[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6035-S6036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will be in a period 
of morning business to allow speakers to discuss and introduce 
legislation or to speak on the topic of their choice. It had been our 
expectation that the amendment process on the jobs/growth bill would 
begin this morning; however, that will be delayed until later today.
  Today, we do have a Senate delegation out of town attending the 
funeral of former Senator Russell Long, and that delegation will not 
return until early this evening. In addition, the Finance Committee 
will need to meet this evening to report out the reconciliation 
measure. The Senate will then immediately begin its consideration. This 
will allow us to begin to use time under the statutory time limit as 
well as begin the consideration of germane amendments this evening.
  I say to my colleagues, we will have to work late each night this 
week. At the end of last week I mentioned it was going to be a very 
busy week, and due to the delays which we are experiencing, it means we 
will be working late each night this week and through Friday.
  Following morning business today, we will resume consideration of the 
energy bill. Pending to the energy bill is the bipartisan Frist-Daschle 
ethanol amendment. I understand there are additional speakers on that 
amendment.
  Also, as I mentioned last week, there are a number of pressing issues 
that the Senate must address prior to the Memorial Day recess. First, 
we will finish the jobs/growth package this week. We have the statutory 
time interval of 20 hours of debate which will begin as soon as the 
Finance Committee reports out the reconciliation bill tonight.
  Also, as I mentioned last week, this week the Senate will consider 
the bipartisan global HIV/AIDS legislation. This measure has broad 
support across both sides of the aisle, and it is my hope that we will 
be able to work out an agreement this morning or over the course of the 
day that will allow the Senate to pass this bill after a reasonable 
period of consideration later this week.

  Third, we also have an order to consider the debt limit extension 
bill with a limited number of amendments. My colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle have indicated they would not delay this bill once we 
bring it up. I hope it will not be necessary for all of the 12 
Democratic amendments to be offered once we do bring up that bill. I 
believe everyone does understand the need for fiscal continuity and the 
importance of getting a debt limit bill to the President's desk before 
the Memorial Day recess.
  As for next week, we will be considering the Department of Defense 
authorization. The chairman and the ranking member of the Armed 
Services Committee have done yeoman's work to get the Department of 
Defense authorization bill ready for floor action. We will proceed to 
full Senate consideration of that bill early next week.

[[Page S6036]]

  Needless to say, again, as I mentioned at the end of last week, we 
have a very busy 2 weeks really with 9 legislative days prior to the 
recess. I do ask for all Members' cooperation in the coming weeks as we 
move through these important issues.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The assistant minority whip.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could, I know the distinguished 
majority leader has a statement to make on an important subject. While 
he is here, as we begin today's session, I have a couple of questions.
  First, with the order that was entered last night, we are in morning 
business until 12:30; is that what the leader intends to do?
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, it was not specified last night, but our 
intent was to do morning business for an hour and at 11 o'clock to come 
back to the energy bill to continue the opening statements and comments 
and discussion on the ethanol amendment that was offered last week.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say to the leader, we would be happy to 
cooperate in any way that will make things move more quickly. We do 
have a number of Senators--Senator Conrad, Senator Stabenow--who wish 
to speak, and so I am not sure they can complete everything by then, 
but we will enter into an agreement that we can get to the energy bill 
as quickly as possible.
  I am not going to do this in the form of a unanimous consent request 
because I did this yesterday--and there is no need to do this again--
other than to say, I think it would be in the best interest of the 
Senate if today we immediately move to the debt limit bill. The leader 
has indicated what he wishes to finish this week. We believe it would 
be good to do this prior to the tax bill. We could finish it today. We 
could be in a position where we could complete the votes even tonight 
when the people return from the Long funeral.
  So I would hope the majority leader would consider allowing us, 
rather than going to the energy bill, which we are not going to make 
much progress on--and my personal feeling is we will not finish that 
bill until the leader gives us a lump of time that says we are going to 
finish the bill. So, anyway, I hope we can move to the debt limit bill 
as expeditiously as possible. That is why we have this agreement which 
is standing dealing with H.J. Res. 51, that we have a limited number of 
amendments. We have indicated there would be no filibuster. So I would 
hope we could move to this as quickly as possible.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I appreciate the assistant Democratic 
leader making the request and stressing the importance of dealing with 
the extension of the debt ceiling. It is an issue we have to address. 
We have a number of issues that are pending, that are underway, and one 
is the energy bill introduced last week, with an amendment that is 
currently on the floor that I would like to come to this morning and 
continue. It is business that is underway.
  Secondly, the jobs and growth package is an issue that, at the end of 
last week, we committed to go to very early. I very much want to get 
this out of the Congress before the recess, if at all possible. That 
means we do need to go to that as soon as possible.

  The third priority I have set and laid out last week is the HIV/AIDS 
bill. I will make a few comments on that shortly, why I believe it is 
urgent for us to pass that particular legislation. Then, in this order, 
the fourth is the debt ceiling which has to be dealt with before we 
leave. I will be in consultation with the Department of the Treasury in 
terms of the exact timing of that. The sequence of events will be as I 
outlined as we go forward.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we understand the importance of each one of 
these measures. We understand the importance of global AIDS. I think it 
is important that we have a bipartisan approach, and the majority 
leader, as a physician, has helped us move into that position. Keep in 
mind, this is an authorization bill. We have to do authorizations 
before we do appropriations. With regard to its urgency, it is 
important we get it done so that during the appropriations process we 
can give some money to the programs that are authorized. As far as it 
being as urgent as the tax bill or the debt ceiling is concerned, it is 
down the list in that regard.
  Senator Feingold wishes to speak. I will work with the floor staff as 
soon as the majority leader completes his statement to try to figure 
out how much time we need on this side. While it is the decision of the 
leader to move to energy, we think we should move to the debt limit. 
But the leader makes that decision. We will work out with the floor 
staff as to how much time we need for this side.

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