[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 26, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3581-H3582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. YOUNG of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I wanted to announce to the 
membership that it is my intention to file the fiscal year 2002 energy 
and water development appropriations bill this afternoon, which we will 
do following this colloquy; that the Committee on Rules has agreed to 
meet this afternoon at 5:00 to receive testimony to grant a rule on 
that bill. The House would then consider the energy and water 
appropriations bill sometime midday tomorrow; and I say midday because 
in the morning two subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations 
will mark up their bills. It will be midday before we could get to the 
energy and water bill.
  With respect to the agriculture bill, it is my intention not to file 
the fiscal year 2002 agriculture, rural development, Food and Drug 
Administration and related agencies appropriation bill until the apples 
issue is resolved. If an agreement can be reached on apples, I would 
expect to file the agriculture appropriations bill tomorrow.
  The Committee on Rules would then meet tomorrow evening to report the 
rule, and the House could work into the evening on Thursday night, 
hoping to complete that bill before adjourning for the July 4 recess.
  I share the Members' desire to finish the agriculture bill by 
midnight Thursday or earlier if possible. In order for us to meet this 
ambitious schedule, it will require the cooperation of all of our 
colleagues in the House, and, of course, the cooperation of the 
Committee on Rules, which is always cooperative.
  In order for the House to complete action on the agriculture bill, I 
would expect that the gentleman from Wisconsin and his leadership would 
be prepared to enter into time agreements, as we have on previous 
appropriations bills, and limitations on amendments to be offered on 
the agriculture appropriations bill. Since we all would like to get 
home to our districts for the 4th of July holiday, we desire not to 
have a hard drive into the wee hours of the morning Friday to finish 
the work. Rather, if necessary, we could complete the work on the 
agriculture bill when we return in July.
  Mr. OBEY. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.
  Mr. OBEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Young) for his statement.
  Madam Speaker, essentially for the benefit of the Members, what that 
means is that we would expect tomorrow after the committee is finished 
with its work in committee to finish action on the energy and water 
bill, which is being filed right now, and which will be in the 
Committee on Rules very shortly. On Thursday, if the agriculture bill 
is brought to the floor, we will work out time agreements and try to 
get as much done as possible, hope to finish. If we do not, it can be 
finished whenever the leadership decides it ought to be dealt with, and 
that would mean that Members would have notice that we would not be in 
session on Friday. Is that right?
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. The gentleman is correct. It is our intention 
if, in fact, we are able to take up the agriculture appropriations bill 
that we will do the best we can to complete it Thursday night; but we 
will not go into, as has been referred to so many times, the dark of 
night to try to finish it. We would try to finish it at an early time. 
We will not go into 2:00 or 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.

[[Page H3582]]

  The gentleman is correct, the majority leader has agreed that there 
would be no session on Friday; that we could complete the agriculture 
bill, if necessary, when we return.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. OBEY. If the gentleman will yield further, it is also my 
understanding, frankly, that there will be not all that extended a 
discussion tomorrow on the energy and water bill. I think it is 
relatively uncontroversial. So I understand the majority party has an 
event tomorrow evening, and it would certainly be our understanding we 
would be finished well in time for that to occur.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, the 
gentleman is correct. We do not anticipate a lengthy debate on the 
energy and water bill, which the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) 
will file here very shortly. In the full committee it was handled 
expeditiously, and I believe the same thing would happen on the floor 
tomorrow. But, understand, the Committee on Appropriations has two 
markups in the morning, so we cannot get to that bill on the floor 
until those two markups are completed.
  Mr. OBEY. Madam Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, I thank 
the gentleman. I think that the Members will appreciate the 
information.

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