[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S522-S523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT

  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, we do have an essential agreement here 
that will allow us to move through three more nominations. I would like 
to go through this and then also give the Senators some further idea as 
to how we might proceed beyond this next week.
  As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that at 2 p.m. on 
Monday, the Senate proceed to the nomination of Gale Norton to be 
Secretary of Interior and that it be considered under the following 
agreement: 3 hours to be equally divided between the chairman and 
ranking member of the Energy Committee, 60 minutes equally divided 
between the two leaders or their designees, and following the use or 
yielding back of the time, the nomination be laid aside.
  I further ask unanimous consent that at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the 
Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further 
consideration of Gov. Christine Whitman to be Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration; that there be 30 minutes for debate to be 
divided as follows: 10 minutes under the control of Senator Corzine, 10 
minutes under the control of Senator Torricelli, 10 minutes equally 
divided between the chairman and ranking member of the Environment 
Committee.
  I further ask unanimous consent that following that debate, at 10:30 
a.m. on Tuesday, the nomination be temporarily laid aside and the 
Senate resume consideration of the Norton nomination under the 
following agreement: 10 minutes under the control of Senator Feingold, 
15 minutes under the control of Senator Durbin, 15 minutes under the 
control of Senator Wellstone, 10 minutes under the control of Senator 
Stabenow, with 30 additional minutes for closing remarks under the 
control of Senator Boxer and the final 30 minutes under the control of 
Senator Murkowski.
  Further, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 on Tuesday the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Labor, 
and that there be 15 minutes for debate equally divided between the 
chairman and ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee, and 15 minutes under the control of Senator 
Wellstone, to be followed by a vote on the confirmation of the 
Secretary of Labor, to be followed by a vote on the confirmation of 
Gale Norton to be Secretary of Interior, and that be followed by a vote 
on the confirmation of Governor Whitman to be the head of EPA.
  I further ask unanimous consent that following the three back-to-back 
votes, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and 
the Senate resume legislative session.
  Finally, I ask unanimous consent that either leader may vitiate the 
agreement with respect to the Chao agreement prior to the vote and that 
in no case shall it proceed if the Senate has not yet received the 
nomination and the accompanying papers.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, reserving the right to object, as I 
understand what just transpired and will have transpired by next 
Tuesday early in the afternoon, is that all of the President's nominees 
for his Cabinet will have been approved with only one selection still 
to be debated. It is our intention, I say to the leader, to move this 
to a final vote without undue delay. I hope we can do that 
expeditiously.

[[Page S523]]

  Mr. LOTT. I appreciate the comments of the Senator from Nevada. I 
also note with regard to the last paragraph, we do not anticipate there 
will be a need to vitiate the agreement with regard to the Chao 
agreement. It is just that we have not received all of the papers yet. 
We do not expect there to be any problem, but because we do not have it 
all, it was necessary to put this in.
  Also--and I appreciate Senator Reid's comments--it is our 
anticipation to proceed, after these three stacked votes Tuesday 
afternoon, on the debate with regard to the Attorney General 
nomination, and it is at least my hope, and I believe everybody's hope, 
that we will be able to complete action on that nomination next week.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. In light of this agreement then, the next votes will occur 
back to back at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday next.

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