[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S3559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will resume 
consideration of the partial-birth abortion bill. We had a good and 
vigorous debate last night and all day yesterday and made substantial 
progress on the bill. I appreciate Senators' willingness to come 
forward and debate this measure. In fact, I encourage Members who have 
not made opening statements and want to speak on this legislation to 
come to the floor today. We are moving expeditiously. We got a good 
unanimous consent agreement yesterday that calls for votes later this 
morning, perhaps at the latest early this afternoon.
  My understanding is we have, beyond the two amendments that are 
locked in right now, two additional amendments that could be offered 
this afternoon. There may not be any other amendments. I want to make 
sure Members know there is a chance we could end up even finishing 
today. If Members are waiting, thinking they have plenty of time to 
come down and speak on the underlying bill, I encourage them to come 
down. We will be debating two amendments this morning. Senator Boxer's 
amendment will be up first. Actually, it is not an amendment but a 
motion to commit the bill to the Judiciary Committee. There will be 2 
hours of debate, equally divided, on that motion, which we will proceed 
to momentarily, and subsequent to that debate we will have an hour 
debate on the Durbin amendment. All of that time is equally divided. 
Then we will proceed to votes on both of those amendments.
  If all time is used, we will have votes at roughly 12:30 this 
afternoon, if not earlier.
  As I said, there are two other amendments of which we are aware that 
could be offered this afternoon. I encourage Members who wish to 
participate in this debate to please come to the floor and do so this 
morning or this afternoon.

  I remind my colleagues that a cloture motion was filed on the Estrada 
nomination yesterday by our leader, and that motion will ripen tomorrow 
morning.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, through the acting majority leader I say to 
the majority leader, we believe we have the ability to finish this 
legislation very quickly. Anyone who wants to offer an amendment should 
get with floor staff forthwith because we are in the process of 
propounding a unanimous consent request to terminate this legislation. 
If people have amendments they want to offer, they should advise floor 
staff forthwith.
  Also, we were able to work out yesterday, following the dialog I had 
with the majority leader on the floor, with Senator Daschle and people 
on our side to allow one of the circuit court nominees to go forward 
with debate, with up to 6 hours debate. Hopefully, we can complete that 
tomorrow also.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, because the Senator from 
California has requested that the time on her amendment be the full 2 
hours, and Senator Santorum and I have taken a little bit of time this 
morning--I ask that be the order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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