[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 74 (Friday, May 25, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H2725-H2726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I see the distinguished gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the minority leader, is here. I am sorry to 
see the minority leader here rather than at dinner with his wife; but 
being that he is here, let me yield to the minority leader for his 
comment.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt).
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the majority leader his timing and a time line on 
the consideration of the tax bill tonight. The reason I ask is that, as 
the majority leader knows, a lot of our Members are wanting a time line 
that they can depend on.
  A lot of Members have events at home with families and they have 
plane reservations and they would like to be able to rely on those 
reservations if it is going to be tomorrow morning. They wanted a time 
line on when the majority thinks this bill will actually find its way 
to the floor.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for his 
request. The gentleman is absolutely right. We try our very best to 
keep Members apprised of the fact. This is, of course, a very large 
bill. It has many complex dimensions, and they are being discussed.
  I am happy to report that the discussions are going well, and we have 
every reason to believe that we will come to closure on these 
discussions fairly soon.
  As that happens, of course, we would have to do the process of 
actually writing the bill and preparing it for filing. Sometime this 
evening, perhaps even in the late evening, 11 o'clock or even later, 
the committee will come to the floor and file the conference report.
  We will be advised at that filing; and at that point, we have one 
hour's time before the Committee on Rules will meet. We believe the 
Committee on Rules will be able to meet and take care of its business 
fairly quickly, and that would then enable them to come to the floor 
with the rules under which the business would be considered.
  The House would then convene to consider the first rule providing for 
same day consideration and the second rule providing for consideration 
of the conference report, both of which are debatable for an hour.
  Following consideration of both rules, the House will consider the 
conference report, and final passage would occur late this evening or 
early in the morning.
  Let me just say we will again remind through e-mail and Whip notices 
Members at the time that the committee has prepared the bill for 
filing. That, then, is a 1-hour notice. It would be then available for 
people to examine before the Committee on Rules meets. I would say, Mr. 
Speaker, that we should expect that sometime in the neighborhood 
between 11:00 and 12:00.
  Given these circumstances to which I attach a very high probability 
in my expectations, it is our judgment that Members would, rather than 
complete that work in before, say, 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning and be 
able, then, to catch that quick catnap and make their planes back for 
their district work periods. So it is our judgment it would be better 
for us to proceed through the night and complete the work so that their 
time could be free as early as possible when the flights begin on 
Saturday morning.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield again?
  Mr. ARMEY. I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I would agree that I think Members, more 
than anything, want certainty at this point so they can make their 
plans. Obviously also Members will want to be able to see this bill 
prior to voting on it. I would hope that there would be time even to 
have a caucus or a conference in each party so that at least there 
could be an oral presentation to Members about what is included in the 
bill before they vote on it, for the Members that want to do that.
  As the majority leader knows, a few weeks ago, we had a problem with 
the budget not having the pages in it, and we do not want to have that 
happen again. So I hope that we can see the writing in these caucuses 
and conference meetings before they actually vote.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I think the gentleman's point is well taken. 
Let me say again, as soon as we find the participants agreeing across 
the table, they will obviously begin the process of vetting as the 
paperwork is going on.
  I would expect Members might again be attentive to their phones. Stay 
close to a phone, stay in touch with your office. My expectation might 
be that, in the case of both parties in the body, their respective 
caucuses may be notifying Members of an opportunity to come together 
and look at it and get that briefing.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, if I could just ask the majority leader 
one additional question. A lot of our Members from the West Coast have 
been very desirous of legislation coming here before we leave on 
energy. Can I inquire whether or not there is any plan to bring any 
energy legislation before we leave?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Missouri for 
his inquiry. No, we would expect to have no action on anything other 
than the two rules I mentioned and the tax bill.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, finally, I assume that Members will look

[[Page H2726]]

forward to receiving an hour's notice before we go to the Committee on 
Rules, and that would be a time when the conference and the caucus 
could meet and review the legislation.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, of course that would be subject to the 
conference chairmen on the respective sides making those announcements 
and that request, and we would communicate as much as we can to all 
Members.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I extend to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Gephardt), my good friend and colleague, an opportunity to, I hope, get 
away, have dinner with his wife, and enjoy some part of this evening 
before we go back to work.

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