[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 133 (Thursday, October 10, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H7859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire about the schedule 
for next week, and I am pleased to yield to the distinguished majority 
leader.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California 
for yielding; and, 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 October 
15 and may consider measures under suspension of the rules. No votes 
are expected on Tuesday.
  On Wednesday, October 16, the House will meet at noon for legislative 
business, and no votes are expected before two o'clock p.m. The House 
will consider a continuing resolution and any conference reports that 
may be available.
  Other legislation that may become available will be announced as soon 
as possible.
  Obviously, Mr. Speaker, completion of the Department of Homeland 
Security which passed the House in July remains our highest priority. I 
am sure the gentlewoman shares my interest in getting this bill to 
conference as soon as the other body completes consideration of the 
legislation, and I am very hopeful that we will be able to finally get 
this critical bill into conference next week, and I thank the 
gentlewoman for yielding.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, just to clarify, there are no votes on 
Tuesday and no votes on Friday of next week? Suspension votes on 
Tuesday will be rolled until Wednesday?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, again, if the gentlewoman will continue to 
yield, that is exactly right. On Wednesday, we will begin votes at 
2:00; and I must say that the Members should be prepared to be working 
yet on Thursday, but I do not expect us to be here on Friday of next 
week.
  Ms. PELOSI. That is not definite yet?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, it is not definite.
  Ms. PELOSI. I understand no votes until 2:00 p.m.
  Will the investor tax bill be scheduled next week, and if so, what 
day?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will yield, we have two 
bills that have been reported by the committee. We are continuing to 
work with the chairman of the committee with respect to the scheduling, 
and at this time we have not made a final determination. We will notify 
as soon as we do.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, does the majority leader wish to share with 
us how long the next CR will last?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentlewoman for her inquiry, and if the 
gentlewoman would grant me just a moment, if I had extrasensory 
perception, I could probably answer her with a good deal more 
confidence, but these continuing resolutions are subject to 
negotiations between the two bodies and the ability on the part of both 
bodies in this respect, most notably the other body, to actually pass 
the agreements once they are made.
  So it is what we in Texas call a running gunfight, and we can only 
give my colleagues updates as we see the progress that is made.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, so it is not the usual consultation with 
Puff the Magic Dragon?
  Mr. ARMEY. It is a bicameral, bipartisan consultation that involves 
not only the leadership on both sides of the aisle, both sides of the 
building, but also, as very critically, the Committee on Appropriations 
as well.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the hour is late. Other than the vote on 
Iraq today, we have not accomplished anything much in this body since 
July. Since there is no question we will have a lame duck, would my 
colleague wish to share with us when that might begin?
  Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentlewoman for her inquiry, and I share her 
regret that since July we have not been able to get into conference on 
all the bills that we passed over to the other body that they have 
neglected, and clearly we will be able to complete our work, 
maintaining our high priority for homeland security.

                              {time}  2330

  We will continue to try to work our way through that; and again, I 
think it is pretty much dependent on the ability of the other body to 
pass anything that would result in our being able to respond to the 
question regarding what is euphemistically referred to as a ``lame duck 
session.''
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman 
for his comments.

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