[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 83 (Monday, June 14, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Senator Reid is on his way.
  Mr. President and fellow Senators, the ranking member and I have 
decided that it won't do us any good to remain any longer on the energy 
and water appropriations bill, because we are now in the process of 
working out a number of amendments and apparently there is one that may 
have to be voted on; we just got it, and participants would not be 
ready this evening in any event. Everyone understood that they needed 
some time at the earliest convenience tomorrow, or when we can get back 
on the bill.
  Let me say to the Senator from Nevada, the ranking member, we are 
ready to get off the bill tonight and wait our turn as early as 
possible in the process tomorrow. We are working on a number of 
amendments. There is probably one that is going to require a vote 
tomorrow. But they won't be ready this evening in any event. We knew 
that.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I only say to my friend, the manager of this 
bill, that the amendments are now in. We, together with our staff, have 
worked very hard to see what we can do to accept amendments. Some of 
them are just not acceptable. We have tried every way possible. But 
some of them are not authorized, and there are various other reasons we 
can't accept a number of the amendments. I hope people will understand 
that some of these we can't accept. There may be votes required on 
them.
  Frankly, with all the work we have done on the bill, I suggest it 
would be very hard to get some of these amendments agreed to that we 
haven't been able to work out with their staff, our staff, and the two 
managers of the bill.
  We have worked very hard on this for the last couple of weeks. I hope 
that, with the two leaders, we can find some time so we can wrap this 
up. I think we can do it in a couple of hours at the most.

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