[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H4560-H4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I take this time for the purposes of 
requesting of the majority leader information regarding the schedule 
for the week to come, and I yield to my friend, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. DeLay), the distinguished majority leader, for the purposes 
of giving us the schedule.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer), the distinguished whip, for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, the House will convene on Monday at 12:30 p.m. for 
morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider 
several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of those 
bills will be sent to Members' offices by the end of this week. Any 
votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m.
  On Tuesday and the balance of the week, we expect to consider 
additional legislation under suspension of the rules. We also plan to 
consider several bills under a rule: The Fiscal Year 2005 Department of 
Defense appropriations

[[Page H4561]]

bill; H.R. 4548, the Fiscal Year 2005 Intelligence Authorization Act; 
H.R. 3973, the Spending Control Act of 2004; and the Fiscal Year 2005 
Energy and Water Development appropriations bill.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that we are expecting a 
very busy week leading into the July 4 district work period. We are 
likely to work some late nights and possibly late Friday afternoon. I 
repeat, for the Members listening, possibly late Friday afternoon as we 
work to resolve these important pieces of legislation.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I would be glad 
to answer any questions.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader.
  Mr. Speaker, the majority leader mentioned two appropriations bills 
scheduled for next week: Defense and Energy and Water. Can the 
gentleman tell us on what days he anticipates those bills to be on the 
floor, and does he anticipate that they will come to the floor under 
the customary open rules?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. We have 
not made a final decision as to when we might suggest that we place 
them on the schedule. Just as a possibility, we would put Department of 
Defense on the floor on Tuesday; Energy and Water might be later on, 
because we are working, trying to work with the Committee on 
Appropriations to make sure we are not on the floor when the committee 
is in markup.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. 
The second question was, under traditional open rules, can we expect to 
consider them under such rules?
  Mr. DeLAY. Definitely. I would see no reason why we would not 
traditionally have open rules on these appropriations bills.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that response and I 
thank the gentleman for that procedure.
  With respect to the Intelligence Authorization bill, the gentleman 
has listed that bill for next week. Under what procedures will this be 
considered and, specifically, can the gentleman comment on whether the 
Democratic amendments will be allowed, including amendments in the 
nature of a substitute?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I do not want to 
speak for the committee, but I believe that on the Intelligence 
Reauthorization Act, I believe the committee will solicit all types of 
amendments and will have a very lengthy debate. I would anticipate 
there will be many amendments allowed on that bill.
  On the Budget Enforcement Act, did the gentleman ask about that?
  Mr. HOYER. The gentleman is anticipating me, and I will ask that. Can 
I ask one other question on the Intelligence bill first? Does the 
gentleman know, if we consider Defense on Tuesday, when does the 
gentleman think we would consider the Intelligence authorization?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I would 
anticipate that the Department of Defense appropriations bill would not 
take very long; it does not usually, and if that is the case, the 
Intelligence bill would follow right after that. It could be Tuesday if 
things go well. If they do not, then I would imagine the Intelligence 
bill would be on Wednesday.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman.
  Now, on the PAYGO bill, or the budget enforcement legislation, we 
marked up a bill some time ago, the budget itself. On this enforcement 
act, will Democrats, Mr. Leader, be allowed to substitute on this very 
important legislation?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding, and as 
the gentleman can see, the chairman of the Committee on Rules is 
standing here. I do not want to spoil the surprise of the chairman, his 
announcement, but I believe that they do plan to solicit all types of 
amendments and substitutes. I do not want to prejudge their actions, 
but I do expect them to make in order a number of amendments.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, would it be appropriate 
for me to perhaps address the question to the Committee on Rules 
chairman? I will not do so if the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) 
thinks at this point in time that is premature, but I will do so if the 
gentleman thinks it is appropriate.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I would just say that the majority leader is 
absolutely right.
  Mr. HOYER. About what?
  Mr. DREIER. About absolutely everything.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I really would like to have an answer to the 
question, if one is available. I yield to the leader.
  Mr. DeLAY. Well, I will take the gentleman seriously. I was going to 
make a joke.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Texas can make a joke, and 
then we will get serious.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I 
was waiting for the chairman of the Committee on Rules to say that, or 
I thought I heard him say that the leader is always right.
  Mr. HOYER. That is what he said. That is why I took it jocularly and 
moved on.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield again, I do not 
want to prejudge the chairman of the Committee on Rules or the 
Committee on Rules on what they would do, but I think, I think this 
budget enforcement process bill is a very important piece of 
legislation. It defines who we are and where we want to take this 
country, and I am saying, ``we'' the House and both parties, and I 
think a free and open debate should be warranted.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I very much appreciate 
the leader's view on that. I think we share that view. There are 
obviously differences on how to accomplish the objective but, clearly, 
the objective; that is, of ensuring a responsible management of the 
fiscal affairs of this country, is obviously of concern to all in this 
body.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Let me say, 
as the majority leader pointed out, I am here to actually solicit from 
our colleagues those proposals about which my friend has just referred 
so that we do have an opportunity in the Committee on Rules to consider 
a wide range of alternatives, and then we will deliberate and we will 
make a recommendation to the House as to how we should structure the 
rule for consideration.
  But my friend is absolutely right. We do want to have a chance to 
address what obviously is a very serious and important issue for us 
institutionally.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Committee on 
Rules for his observation. As the gentleman knows, we were disappointed 
we did not get a substitute to the tax bill that was considered 
yesterday. With a substitute, we can offer alternatives in a way that 
we cannot necessarily via amendments.

                              {time}  1645

  We would appreciate and think it in the best interest of 
deliberations, whether one agrees or disagrees with the substance, that 
that process be followed; and we thank the gentleman for his 
consideration of that.
  Mr. Leader, you have not listed, but I believe we do need to act, the 
transportation bill. You did not list it in your report, but would I be 
correct in anticipating that we would extend by some additional period 
of time the authorization or the existing transportation program? I 
yield to my friend.
  Mr. DeLAY. We have a number of extensions that have to be done next 
week, many we are working on with the other side; and on those, the 
welfare extension along with the highway extension, the child nutrition 
act extension, and maybe a couple of others that are really important 
to do next week. And we hope that in working with the minority that we 
can come to some sort of agreement on these extensions and put them on 
the suspension calendar on suspension days.

[[Page H4562]]

  Mr. HOYER. That would be my question. Your anticipation would be that 
they would be agreed upon, that they would be on the suspension 
calendar?
  Mr. DeLAY. That is correct.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the leader for his information.

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