[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 75 (Saturday, May 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5767-S5768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. It is Saturday, May 26, Memorial Day weekend, a special 
weekend for recognizing those who have sacrificed so much for our 
country. The Chaplain is right: Everyone does count. That is why 
Senators are here. We are doing the American people's business. Later 
on today we hope to complete action on a very significant piece of 
legislation, tax relief for all Americans.
  The Senate will be in a short period of morning business awaiting the 
conference report to accompany the tax reconciliation bill.
  I see Senator Specter is in the Chamber ready to speak in morning

[[Page S5768]]

business. The House is currently voting on the conference report. 
Therefore, we expect to receive the papers shortly. When the papers 
arrive, it is hoped that we can enter into a short time agreement so 
that a final vote can be set. I have already spoken briefly to Senator 
Daschle, and we will be working together to get an agreement on a 
reasonable period of time for debate. Of course, we will try to 
accommodate Senators who will be coming in and others who will be 
wanting to leave. We do plead with all Senators to give us your best 
measure of cooperation because we are trying to be sensitive to all 
kinds of special events, including graduation ceremonies and weddings 
and commitments of longstanding. It is not always easy to accommodate 
them all. I know some Senators are agitated that they have already been 
inconvenienced, and for that we apologize. But I commend the leadership 
on both sides of the aisle. We have said to each other, let's stay; 
let's get this done; and we are going to do that. We will notify the 
Senators as soon as an agreement can be entered into as to the time 
sequence. We are hoping we can get something that could get to a vote 
either before noon or hopefully by 1 o'clock. That is not agreed to, by 
any means, but that is the goal we are pursuing.

  I yield the floor.

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