[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7229-S7230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, this 
morning there will be a period of morning business until 10:10. 
Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to executive 
session to consider the nominations of A. Howard Matz to be United 
States District Judge for the Central District of California, and 
Victoria A. Roberts to be United States District Judge for the Eastern 
District of Michigan. It is, therefore, expected that up to two votes 
will occur on those nominations at approximately 10:15 this morning.
  Following those votes, the Senate may consider any of the following 
items: drug czar reauthorization bill, the clean needles bill, the 
reading excellence legislation, the legislative branch appropriations 
bill, and other legislative or executive items that may be cleared for 
action.
  Once again, Members are reminded there will be rollcall votes during 
today's session of the Senate, with the first vote expected at 
approximately 10:15.
  I understand from our discussions with Senator Daschle that we 
perhaps have been able to get an agreement on the higher education 
bill--we did get the time agreement locked in--with a number of 
amendments in order. We will work to consider that bill as 
expeditiously as possible. We need to get it done because the 
authorization expires July 1. Even though we have had an extension of 
funding for 90 days, that is something we need to get done absolutely 
before we go out for the year. So we need to get it completed in the 
Senate and be able to get it in conference. We also may be able to take 
up the intelligence authorization bill later on today.
  Let me go ahead and announce to the Senate, and I will repeat it 
later, right before votes probably, Senators should expect long days 
and lots of votes during the month of July. We will have votes on most 
Mondays, even though we have not made a final decision with regard to 
July 6. It is expected we will have one vote on that date, but we are 
still working with Senators on both sides to determine what that one 
vote will be late in the day.

[[Page S7230]]

  Throughout July, though, Senators should expect to be here on Mondays 
and on Fridays. I expect that we will be in 6 or 7 hours each Monday; 
that we will have night sessions every night; that we will be in 
usually 12 hours a day Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and I will 
be trying to schedule bills and votes into the night Tuesdays, 
Wednesdays, and Thursdays so that we can move several appropriations 
bills and some of the bills I have mentioned here.
  We have a number of other important issues--product liability, 
bankruptcy, the credit union bill. We have a lot of work to do, so what 
I will try to do is dual-track some of these, with appropriations bills 
being on the floor almost every day and then maybe work at night on 
other issues.
  For instance, it is my intention to have the conference report on the 
IRS restructuring probably the Tuesday or Wednesday night that we come 
back. We may actually have a final vote on it the next morning. But in 
order to get our work done, Senators should expect that I will schedule 
votes around 9 o'clock every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
  I have really bent over backwards to be helpful to the Senate, to try 
to be considerate of their family needs, but it seems that we have not 
gotten reciprocation from Senators, frankly, on either side. The number 
of amendments is totally out of control. Every bill now has 100 
amendments. If Senators can't learn to be serious, only have major 
amendments, cut the debate time, if we do not get cooperation on both 
sides of the aisle, then I have no alternative but to start having what 
would be called ``bed check'' votes. If we get our work done, we will 
not go late. If we do not, we will be here until 9 and 10 o'clock every 
night in July.

  So Senators need to prepare for that, and then we won't surprise 
anybody. But that is the schedule we have to work in order to get six 
or eight appropriations bills done in July, and maybe more, if we can, 
and other important authorizations that have to be done. I know that is 
good news for one and all, and now morning business is in order.
  I yield the floor.

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