[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9823-S9824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Madam President, there will be 30 minutes of morning 
business equally divided between the two leaders today. We expect to 
consider the Military Construction Appropriations Act today. We have 
not yet received it from the House, but we understand it is on its way. 
The two managers of the bill, who have been working on the Defense 
authorization bill, are at the Pentagon now. We expect them to return 
shortly. They have some amendments they have cleared.
  As the majority leader announced last night, it is not certain we 
will proceed with the Defense bill. We are trying very hard, before 2 
p.m. today, to have a finite list of amendments. A couple of Members 
were unwilling to give us a list. As has been mentioned by the two 
managers of the bill, Senators Levin and Warner, and the majority 
leader, Senator Daschle, this bill is very important.
  We have a state of emergency in this country, and it will send a very 
bad message to the men and women we have in the service that we cannot 
pass a Defense bill today. So we are hopeful and confident those two 
Senators who have been unwilling to allow us to have a finite list of 
amendments will allow us to do that. If they do not, as the majority 
leader said, he will have no choice but to pull this bill.
  We have the airline legislation we need to complete to make sure that 
passengers are safe. We have important legislation dealing with 
employees who are left without work as a result of the terrible tragedy 
in New York. We have to do that. We have 12 appropriations bills that 
have not been completed yet. We have a lot of work to do, and therefore 
we need to complete the Defense bill soon. If we have to wait, with no 
finite list of amendments when we come back, we probably will not be 
able to complete it, which will be a shame.
  There will be rollcall votes through the morning, with the last one 
being at 2 p.m. today. There will be no rollcall votes on Thursday or 
Friday. The leader has indicated there will be a late vote Monday 
afternoon more than likely.

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