and we are not going to have it passed in 
the Senate. I think that is a real problem also.

[[Page S6918]]

  I mentioned the IRS reform conference report. We have at least four 
appropriations bills that are ready, and we would like to work with 
both sides to see if we could not clear some Executive Calendar 
nominations. For instance, the Amtrak board, if we don't approve the 
board by July 1, the Amtrak authorization expires. Now, anybody who 
wants their Amtrak efforts last year to be for naught better be 
thinking about it, because if we don't get the authorization, we don't 
get the reforms, we are not going to get the money in the future. I 
have been a supporter of Amtrak, but I said last year it is the last 
time. We are going to do it right or we are not going to get the money 
we need in the future.
  In conclusion, Mr. President, I again thank Senator Coverdell and his 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have worked on this very 
important education bill. I am excited, honestly excited, that we are 
about to pass one of the most important education bills that the Senate 
has acted on in years to encourage more savings for our children's 
education, for their needs. That is certainly worthwhile.
  I particularly note that in addition to Senator Coverdell, Senator 
Torricelli has been very helpful, sticking to his guns against a lot of 
opposition. It would encourage prepaid tuition. Twenty-one States have 
that program. My State has that program. It will be very helpful to get 
tax benefits of prepaid college tuition. Also, we should encourage 
employers to give employees benefits for pursuing higher education. 
This is a really great bill. I believe it will pass with a wide 
bipartisan margin, and I believe that education will benefit and 
children in America will be better off because of it.
  So I thank those who have been involved. I think it will be one of 
the most important things that we have done this year. I hope the 
President will find it in his heart to sign this legislation.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  (Mr. ALLARD assumed the Chair.)
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would be glad to yield to the 
distinguished President pro tempore.
  Mr. THURMOND. I thank the able majority leader for his remarks and 
his plan of action. It is the least we can do in the Senate to 
cooperate with him. He has outlined the procedure here to get results, 
and we all ought to help him all we can to go forward with this bill 
and other matters before the Senate.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.

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