[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 153 (Thursday, November 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13067-S13068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Today, we will start with a 30-minute period for morning 
business. After morning business, we will resume consideration of the 
tax reconciliation bill. This morning when we return to that bill, 
there will be 10 hours remaining under the statutory time limitation. 
If all time is used, the debate will not run out until 8 tonight, at 
the earliest. I hope that we will not need all of that time.
  I encourage the chairman and ranking member to yield back time if it 
is not necessary so that instead of finishing at 8, within that 
statutory limit, it would be earlier. If there are to be a series of 
votes, we could start those votes at a much earlier time. If all of 
that time is used until 8 and we have votes, it is going to be a very 
long night. So, again, I encourage the chairman and ranking member----
  Mr. REID. Will the distinguished majority leader yield?
  Mr. FRIST. I would be glad to.


                           Order of Procedure

  Mr. REID. I have spoken to our manager of the bill, Senator Baucus. 
He would agree to have the time that is used for the votes to be 
counted against the time. That has not been entered yet. I do not think 
Senator Grassley would have any objection to that. Maybe we should 
enter into that agreement at this time.
  Mr. FRIST. I think that would be ideal. I still think we might be 
able to yield some time back in addition to that.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all time required for 
voting be part of the 10 hours that remain in terms of the statutory 
limit.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in addition to that, I know everybody is 
concerned about travel plans and when we are going to leave. I have 
been very clear throughout that we have business to do. This is the 
last legislative effort before we leave for Christmas, but it is also 
important that we recognize we still have four conference reports that 
are open that we are waiting to bring and take to the floor. So I 
encourage our colleagues to try to close those reports as soon as 
possible. Again, there are four that are outstanding.
  In addition, I made it very clear that we are going to address the 
PATRIOT Act legislation before we leave. There are good discussions 
underway. I know those discussions were continuing late into last 
night. I encourage all of our colleagues to understand the importance 
of that legislation. We want to get it right and make sure that it is 
in good shape to bring to the floor, but we do need to address that 
before we leave.
  Terrorism reinsurance, TRIA, is another issue that is coming along 
well. It is very important legislation, and there has been a lot of 
work, but we need to actually bring that to the floor as soon as 
possible. We have a number of nominations that are being considered, 
and we will have to make certain decisions on those over the next 24 
hours.
  Lastly, I am running through the list in my own mind of things we 
have to do before we leave, a continuing resolution--I was talking to 
the Democratic leader about the continuing resolution which we have to 
do to keep the Government open--will be coming from the House sometime 
today. Because the President has to sign that by tomorrow night, we 
need to act expeditiously on that continuing resolution because we 
actually have to physically send that to the President, who is overseas 
at this point.

  So we have a lot of work to do. We will stay here tomorrow and into 
Saturday and, if we have to, go into the

[[Page S13068]]

early part of next week, which we should not have to do but we will in 
order to finish the Nation's business. The time that we come back in 
December, if we come back in December--and I think that the Democratic 
leader and I have been very open that we have to plan on coming back 
for a short period of time, not knowing what we are going to be able to 
finish today, tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday, but in all likelihood we 
will have to come back for a couple of days in December, but that is 
not a time that we will be doing new legislation. I do not want anybody 
to think that if we do not do it now, we are going to be doing it in 
December because December will be to come in for as brief a period as 
possible to put the final touches on bills we cannot finish. So we have 
to finish the work right now.
  I am going to make a brief statement on another issue but will turn 
to the Democratic issue on the schedule.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democratic leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Just a question. If it is determined that we come back, it 
is my understanding it would not be until the 12th of December, at the 
earliest; is that the Senator's feelings at this time?
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, again, because it is so unclear to people, 
what we have said is it will not be before December 12. It will not 
necessarily be on the 12th either but during that week. I think all of 
our Members--because there are a lot of travel plans that have been 
made and people are going back to their States and overseas, we are 
going to have to keep that week flexible, but it would be the intention 
to come back as late in that week as possible, in large part because we 
are waiting for the House to catch up--that is the way I think of it in 
my own mind--to catch up with legislation. I think that we need to keep 
flexible. My intention is not to bring people back for an entire week.
  Again, on scheduling, the Democratic leader and I talk about it every 
day, so we will keep people posted, again recognizing the importance of 
that time to be spent with constituents, family, and overseas.

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