[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 154 (Thursday, November 8, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H7942-H7943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute).
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas to 
inquire about next week's schedule.
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the House has completed 
its legislative business for the week.
  The House will next meet for legislative business on Tuesday, 
November 13 at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 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. The House will also consider the Agriculture appropriations 
conference report, and we hope to complete an agreement to consider the 
Commerce-Justice-State appropriations conference report as well.
  Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, Members should be aware that there will be 
no recorded votes before 6:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker, let me repeat. In 
compliance with a request from the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), 
on Tuesday no recorded votes are expected before 6:30 p.m.
  On Wednesday and the balance of the week, the House will consider 
several authorization and appropriations bills now in conference. I 
will be happy to schedule them as soon as they become available.
  Chairman Young also reports that the markup of the Department of 
Defense Appropriations Act should be completed early next week, and I 
will schedule that bill for consideration in the House as soon as it is 
ready for the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also take this opportunity to remind Members 
that as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are working very hard 
to complete our business for the year. There are obviously many 
important pieces of legislation to complete prior to adjournment, so I 
would advise Members that the House should be prepared to continue its 
work into next weekend and early in the following week in order to 
finish our work for the year, if at all possible.
  Mr. FROST. I would ask the gentleman from Texas, do you expect fast 
track trade legislation to be on the floor next week?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman for his inquiry. If the gentleman 
will continue to yield, I should only say it is possible at this point. 
That is really as much as I can say.
  Mr. FROST. I would further ask the gentleman, we have heard rumors of 
a terrorism insurance bill also making its way to the floor. Should we 
expect that next week?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, I thank the gentleman for his inquiry.
  If the gentleman will continue to yield, Mr. Speaker, Chairman Oxley 
and his committee have in fact completed their markup of this 
legislation. It is very important. But it is a legislation with respect 
to which the Committee on the Judiciary shares some jurisdiction. At 
this point, the gentleman from Texas should be advised I am going to be 
consulting with the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary to see 
if it is possible we can work that bill out and have it to the floor 
next week.
  Mr. FROST. I would further ask the gentleman, with the holidays 
approaching, many people are anxious that we ensure flying is as safe 
as possible. Do we have any idea when we will get the airline security 
conference report to the floor?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, I thank the gentleman for the inquiry.
  If the gentleman will continue to yield, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's 
point is extremely well taken. As I entered the building at 8 o'clock 
this morning, I saw the conferees moving to the other side of the 
building for the purpose of beginning that work. I have been assured by 
Chairman Young that they are aware of how important it is, they are 
trying to proceed with that conference, and we would hope and expect 
they could complete that work for consideration next week.
  Mr. FROST. I would point out to the distinguished majority leader 
that it will be very difficult for Members of Congress to leave town 
unless we have acted on that legislation. They will not feel good about 
going home and seeing their constituents until we have taken action on 
that bill.
  Mr. ARMEY. I appreciate the gentleman's point, and I am sure the 
conferees are well aware of that as well.
  Mr. FROST. I would ask the gentleman one additional question. I 
noticed in his initial statement that he discussed the possibility of 
being in session next weekend and perhaps into the following week. The 
following week is the week of Thanksgiving. At what point will a 
decision be made by the majority as to whether we will be in session 
next weekend or whether we would vote another continuing resolution and 
come back after Thanksgiving?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman for his inquiry. The point is very 
well taken and a good question.
  Sometime as we proceed next week and we get the measure of some of 
these very important appropriations bills and conferences, as we get 
the measure of their progress, we should be able then to give the 
Members definitive answers with respect to working even possibly 
through the weekend, the weekend next or, of course, that Monday and 
Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. I think it would be prudent of me to 
advise most Members that irrespective of what we do relative to the 
weekend preceding Thanksgiving week, that they should anticipate being 
here on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week and working on those 2 
days.
  Mr. FROST. I thank the gentleman. We look forward to seeing the 
schedule as it develops next week.

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