[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 148 (Friday, October 16, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H11026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H11026]]
          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 1999

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Appropriations be discharged from further consideration of 
the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 136) making further continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year 1999, and for other purposes, and 
that the House immediately consider and pass the joint resolution.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Louisiana?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
intend to object, but I would appreciate if the gentleman under my 
reservation would explain what the understanding is in terms of the 
schedule for the consideration of the omnibus appropriation bill, that 
77,132-page bill that we are supposed to be bringing up next week.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. OBEY. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. I would be happy to give the gentleman my 
understanding of the schedule relating to the omnibus bill. Currently 
we are operating under a fourth continuing resolution which carries us 
until midnight tonight.
  Our expectation is, though, that because we do have a deal between 
both houses and the White House on the vast bulk of the omnibus bill 
that it will take some time for our staff to assemble the extensive 
number of pages which comprise the bill. For that reason, and in order 
to allow all of the material to be gathered and processed so that we 
have a bill to be filed, the expectation is that that will take roughly 
the length of this weekend. The staff will engage in ongoing efforts to 
make sure that they do their job professionally and well and 
completely, so that by Monday they will be prepared to allow us to file 
the bill, we would expect to do that on or about noon of Monday, and it 
would be available for inspection, and the expectation is then to call 
Members back on Tuesday afternoon and have a vote on the omnibus bill 
at about 5 p.m.
  So this continuing resolution would carry us through that period of 
time, make sure that the government does not close, make sure that all 
of the operations of government continue as they have over the last few 
weeks since the close of the last fiscal year and that they would 
continue through midnight Tuesday.
  Mr. OBEY. I thank the gentleman.
  Continuing under my reservation, Mr. Speaker, I will simply say that 
is also my understanding. That means that Members should be prepared, 
as I understand it, to vote on the legislation after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 
and they would then be able to get out of town either that evening or 
the next morning for the duration.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the joint resolution, as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 136

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 
     106(c) of Public Law 105-240 is further amended by striking 
     ``October 16, 1998'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``October 
     20, 1998''.

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the joint resolution is considered 
and passed.
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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