[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 85 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. This morning the Senate will resume consideration of the 
Department of Defense authorization bill. Under the previous order, 
Senator Wellstone will immediately be recognized to offer an amendment 
regarding Department of Defense schools under a 30-minute time 
agreement. I see he is here, ready to go.
  At the expiration of that debate time, the Senate will proceed to 
vote on or in relation to the Wellstone amendment. Following that vote, 
there will be 10 minutes for closing remarks with respect to the Inhofe 
amendment, regarding the base closure issue, with a vote occurring 
following that debate. There will then be 10 minutes for closing 
remarks with respect to the Harkin amendment that was debated last 
night, which deals with the VA health care issue, followed by a vote in 
relation to that amendment.
  Therefore, three votes will occur beginning, I presume, shortly after 
10 o'clock this morning. Following those votes, it is hoped that 
Members will come to the floor and offer and debate remaining 
amendments, with the understanding that the bill will be concluded 
during today's session. I believe that is possible. But once again, it 
takes cooperation and commitment to agree to reasonable time limits and 
get to a conclusion on this bill so we can move to a number of other 
very important issues that we are trying to get cleared, or 
appropriations bills.
  We will make an effort to get short time agreements with regard to 
the clean needles bill, the reading excellence bill, the drug czar 
reauthorization bill, perhaps the higher education bill, and any other 
appropriations bills that we may take up, plus some Executive Calendar 
items we would like to be able to get done before we go home for the 
Fourth of July recess, but they are all related to each other. If we 
get cooperation on the one side, there will be cooperation on the 
other; if we don't get cooperation and clearance on the bills, the 
Executive Calendar will have to wait for another week, month, or year.
  Also, the Senate can be expected to consider, prior to the 
Independence Day recess, as I mentioned, the higher education bill. I 
think we are very close to getting an agreement worked out on that. We 
can expect votes throughout the day, into the night, and on Friday. 
There will be at least two votes on Friday, and Senators need to be 
aware of that.
  I yield the floor.

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