[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 115 (Thursday, September 3, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 1301

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
turn to S. 1301, the bankruptcy bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KENNEDY. The request has been made to go to the bankruptcy bill 
which affects about 1,300,000 people in this country. We do have an 
opportunity to consider other legislation, like the HMO bill, that 
affects 120 million people, and we are being asked to go to the 
bankruptcy bill when we are not scheduling the campaign finance bill 
that passed the House of Representatives that involves the elimination 
of many of the abuses of campaign finance. Some are very concerned 
about the fact that some $50 million have been expended by banks and 
credit card companies to move this legislation forward.
  I am interested in inquiring of the leader whether we can have any 
indication as to when we might have the opportunity of scheduling these 
other measures which affect the average family, rather than special 
interests, such as the banks and the credit card companies. When I go 
back home, people talk to me about health care. It is the bankers and 
credit card people who are talking about the bankruptcy bill.
  I wonder whether we are going to have any kind of assurance that we 
are going to move ahead with this legislation and we are going to have 
an opportunity to address and debate the merits of the Republican 
legislation, as well as the merits of the legislation, for example, on 
HMOs that has been introduced by the Democratic leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Before I ask for the regular order, let me respond. I am 
perfectly prepared to go to the Patients' Bill of Rights bill. We have 
our bill ready to go. We would be glad for Senator Kennedy to offer his 
bill. We have even offered to have three amendments on each bill and go 
to final passage. That offer still stands. It is a very fair offer. The 
minute the Senator and his leadership indicates they are willing to do 
that, we will be glad to go to both of those bills and have the votes 
and go to conclusion.
  Regular order, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The regular order is, Is there objection?
  Mr. KENNEDY. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. 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. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to give the Senator from 
Massachusetts one more opportunity to agree to our unanimous consent 
request that we go to the bankruptcy bill. So I ask unanimous consent, 
once again, that the Senate now turn to S. 1301, the bankruptcy bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, for the time being, for the moment, I 
object.

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