[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 94 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S7901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT--MOTION TO PROCEED

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 620, 
S.J. Res. 40. I ask unanimous consent that the motion be set aside to 
recur on Monday, July 12.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Is this the matter----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Asking through the Chair a question to the majority leader, 
is this the matter we are going to be working on next week?
  Mr. FRIST. It is.
  Mr. REID. I have worked a lot this afternoon and this morning 
clearing with our Members the fact that it would not be necessary that 
we deal with cloture on the motion to proceed. We have cleared that. We 
would also be in a position to have no amendments on the constitutional 
amendment that we are going to debate next week. Whatever the majority 
believes to be a reasonable time to debate that, we will be in 
agreement with that and have a vote on the resolution. We are cleared 
on our side to do that.
  We would hope, if the majority leader can get a clearance on that, we 
can move forward and have a definite time sometime next week for a vote 
on the resolution itself. We are ready to move forward on it.
  Yesterday, we believed it was necessary that we have the leader file 
this cloture motion on the motion to proceed, but we will not need that 
now. We are ready to rock and roll on the debate of this issue.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, for the benefit of our colleagues, we are 
talking about the issue surrounding marriage and the constitutional 
amendment and procedurally how best to address the issue. We have had 
debate and discussion over the course of the day. Because of the late 
hour, I was not able to talk to the managers on our side and have the 
same discussions as the other side has had as far as the best way to 
address the issue procedurally. Because of the late hour, I have not 
been able to reach our managers of the bill, but over the course of the 
weekend we will do that.
  For the benefit of our colleagues, we will substantively be debating 
the issue Monday and Tuesday. In all likelihood, we will have a vote on 
Wednesday through one of the two modes that have been mentioned, but we 
will make a final decision Monday morning after we have had the 
opportunity to talk to the managers on our side as well.
  Mr. REID. I simply state again, procedurally we are not going to be 
in the way. We are ready to move forward.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. If I could ask one other question before the majority 
leader begins to speak, are we going to have any votes on Monday? I 
have gotten a number of requests through Senator Daschle.
  Mr. FRIST. We will not be voting on Monday. We will have no rollcall 
votes in Monday's session.
  Mr. REID. We are coming in to debate the issue?
  Mr. FRIST. Let me go ahead and do the unanimous consent, and then I 
will make another statement that is unrelated.
  Mr. REID. Certainly.

                          ____________________