[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S10252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ORDERS FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1998

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate 
completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 11 a.m. on 
Monday, September 14. I further ask that when the Senate reconvenes on 
Monday, immediately following the prayer, the routine requests through 
the morning hour be granted and the time until 1 p.m. be equally 
divided for debate relating to the motion to proceed to S. 1981, the 
Truth In Employment Act, with the time divided between Senator 
Hutchinson and Senator Kennedy or his designee.
  I further ask consent that at 1 p.m. the Senate resume consideration 
of the Interior appropriations bill. And I want to emphasize at this 
point that it would be my intent, the early part of next week, to be on 
the Interior appropriations bill Monday afternoon, Tuesday, Wednesday--
until we complete action. I know there have been other issues that have 
necessarily been offered this week on the Interior bill, and cloture 
votes, but I think next week it is important that we do get a focus on 
the Interior appropriations and complete action on that so that we can 
go to the remaining two appropriations bills.
  I further ask consent that at 5 p.m. there be 30 minutes of debate 
equally divided, again related to S. 1981, with the vote occurring on 
the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1981 at 
5:30 p.m. on Monday.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I will 
not object, but there is some phraseology in the majority leader's 
request that I wish to inquire about. And I have noted the same 
phraseology in the requests from time to time lately, but at this 
moment, since we are both on the floor, I will ask the question.
  What does the majority leader mean when, in his request, he uses 
these words, ``the routine requests through the morning hour be 
granted''? What does that mean?
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I could respond, that would mean that the 
routine business such as the reading of the Journal, things of that 
nature, would be deemed to have expired.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I will not object on this occasion, but I 
think--I am not trying to create any problems for the majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Sure.
  Mr. BYRD. I have been in that position and I know I never liked other 
Members to create problems for me--but they did, often.
  That phraseology includes several items, especially for a Monday.
  Mr. LOTT. It does.
  Mr. BYRD. So I would like, in the future, if the distinguished 
majority leader would find it appropriate and agreeable to do so, that 
that particular verbiage be a little clearer, as to just exactly what 
is meant.
  Mr. LOTT. I believe in the past, if I might respond to the Senator, 
that perhaps there had been a longer explanation as to what was 
included. Perhaps that is the way the Senator from West Virginia did it 
when he was majority leader. I think probably I may have caused this by 
indicating or asking if we couldn't do that in a little shorter 
phraseology. But I will go back and take a look at the best way to say 
that, so that Members' rights are protected and so that they will 
understand what is being asked for there.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, if I may----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader has the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield to the Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. BYRD. If I may ask the majority leader to yield, and I won't take 
long, but having been majority leader myself, I know that there are a 
number of things involved there, and there may be one particular item 
on a particular occasion, and for a particular reason, that Senators 
would want to have operative according to the usual rules.
  I urge that we not--Mr. President, that we not speed the operation up 
to the point that Senators' rights may be eclipsed. And I am not 
suggesting that the majority leader intends that. He has already 
indicated--and I knew what he was doing--he was trying to speed the 
operation up in a way that would be more efficient. But there are 
things involved in that particular phraseology which might take 30 
minutes to discuss here if we started to do so.
  I just hope that the distinguished Senator will have his staff look 
at that language and that we might be able, Senators, to reserve their 
rights while even agreeing to such a request, if the circumstances 
required it.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, certainly I will review that again. I 
remembered, when we made a modification in the language--and I do have 
it before me here--on February 10, 1997, I did point out what the 
intent was here, the phrase ``the routine requests through the morning 
hour'' are deemed to include the approval of the Journal to date, the 
waiving of resolutions coming over under the rule, the waiving of the 
call of the calendar, and the expiration of the morning hour.
  Because I was aware that this was a change and a shortening of that. 
But we will take another look at it. We always certainly respect 
Senator Byrd's suggestions and requests, and we will do so.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished leader. It is not 
my point here to quibble or to find fault with the leader. I appreciate 
the spirit in which he has accepted this. I can see that someone who 
really understands these rules, like myself, and I have forgotten 
probably more than I will ever know again, I just want to protect the 
rights of all Senators, and I know that the leader wishes to do that. 
So I hope that there is no connotation of what I am saying that appears 
to be sinister. I have no objection.

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