[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMITTEE RULES AND FUNDING

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes now while we 
wait on other Senators who may want to comment on what I am about to 
say. But I want to thank the chairmen and the ranking members of the 
committees who have worked together over the past 6 weeks to get an 
agreement on the committee rules and the funding and staffing and space 
arrangements for the Senate committees this year.
  Senator Daschle and I worked through a very difficult process to get 
the organization resolution passed back in January. But in some 
respects that was the easy part, even though that was not easy. It was 
easier than what the chairmen and ranking members had to go through. 
Each committee had to deal with how they were going to proceed with the 
50-50 division of Members. They had to work on different rules of 
different committees, different personalities, and different 
responsibilities.
  Most of the committees went through it at a pretty quick pace. Some 
of them were more difficult and were more complex.
  When the time came the beginning of March for us to pass the funding 
resolution, not all had been done. There were, I guess, two or three 
committees that still had some serious reservations or disagreements. 
But for those committees we extended the time without a lot of 
difficulty. And those committees have continued to work together, and 
they have reached agreement, one by one.
  Then we were down to just one final committee, and they have reached 
an agreement--Senator Hatch and Senator Leahy. I know it was not easy 
for either one of them, but I want to thank all who have been involved 
for the effort that has been put into this. I think it still bodes well 
that we can work together through difficult issues in a bipartisan way.
  Having said that, we are ready to go now, and we are ready to 
discharge the Rules Committee and adopt this resolution. I understand 
there has been an objection to it being done through the discharge 
mechanism, that they want the Judiciary Committee to act, and then they 
want the Rules Committee to meet.
  I note that it is 10 minutes until 5 on Thursday. Members were told 
there would not be any further votes. So, once again, I am saying all 
this and pointing out that, while I am trying very hard, it is still 
very difficult to get things done without them being complicated. There 
is no reason why we should not discharge the committee and get this 
done after all of the good work that is being done. I am going to say, 
flat out, I suspect there is staff involved in this. It is uncalled 
for, and it is being, in my opinion, petty to have to track down 
Members to try to get them to come running over to try to get some sort 
of running quorum, and to have a vote. And then, by the way, what if we 
don't get them? What are we going to do, after all this work?
  So, Mr. President, I ask Senator Reid, can we move this forward? 
After all that Senator Daschle and I have done, and all that has been 
done by all the Members, on both sides--including the chairman and 
ranking member on Judiciary--can't we move this through now?
  Mr. REID. The Judiciary Committee has completed their work. That part 
is out of the way. Would the leader allow me to suggest the absence of 
a quorum for a brief moment?
  Mr. LOTT. Yes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sessions). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________