[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S7506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     EXTENSION OF MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to extend morning 
business until 3 o'clock, with the time equally divided.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mrs. BOXER. Reserving the right to object. I have a question and I 
shall not object. Can our friend tell us if there is any progress being 
made on getting the Patients' Bill of Rights to the floor so the good 
Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, can offer an amendment to 
assure that doctors make the decisions when people are sick and not a 
bureaucrat? Is there any chance we might have that on the floor this 
afternoon?
  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I am happy to respond. Our colleagues 
from California may want to join our bill; we have doctors make the 
decisions. To answer the Senator's question, we are negotiating in good 
faith. We are getting closer, I believe, to coming to an agreement that 
would have consideration of the Patients' Bill of Rights be the pending 
business when we return from the Fourth of July break. Hopefully, we 
will have that resolved in the not-too-distant future.
  Mrs. BOXER. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein, 
is recognized.

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