[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4518-S4519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF BUSINESS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, all week long the average length of 
time it has taken to have a vote has exceeded 30 minutes. That is just 
too long. There is no way we are going to continue to accomplish as 
much as we need to accomplish before the end of next week if we have to 
be spending 30 and 40 minutes on a vote. We are going to have to start 
cutting off this time more aggressively. I want to put all colleagues 
on notice that we are not going to tolerate the extent to which our 
good will is violated as these amendments are voted upon.
  Please come over and vote within the 15 or 20 minutes allotted for 
the vote. Extending it twice as long is just unacceptable and a real 
disservice to all our colleagues who are waiting to do their work.

[[Page S4519]]

  Madam President, as I said, we have all day today and all day on 
Monday for Senators to offer amendments. I know Senator Dorgan is 
waiting to offer an amendment. There will be other Senators who will 
come to the floor.
  The authors of the steel amendment have kindly accepted our 
suggestion to set aside their amendment in order to accommodate other 
Senators who wish to have their amendments offered. I think it is very 
important that we use these days for full consideration of other 
amendments.
  It is my intention at this point to file cloture on the bill on 
Monday in order to have a cloture vote on Wednesday. So amendments will 
have to be disposed of prior to Wednesday.
  It is my expectation that we will be taking up a supplemental 
appropriations bill, in consultation of course with Senator Byrd, 
before the end of next week. There is no way we can do that unless we 
bring our debate on this bill to a successful close.
  So we have a lot of work to do next week. We want to finish the bill. 
We want to finish the supplemental bill. We may take up other issues as 
well, including some reference to the budget. So it is necessary that 
we use the days between now and then to the maximum degree possible.
  I urge Senators to come over and have their amendments considered. 
Senator Reid will be here, and other members of the leadership, but 
primarily Senator Reid, who has offered to offer the amendments on 
behalf of Senators who may have travel schedules that will not 
accommodate their offering of amendments. So there is no reason these 
amendments cannot be offered. Senator Reid will be here to offer them 
or Senators can come and offer them themselves. But all day today and 
all day Monday we are open for business and we are determined to use 
these days to the maximum degree possible.
  I thank my colleagues for what I think has been a very productive 
week on this bill. Their cooperation has been very catalytic in 
bringing about the final days of debate on the bill--with the one 
exception that we are spending too much time on the votes themselves.
  I yield the floor.

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