[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 149 (Thursday, October 28, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H11121-H11122]
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 of the 
distinguished majority leader or the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Lazio) regarding the schedule for the rest of the day, the balance of 
the week, and next week.
  Mr. LAZIO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. LAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I would like to announce, Mr. Speaker, that the House has completed 
its business for the week. There will be no legislative business in the 
House tomorrow.
  I want to express on behalf of the majority leader, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Armey), his appreciation to the Committee on 
Appropriations, which has been doing an outstanding job.
  I would also like to announce that the chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), has allowed the 
committee Members to have tomorrow off, so we are very appreciative of 
that.
  The House will meet next on Monday, November 1, at 12:30 p.m., for 
morning hour debates, 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 p.m.
  On Tuesday, November 2, and the balance of the week, the House will 
take up the following measures, all of which will be subject to rules: 
S. 900, the Financial Services Modernization Act conference report; 
H.R. 3081, the Wage and Employment Growth Act, and H.R. 2389, the 
County Schools Funding Revitalization Act of 1999.
  Mr. Speaker, we also expect a conference report on the Satellite Home 
Viewer Act to be ready by next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. If my colleague would indulge me for a second, what day 
do we expect to have the minimum wage bill up on the floor?
  Mr. LAZIO. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, I would 
say to the gentleman that we are trying to get through some other work, 
and that we continue to try and reach a bipartisan accord on the 
minimum wage bill. I do not expect that we will have it up in the early 
part of next week, but probably in the latter part of next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. Would the gentleman repeat that, please?
  Mr. LAZIO. I would say to the gentleman from Michigan, we are trying 
hard to reach a bipartisan accord on the minimum wage and tax package. 
I expect that there will be other legislation that will be on the floor 
early in the week, probably suspensions on Monday and Tuesday. After 
that, there will be other bills that are subject to rules. We will have 
those votes later in the week.
  It is more likely than not that we will have the minimum wage bill up 
later in the week, next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman know what kind of rule we 
can anticipate on the wage bill?
  Mr. LAZIO. I would say to the gentleman that I think that the 
Committee on Rules is going to be considering that. I am sure they will 
come up with a fair rule in order for us to consider that, but there 
has been no decision yet on the substance of the rule.
  Mr. BONIOR. Can the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) enlighten 
us perhaps on what he might have in mind in terms of the rule on the 
wage bill?
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LAZIO. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding to me.
  We are going to have an extraordinarily fair and balanced rule that 
will allow this House to, as has always been the case under this 
majority, work its will. We will look forward to the debate. We will 
welcome the gentleman's input on any recommendations to the rule.

[[Page H11122]]

  Mr. BONIOR. I thank my colleague. I will rest well this weekend with 
his assurances.
  Let me ask my friend from New York, the Vieques resolution, when does 
he expect that up on suspensions and what day, if it is under 
suspension?
  Mr. LAZIO. If the gentleman will continue to yield, I would say to 
the gentleman that we are trying to negotiate through and accommodate 
the minority's concerns on this piece of legislation. We will have a 
hearing and markup in committee. It will go through regular order, as 
expected.
  We are trying to accommodate the concerns that have been raised by 
the minority before we see it on the floor.
  Mr. BONIOR. Am I to gather from the gentleman's answer that this will 
be under regular order and not under the Suspension Calendar?
  Mr. LAZIO. I would say to the gentleman, I think the plan is to go 
through the committee process and to have regular hearings, have a 
markup, and have it on the floor, but not next week. It is not likely 
to be up on the floor for next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. Let me ask the gentleman one other question. Tuesday is 
Election Day, as my colleague knows, across the country. Will votes 
occur after a certain time on Tuesday?
  Mr. LAZIO. We are trying to ensure that the votes will be held until 
the afternoon to allow those Members who have the opportunity, that 
live in the close proximity and have the ability to have a flight to 
get back after votes on Monday evening, to do that.
  So I would say Members should anticipate not having any votes in the 
morning of Tuesday nor in the early afternoon, but rather in the mid or 
later afternoon would be the earliest we would have votes. Members 
should stay in contact, I think, with their respective cloakrooms. We 
will perhaps be giving more updates on Tuesday.
  Mr. BONIOR. Finally, if the gentleman from New York can tell me when 
he expects to have the conferees named on the Patients' Bill of Rights?
  Mr. LAZIO. I would say to the gentleman that we are expecting that 
would be completed for next week.
  Mr. BONIOR. The gentleman expects to name conferees next week?
  Mr. LAZIO. Yes, sir.
  Mr. BONIOR. How about Friday, next Friday? Do we anticipate votes 
next Friday?
  Mr. LAZIO. Right now I would say to the gentleman that it appears 
that Members should count on being here for Friday votes. We expect the 
House to be in session for votes on Friday.
  As the gentleman knows, the CR expires on Friday. It would be 
wonderful if we had an accommodation and agreement that would allow us 
to conclude our business by Friday, but right now, Members should 
anticipate being here on Friday.
  Mr. BONIOR. I thank my colleague.

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