[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 139 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H10112-H10113]
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.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Armey) the majority leader for the purposes of inquiring as to the 
schedule for the rest of the day and week and for the following week.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that we have completed the 
legislative business for the week.
  On Monday, October 18, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning 
hour debate and at 2 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 tomorrow.
  On Monday we do not expect recorded votes until 6 o'clock p.m.
  On Tuesday, October 19, through Friday, October 22, the House will 
take up the following measures, all of which will be subject to rules:
  H.R. 2, the Student Results Act; H.R. 2260, the Pain Relief Promotion 
Act of 1999; H.R. 2300, Academic Achievement For All Act; and H.R. 
1180, Work Incentives Improvement Act.
  Mr. Speaker, there should also be a number of appropriations 
conference reports ready for consideration in the House throughout the 
week, and the House will likely take up a continuing resolution at some 
point next week.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish my colleagues a safe travel to 
their weekend work period and look forward to seeing them all again on 
Monday.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank my colleague for 
his comments.
  If he could help us with which appropriation conference report he 
expects to reach the floor next week, I am interested specifically in 
the Interior bill, but any others that he might be able to enlighten us 
on.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would continue to yield, we 
have just seen the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the Chairman of 
the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, ask for permission to 
file. We would expect that next week.
  We would also expect Commerce, Justice, State.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, can the gentleman give us a date on the 
Interior bill? It will not be Monday?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, no, 
it will not be Monday.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, and what about late night sessions next 
week? Any evenings?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I can only tell my colleague my best judgment 
is we should all be prepared to work late perhaps every night next 
week. We may not necessarily work late on each night, but I cannot tell 
my colleague which nights we might.
  As soon as we have the conference reports and are able to move them, 
we will do so. I will just try to keep Members advised as the days go 
on.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, on the HMO bill that was passed by what I 
consider a very large margin last week, when will conferees be 
appointed for this bill?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, the 
Speaker plans to make those appointments next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, and then finally, I would ask my friend the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey) and point out to him that he 
undoubtedly understands that people all over the country have gotten 
raises recently. The military and the latest defense bill that we 
passed today will get a raise.

[[Page H10113]]

  Our civilian population will get a raise. Members of this body will 
get a raise at the beginning of the next year. And yet, we still have 
12 million Americans out there who are making the minimum wage.
  I would respectfully ask when the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey) 
expects to bring the minimum wage bill to the floor?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would continue to yield, I 
appreciate the manner in which the gentleman put the question, I 
supposed designed to get a rise out of me.
  But we do appreciate the work that the gentleman is concerned about. 
We have many Members working on it. That work I think is coming 
together. We do not have a scheduling announcement now, but we are well 
aware of the fact that many Members are interested in this work and the 
gentleman should expect that it will most likely be acted on before we 
leave this session.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, can the gentleman define ``most likely'' for 
us? Are we talking 50 percent, 75 percent, 90 percent here?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to be able to. I can just tell 
my colleague my sense is that there is a lot of interest on both sides 
of the aisle in this matter and we know a lot of people are working on 
it.
  I can just tell the gentleman I think he has a good expectation of 
that work finding its way to the floor before the session is over.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his comments and hope 
he has a good weekend.

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