[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 23 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H971]
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, for the purpose of informing us of the 
schedule of the week to come, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
DeLay), the majority leader.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, the House will convene on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for 
legislative business. We will consider several measures under 
suspension of the rules. A final list of these bills will be sent to 
Members' offices by the end of the week. Any votes called on these 
measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m.
  On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will convene at 10 a.m. We will 
likely consider additional legislation under suspension of the rules, 
as well as the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
  And, finally, I would like to note for all the Members that we are 
making a change to the schedule that was sent to offices at the 
beginning of the year. We do not plan to have votes next Friday, March 
11.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. 
Let me say that I am pleased, and I know our side is and I am sure the 
gentleman's side is as well and I know the Governors and county 
officials throughout the country are pleased, to see that the 
transportation bill is on the floor. This was a bill, as the majority 
leader knows, that expired, I think, September 30, 2003, and we have 
done extensions since that time.
  It is scheduled for 2 days on the calendar, as I understand, and we 
just heard the announcement of the Committee on Rules chairman that 
there may be limitations to amendments in the bill. In light of the 
fact that I know there are still some substantial questions, this bill 
was reported out on voice vote unanimously but with one of the most 
contentious issues, as I understand it, left unresolved in terms of 
donor/donee States.
  Can the majority leader amplify, perhaps, on what the Committee on 
Rules chairman said in terms of whether we will have general debate on 
one day and amendments on the next, or does he think he will start 
considering amendments on the first day of consideration.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's yielding to me. 
The gentleman is correct in that we really want this bill to move as 
quickly as possible, get it through the other body, because contract 
letting is seasonal, particularly in the northern States and that 
contract letting needs to be done. So we are working as hard as we can 
to get this bill done.
  Since this bill is very similar to the reauthorization that was 
passed in the last Congress, I would expect that the Committee on Rules 
would develop a rule that was very similar to that one that was used 
when we considered this bill last Congress which, if I recall, there 
were 23 amendments allowed under the rule, a manager's amendment. So we 
have to see what the Committee on Rules is going to do and see how we 
can divide the work between Wednesday and Thursday.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his response. And I 
think the gentleman is correct. There were a substantial number of 
amendments. I would hope that those Members on either side of the aisle 
who have substantive amendments to offer, in light of the fact that we 
have been waiting on this bill for some time, would have ample 
opportunity on either side of the aisle, and I appreciate the leader's 
focus on that.
  Mr. Speaker, lastly, if I can, can the majority leader tell us what 
his thoughts are in terms of scheduling, we have 2 weeks left before 
the Easter work period, with reference to either the supplemental 
appropriation and/or the budget?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's yielding to me.
  It is our anticipation, or I have been notified by the respective 
committees, that we will be considering the supplemental from the 
President and the budget that both committees expect to hold markups on 
those two bills next week, which would prepare us and give us plenty of 
time to have both of those bills on the floor the week prior to the 
Easter recess.
  Mr. HOYER. So, Mr. Speaker, it would be his expectation that we would 
consider both those bills before the break?
  Mr. DeLAY. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for his answers.




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