[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 89 (Wednesday, June 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7543-S7544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, through the Chair to the distinguished 
majority leader, it is my understanding that sometime this morning 
CAFTA will be marked up and likely come out of committee. Is that the 
leader's understanding?
  Mr. FRIST. That is my understanding.
  Mr. REID. As the leader mentioned, we are going to go to Homeland 
Security appropriations next, is that right?
  Mr. FRIST. That is the plan, although right now the Interior bill is 
taking an extra day, a day longer than I thought, so we are going to 
have to adjust the schedule appropriately given the fact the Interior 
bill was not finished yesterday as we had anticipated.
  Mr. REID. As I spoke to the leader, because Senator Domenici and I 
have done the bill for so long, if we needed to do a bill in a shorter 
period of time, an appropriations bill, I think we could do ours in a 
day at the longest. I don't anticipate any trouble with that.
  As I said privately and now I say publicly, I think we have a 
tremendous obligation to see what we can do to move appropriations 
bills. Before we leave, I would like to get two of them done. When we 
get back in July, after the obligations that you and I have set up--
stem cells, China trade, native Hawaiians--then I hope we could get 
some more appropriation's bills done, but I know that is a big order.
  In relation to what the majority leader has said, I do not think 
anyone should plan on staging their votes

[[Page S7544]]

when they think there are going to be a lot of people here, when 
everybody will be here, because all week we will have a lack of 
attendance. People are flying all over the country attending BRAC 
hearings. That will be the way it is all week long.

  I think we have to plow forward and try to get as much done as we can 
as soon as we can because we do have the Fourth of July festivities 
around the country starting as early as Saturday.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in part in response to the distinguished 
Democratic leader, the week right now, with just Wednesday, Thursday, 
Friday--we have a lot to do. He looked ahead to next month. Again, that 
is the short list. We have a possible flag amendment, we have a 
possible gun liability, so July--in addition to stem cells and the 
others he mentioned, in addition to the appropriations. I say all that 
because we have Members who, on Mondays and Fridays say, We are not 
going to be there.
  This Friday, even though it is before a recess, we are going to be 
gone and we will have the opportunity to go back to our States and do 
all the things that are very important for us to do. But we need to 
keep plowing through, working Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I made 
it clear to my caucus if it is necessary we will be voting Friday. I 
don't want to give a time on Friday, but our colleagues right now in 
their minds say, well, it is Thursday, time to get out, we are on 
recess, and therefore we are not going to stick around.
  I want to put our side on notice, and I hope the distinguished 
Democratic leader will do likewise, because we have the appropriations 
bills--and I think there are several, Energy and Water--legislative 
branch should not take much time, but we have a number of others that 
will. Homeland Security is probably going to take some time to do. I 
again encourage our colleagues to offer amendments today, let's finish 
this bill, and then move on to other business. Then also, Friday, if we 
can't finish our business, we are going to need to be voting on Friday.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Rhode Island.

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