[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 116 (Thursday, September 23, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S9540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COMPLETING SENATE BUSINESS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I also note the interest of leadership on 
both sides in following through with what the majority leader has just 
described. I think it is important for us to complete the work on the 
tax bill this morning, or this afternoon at the latest. I have no 
indication there is an objection to bringing up the conference report. 
I hope we could have a short period for deliberation and a vote.
  We would be prepared to move to the Foreign Operations bill with or 
without an agreement. There is no opposition to moving to the bill on 
our side. Again, it provides an opportunity to complete yet one more 
appropriations bill this week.
  So I am hopeful we can complete our work on time. I would hope we 
could do so this afternoon. I do think that in respect for the Jewish 
holiday it is important for us to complete our work to allow Senators 
the opportunity to travel tomorrow.
  Next week, we look forward to the debate on the legislation passed 
out of the Governmental Affairs Committee regarding recommendations 
from the 9/11 Commission. Again, as I have said several times this 
week, I think that our two leaders, Senators Collins and Lieberman, 
have done an outstanding job. I would hope that the spirit of 
bipartisanship that was so clearly on display during those 
deliberations could be achieved in equal form here on the Senate floor 
next week and, I might say, as we go to conference.
  I heard some disconcerting news this morning that there are some in 
the House of Representatives who may want to insert in this legislation 
extremely divisive and counterproductive language having to do with 
expansion of the PATRIOT Act. Whether we ought to expand the PATRIOT 
Act is certainly a matter for debate, but if we are going to maintain 
that kind of bipartisan spirit, provisions such as those could be 
extraordinarily counterproductive. I think we need to be very concerned 
as we complete our work that we do so in as broad a bipartisan fashion 
as was demonstrated in the Governmental Affairs Committee.

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