[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 35 (Friday, March 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2358-S2359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, the 
Senate has conducted its last vote for the week.
  Several Senators, again, on both sides of the aisle, expressed 
concern that it was necessary to have votes on Friday. But I discussed 
this with Senator Daschle. We just are going to have to, in order to 
complete the work we need to do, have votes on Friday mornings and also 
sometime around 5 o'clock on Mondays. We will try to be as flexible as 
we can. But, as usual, we have Senators who would like us to be a 
little later or a little earlier. And it is very hard to find that 
narrow window.
  But from now until the Easter recess, and probably in May and June, 
Senators should plan on having a vote on Mondays at 5 and in the 
morning on Fridays, but with those votes not occurring later than 12. 
There will be some Mondays or Fridays where that will not be the case 
because there is a conference on one side or the other or a conflict.
  Senator Daschle and I will talk about that, and we will try to notify 
Members far in advance--hopefully a month or more--when a Friday or a 
Monday might be completely divided.
  There was a cloture filed last night to the pending Ed-Flex bill. We 
are reminded that under the provisions of rule XXII all first-degree 
amendments must be filed by 1 p.m. today; all second-degree amendments 
by 4 p.m. on Monday in order to qualify under the cloture rule.
  The Senate will now continue on the Ed-Flex bill for debate only for 
Members to make statements.
  It is my hope that an agreement can be worked out on the Ed-Flex bill 
as we proceed. If we can, then the cloture vote could be vitiated on 
Monday, and we would have some other vote.
  But around 5 o'clock on Monday will be the next recorded vote.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senate continue with consideration 
of S. 280, the Ed-Flex bill for debate only until 12 noon. I further 
ask unanimous consent that at 12 noon the Senate begin a period of 
morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes 
each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I rise to agree and disagree with the 
distinguished majority leader. Let me point out my area of agreement 
first.
  I believe it is important, as we begin our legislative session this 
year, that Senators be fully apprised of the schedule, and we 
understand that we have to be here on Fridays and on Mondays.
  I think the majority leader is absolutely right in expecting that we 
have votes on Friday mornings and Monday afternoons or Monday evenings.
  I hope Senators will accommodate that schedule with their own 
personal schedules, because that is the only

[[Page S2359]]

way, as we get into more legislative work, that we will be able to 
accommodate all of our needs legislatively.
  I must say that I am in strong disagreement with the leader's 
decision to file cloture. We have a very important amendment that I was 
hoping we could offer even this morning, the class size amendment, the 
100,000-teacher amendment offered by Senator Murray and Senator 
Kennedy, and a number of other Senators. That was not possible because 
of the decision made by the leader.
  What is perhaps most perplexing to me is, having filed cloture 
yesterday, that 17 Republican Senators filed cloture, then they voted 
against tabling a banking amendment to the education bill this morning.
  So we have an unusual set of circumstances where the very same 
Senators who signed a cloture motion yesterday, voted not to table an 
extraneous amendment having nothing to do with Ed-Flex today, the 
banking amendment. I must say it doesn't help us as our colleagues are 
attempting to work through this procedurally to understand what the 
nature of the strategy may be on the other side. It appears that what 
they are trying to do is simply deny the Democrats the right to offer 
our amendments. They will vote no on a Republican amendment--they will 
vote not to table; that is, a Republican amendment--having to do with 
banking, but then they will preclude Democrat Senators from offering 
legitimate, important amendments having to do with education, such as 
the class size amendment, and for having a debate on it.
  So I am perplexed by that. It sends the wrong message. We want to 
cooperate.

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