[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 44 (Thursday, April 1, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S3521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SENATE SCHEDULE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I appreciate very much the desire of the 
majority leader and our friends on the other side of the aisle in 
addressing many of these issues. He mentioned the JOBS bill, welfare 
reform reauthorization, and the importance of reaching some agreement 
on energy. I have indicated on several occasions that we are more than 
prepared to work through each one of these bills. We simply want to be 
heard on amendments about which we care a great deal.
  I will not ask consent to do it this morning, but I would entertain a 
unanimous consent agreement to go to the energy bill today and work 
through the amendments. I think there would be a good debate. 
Ultimately, there could be a conclusive debate about the energy bill.
  We will see what happens in our work with the House, which we have 
had to do now on several occasions. The same is true with the FSC/ETI 
bill. We would be prepared to go to the floor with a number of 
amendments.
  People on the other side of the aisle, for whatever reason, have 
refused to allow us an opportunity to have an up-or-down vote on 
protecting worker's overtime, on minimum wage, and on unemployment 
compensation.
  There are other outsourcing amendments that we think ought to be 
debated. What better place to debate them than on a bill that relates 
to international commerce.
  It isn't our unwillingness to have a good debate; it is our 
unwillingness to be locked out of the process. Whether it is in 
conference or whether it is on the floor, we have been prevented 
closure on each of these bills. I am hopeful that over the course of 
the next 2 days we can reach some accommodation.
  I have indicated that I thought we could finish the welfare bill by 
the end of next week. We will work to see that happens. But 
unfortunately, we are not at a point where any kind of procedural 
agreement has been reached to allow that to happen, either. I will 
continue to talk with the distinguished majority leader about ways in 
which to accommodate our concerns and his very understandable concerns 
about completing the work.

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