[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 49 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H2450]
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 am pleased to yield to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. DeLay), the majority leader, for the purpose of inquiring 
about the schedule for the coming week.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend 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, and a final list of those 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. for 
legislative business. We may consider additional legislation under 
suspension of the rules, as well as H.R. 748, the Child Interstate 
Abortion Notification Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back to the distinguished whip.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information.
  Mr. Leader, I noticed that the budget conference report is not listed 
on the schedule next week. The gentleman and I talked about that last 
week. Can the gentleman tell us when the gentleman believes the budget 
conference will be appointed and when we might have that on the floor?
  I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding.
  I believe the Committee on the Budget chairman, the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Nussle), has had some informal discussions with his Senate 
counterpart. I have spoken to the majority leader of the Senate. They 
are hoping to call a conference committee meeting sometime next week, 
which means we will have to go to conference sometime next week. As the 
gentleman may or may not know, the Senate is taking a work period the 
following week, so they are trying as hard as they can to get this 
conference formed, a meeting, and work done so that we can have a 
conference report on the floor of the House and the Senate by the end 
of next week.

                              {time}  1645

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that information. 
If I could raise one additional issue, it is my understanding that one 
of the reasons we have not appointed conferees and we have not gone to 
conference is the issue of the Medicaid cuts.
  I understand a substantial number of Members on your side have 
suggested that those cuts are not advisable. Obviously, the Senate did 
not include those cuts. Can the majority leader tell me at this point 
in time if there has been any resolution of this issue, as to where we 
might stand on those Medicaid cuts.
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. All I can 
tell the gentleman is, I know there is a lot of discussion about that 
over in the Senate. I do not know what their resolution is, even if 
there is a resolution on the Senate side.
  The House, as the gentleman knows, passed the budget that has 
substantial mandatory savings in it. The House is very interested in 
holding the line on their mandatory savings, and the Senate is trying 
to work through this process.
  So it is really up to the Senate as to what they are going to bring 
to the conference.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for that information. 
Again, I do not know the accuracy of the letter in terms of the numbers 
of people, but there seemed to be a fair number of people, there were 
over 40, on the letter which appeared to agree with the Senate's view, 
obviously a large number on this side who share that view as well.
  Perhaps we might have some discussions about reaching agreement on 
that issue at some point in time.
  Mr. DeLAY. I appreciate the gentleman yielding. I am sure that the 
discussions will fly fast and furious over next week in trying to get 
this conference report done.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his information, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.

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