[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 87 (Thursday, June 21, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H3437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. BONIOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inquire of the distinguished 
majority leader the schedule for the remainder of the week and next 
week, and I yield to the majority leader.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the House has 
completed its legislative business for the week. I should mention, 
however, that many Members of the House have moved their business to 
their field of dreams.
  Mr. BONIOR. Dreams is the important word there, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. ARMEY. Dreams is the important word. It is the annual charity 
baseball game between the Democrat and Republican Members of the House, 
with a beautiful trophy at stake and bragging rights for at least a 
year. I am sure our champions of the diamond will acquit themselves 
well on our behalf. Nevertheless, we will have no further business on 
this floor until the crowing begins next week.
  The first opportunity for that, for one side or the other, will be 
when the House next meets for legislative business on Monday, June 25, 
at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and at 2 p.m. for legislative business. 
The House will consider a number of measures under suspension of the 
rules, a list of which will be distributed to Members' offices 
tomorrow. On Monday, no recorded votes are expected before 6 p.m.
  On Tuesday and the balance of the week, the House will consider the 
following measures:
  H.R. 2213, the 2001 Crop Year Economic Assistance Act;
  The Transportation Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2002;
  The Agriculture Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2002;
  And the Energy and Water Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2002.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. BONIOR. If I could just inquire of my colleague on a couple of 
points.
  Can the gentleman tell us or does the gentleman know which days the 
appropriation bills will be brought up on transportation, agriculture, 
and energy? Do we have a day for those yet, or what order they will be 
in?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman for asking. The transportation bill 
will be up on Tuesday. We would expect to do agriculture on Wednesday 
and Thursday and energy and water on Thursday and Friday, if necessary.
  Mr. BONIOR. I thank my colleague for that. We definitely think we 
will be in on Friday next week; is that where we are going with this at 
this point?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's inquiry; and 
yes, I think it is the last week before a major recess period and the 
schedule has announced that since January. We would, of course, hope to 
have expeditious work on these appropriation bills. Since some Members 
would like to have a break on that, if at all possible we would hope to 
see it turn out that way. But all Members should, I think in the better 
part of prudence, be prepared to be here at work on Friday of next 
week.
  Mr. BONIOR. The gentleman is correct, he has notified us way in 
advance that we would be working this next Friday. I understand the 
need to finish the bills; and hopefully, we will do it expeditiously 
and perhaps maybe not have that Friday session.
  Mr. Leader, may I also ask this question: the Tauzin-Dingell bill on 
telecommunications and broad band, can you give us any sense of when 
that may be brought to the floor? Next week perhaps or, if not then, 
when?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I thank 
the gentleman for asking. This bill is very important legislation 
dealing with a major sector of the American economy. The Committee on 
the Judiciary, as the gentleman knows, also has exercised jurisdiction 
on that, and I think at this point what we would prefer to do is 
examine the work of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  There is nothing planned at this time with respect to scheduling that 
bill for floor debate. Certainly I would not see it next week, and I 
could not tell the gentleman at what time we might expect it following 
the recess.
  Mr. BONIOR. And on H.R. 7, the Charitable Choice bill, might the 
gentleman give us any indication when that would be brought to the 
floor.
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, I thank the gentleman for his inquiry. The 
committees are marking up on that bill. They expect to have a markup on 
Tuesday. It is my anticipation that that bill also would, while it may 
be reported by the committees, would probably not be available to the 
floor until after the recess.
  Mr. BONIOR. Finally, let me ask this: Is the HMO bill coming to the 
floor before the July 4 recess?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, I appreciate the gentleman's inquiry. That is a 
very important subject, and we are working feverishly on it; but again 
I do not expect it before the recess.
  Mr. BONIOR. How about the campaign finance bill coming to the floor 
the first week when we come back from recess?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, if the gentleman will continue to yield, the 
committee is working on that. The committee will have a markup next 
week. It is our very fervent hope that we can have the committee report 
the bill next week and it be available to the floor on the week we 
return.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his responses.

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