[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 16, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10415-S10416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1999

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Senate has been on this Interior bill 
now for 6 session days and has not really scratched the surface of the 
bill. This is the 11th appropriations bill that the Senate has 
considered in preparation for the end of the fiscal year, which is 
September 30.
  Members will recall last week we spent most of our time on the 
campaign finance reform issue. This week there have been farm 
amendments as well as other amendments that are unrelated to Interior 
that are waiting in the wings. It looks like it will be very hard to 
keep focused on the Interior appropriations bill itself and get it 
completed. And, of course, that will affect the next two appropriations 
bills.


                           Amendment No. 3581

  I offered a consent agreement to debate the pending amendment for 2 
hours. That is the amendment that Senator Daschle offered, with no 
action occurring, and then lay aside the amendment to consider a 
Kempthorne amendment relative to the Endangered Species Act. I 
understand some discussions are still going back and forth on the ESA 
amendment. That agreement has not been worked out and there are various 
reasons that it has been objected to.
  Therefore, I ask for the yeas and nays on the pending amendment, 
3581.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.

[[Page S10416]]



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