[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H4164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from 
Texas, the majority leader, to inquire about next week's schedule.
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the House has completed 
its legislative business for the week.
  The House will next meet on Monday, June 12, at 12:30 p.m. for 
morning hour and 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 later today. On Monday, no recorded 
votes are expected before 6 p.m. We will also continue consideration of 
H.R. 4577, the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2001 after the suspension 
votes on Monday evening.
  On Tuesday, June 13, and the balance of the week, the House will 
consider the following measures:
  S. 761, the Millennium Digital Commerce Act conference report;
  H.R. 4601, the Debt Reduction and Reconciliation Act of 2000;
  H.R. 4578, the Department of Interior and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2001;
  H.R. 4461, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 
2001;
  H.R. 4516, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for fiscal year 
2001;
  VA-HUD appropriations for fiscal year 2001.
  I would like to wish all my colleagues a good weekend back in their 
districts. I should mention to my colleagues there will be no votes on 
the floor next Friday, but we should all be prepared to work late all 
evenings next week because we indeed intend to complete five 
appropriations bills next week.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin, the ranking 
member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. OBEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from Texas knows, last night we worked 
out a unanimous consent request on the major amendments that still 
divide the two parties. It was our expectation that having done that, 
we could finish that bill within a reasonable length of time, because 
outside of those amendments, I think most of the remaining amendments 
that are to be offered are on your side of the aisle with probably one 
or two exceptions on this side at most. When we made that agreement, I 
had indicated that it was with the understanding that that bill would 
not be considered either while Members were in the air trying to get 
back or in the dead of night.
  Our reason for feeling that way is that this is the major domestic 
appropriations bill which divides us. Under the rule that the bill is 
being considered under, we cannot get votes on the major issues, but at 
least we wanted to be able to have a structured, coherent debate on the 
issue. I would urge the gentleman to simply look at moving some other 
appropriation bill or any other vehicle in for Monday evening. I have 
no preference as to which one it is. But we would not be able to finish 
the Labor-HHS bill Monday in any case starting that late. For example, 
if we were to proceed to it on Tuesday after the markup of the bill in 
full committee, I am confident we could finish consideration of the 
bill that day. But with 160 possible amendments pending if we do not 
have an agreement, I would hate to see us unravel an agreement which I 
thought we had with the accompanying understanding last night.
  Mr. ARMEY. I appreciate the gentleman from Wisconsin's observations. 
Whenever floor managers on legislation work out a unanimous consent 
agreement to manage their bill, we try our very, very best to work with 
them and honor that. We will be examining the attendance levels that we 
have when we take the earlier votes on Monday evening regarding the 
suspension votes. We will be able to get a measure of that. We will 
also be paying attention to the things mentioned by the gentleman from 
Wisconsin. We will certainly give consideration to anything we can to 
accommodate those overall concerns.
  Mr. OBEY. All I would say is that we are trying to accommodate the 
leadership without any extraneous delays of any kind. All we are asking 
in return is that we have an opportunity to make our case in one solid 
block of time. That obviously will not be possible Monday night. It 
would be possible on any other day of the week. I am confident that if 
we can reach an understanding, it would speed up rather than 
significantly delay the consideration of that and other appropriation 
bills.
  Mr. ARMEY. I can only say to the gentleman from Wisconsin at this 
time given that we will be working late Monday evening beyond the votes 
on the suspension bills, I can see no alternative to working on the 
health and human services bill. I will tell the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, I have heard his concerns and I will look for what 
alternative we might be able to work out, but at this time I do not see 
that.
  Mr. OBEY. All I would say is that if we cannot work it out, we are 
not going to make very much progress on that bill on Monday.
  Mr. ARMEY. I appreciate the gentleman's point.

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