[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 126 (Friday, September 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8660-H8661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. BONIOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the purpose of inquiring from the 
distinguished majority leader the schedule for the rest of the day and 
the week and for the following week.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that we have completed 
legislative business for this week.
  The House will next meet on Monday, September 27, at 12:30 p.m. for 
morning hour and at 2 o'clock p.m. for legislative business. We will 
consider a number of bills under suspension of the rules, a list of 
which will be distributed to Members' offices later today.
  On Monday, Mr. Speaker, we do not expect recorded votes until 6 
o'clock p.m.
  Mr. Speaker, next week appropriations conference reports will 
obviously be our top priority, and as we approach the end of the fiscal 
year. Conference reports may become available as early as Monday and 
throughout the week for consideration by the House.
  On Tuesday, September 28, and the balance of the next week the House 
will take up the following measures, all of which will be subject to 
rules: H.R. 2506, the Health Research and Quality Act; H.R. 2559, the 
Agricultural Risk Protection Act; H.R. 2436, the Unborn Victims of 
Violence Act; and H.R. 2910, the National Transportation and Safety 
Board Amendments Act.
  The House is also likely to consider a continuing resolution at some 
point next week.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to also take the opportunity to remind 
Members that the annual congressional basketball game is scheduled for 
this coming Wednesday evening. That basketball game will benefit the 
country's only college for the deaf. This is a very worthy cause, Mr. 
Speaker, and I wish all the participants the best of luck.
  Mr. Speaker, on Friday, October 1, no votes are expected after 2 
o'clock p.m. I wish all my colleagues a safe travel back to their 
districts.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments.
  Just a couple of questions, Mr. Speaker. Does the gentleman from 
Texas expect any late evenings next week?
  Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will continue to yield, Mr. Speaker, the 
gentleman is correct in asking. We have a large number of conference 
reports that we expect in the appropriations cycle. We should expect 
that we would be late Monday night. We would hope to do as many as two 
conference reports on Monday night.
  With the exception of Wednesday, where we will try to accommodate 
that charity event, I think we would need to be prepared to work late 
every night. We will try to keep the Members apprised as conference 
reports are available.

  Mr. BONIOR. I thank my colleague. With only three signable 
appropriation bills that have been sent to the President, I can 
understand the gentleman's concern to work the evenings next week.
  We appreciate the slot for the Gallaudet basketball charity biennial 
game that is held every year.
  Can the gentleman from Texas tell us about the tax extender bill and 
when that might be expected?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, if the gentleman will yield, I understand that the 
Committee on Ways and Means has marked up today a tax extender bill. 
This is a matter of some urgency to a great many Members. It is 
certainly under consideration. I can only say with some confidence that 
while it will be considered, it would not be something we would look 
for next week on the floor.
  Mr. BONIOR. How about the minimum wage bill? Does the gentleman have 
any further news on that?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, let me thank the gentleman for asking.
  I might mention, prior to responding to the question, while I collect 
my thoughts on that part of the question, Mr. Speaker, that we will be 
trying to do a rule early so we can have same-day consideration for the 
appropriations conference reports.
  There are a great many people working on minimum wage legislation. It 
is a matter of great interest to a large number of our Members and to 
constituents across the country. We are receiving reports from these 
various efforts, the committees of jurisdiction obviously being 
involved.
  While I anticipate some action may occur on that subject during this 
year, I do not see anything clearly consolidated for presentation to 
the floor yet at this time.
  Mr. BONIOR. But it is the gentleman's desire, or has it been a 
subject of conversation in the leadership, to try to bring something to 
the floor this year, is that what the gentleman has just said?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, if the gentleman will yield, the leadership is well 
aware of the number of Members on both sides of the aisle that are 
interested in this subject. We are watching their work as it proceeds. 
They are doing this on a very methodical basis, checking always with 
the committees of jurisdiction, the committees also exercising their 
jurisdiction.
  We see hearings, for example, in the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce. I can only say at this point we do not have something that 
we expect to put on the floor, but we do anticipate that some 
legislation could be consolidated for consideration prior to our 
closing this session of Congress.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I will have to digest that last answer of 
the gentleman. Thank my colleague. Could I just ask one other question, 
because it relates to the scheduling.
  We are entering the new fiscal year, as we all know, next week, and 
the prospects of a session next weekend was not discussed in the 
majority leader's statement. Are there any comments the gentleman would 
like to make with respect to that?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to 
yield, I appreciate the gentleman's request. This is a matter of 
concern to a great many Members.
  The gentleman from Michigan will notice that I included in my 
prepared remarks that we would expect votes to

[[Page H8661]]

be concluded by 2 o'clock on Friday. That is our expectation. 
Obviously, we place a high priority on conference reports, but it is 
our anticipation that that urgent business will be completed by that 
time.
  If there is a change, it will be my purpose to notify all Members as 
quickly as possible, but right now I think the safe presumption for us 
to make is that we would conclude business by that time.
  Mr. BONIOR. I thank my colleague, Mr. Speaker.

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