[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 92 (Monday, July 17, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6991-S6992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today the Senate will be in a period of 
morning business until 3 p.m. with Senators Byrd and Thomas in control 
of the time.
  Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of 
the Interior appropriations bill, and hopefully we will be able to 
complete our deliberations on that bill and get to final passage on all 
amendments and the bill itself tomorrow morning.
  Under the previous agreement, there are up to 10 amendments remaining 
to the Interior bill that must be offered and debated during today's 
session. Hopefully, some of those amendments will be withdrawn, others 
will be accepted, and maybe we will not need to have more than a couple 
of them actually voted on, and then go to final passage tomorrow 
morning. I believe those votes will be stacked in the morning at 9:45 
a.m.
  At 6:15 this evening, the Senate will begin the final votes on the 
reconciliation bill which provides for the elimination of the marriage 
penalty tax. Senators should be aware that during the remainder of the 
afternoon on Friday, when all amendments were offered and/or debated, 
almost 40 potential votes could occur in regard to this legislation.

  Again, I hope and I think that several of those amendments were just 
filed as a precaution and that not nearly that many will actually 
require a vote; some of them can be accepted. But I do expect there 
will be somewhere between 10 and 15, at least, that will require a 
recorded vote. We will try to do a major portion of those tonight, if 
not all of them. We may try to get a consent to finish the remainder of 
the votes on amendments and final passage tomorrow morning after we 
take a

[[Page S6992]]

look at exactly how many we are going to have to do, look at how many 
we would have to vote on tonight, how many we would have to vote on in 
the morning, and try to be reasonable in how we schedule those votes. 
But we do need to get both of them completed not later than tomorrow 
morning. So votes are expected into the night. We could have, I guess, 
conceivably 10, 15, or more votes tonight beginning at 6:15. Of course, 
we have stacked them and the votes will be limited to 10 minutes in 
length after the first vote. Senators will be encouraged to remain in 
the Chamber again during the votes.
  We were able to record 10 votes in about 1\1/2\ hours I think on 
Friday, which probably is some kind of new record. A lot of the credit 
for that goes to Senator Harry Reid, the assistant minority leader, 
because he stayed in the Chamber and helped me make sure that we 
wrapped those votes up as quickly as was possible.
  This will be an important week. After we complete those two very 
important issues, we will need to go to the Agriculture appropriations 
bill which has been awaiting action in the Senate now for probably a 
month. Senator Cochran has indicated he will be ready to go tomorrow 
morning or right after lunch, whichever is available to him, to begin 
debate on this very important legislation.
  We also would like to have the opportunity to consider the energy and 
water appropriations bill this week also. It is ready and should not 
take a lot of time. But that will depend on how long it takes on the 
Agriculture appropriations bill.
  I see smiles throughout the Chamber, the idea that we would complete 
these two bills I have already mentioned and then take up two 
appropriations bills, but with determination we can get it done.
  We achieved more last week than most people thought we would be able 
to do. It took work and it took some time and it took cooperation 
between leaders on both sides of the aisle. We were able to get that. I 
hope we can do it this week. I thank my colleagues for their 
participation and their cooperation.
  With that, I will yield the floor and I observe the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________