[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H12143-H12144]
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. Leader, obviously the Members as we all know on both 
sides have been here for some period of time today and are very 
obviously desirous of knowing what our schedule is.
  I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding. As you know, it is hard to 
predict how exactly everything is going to work out. It is a little 
difficult to predict these last days before an adjournment period or 
before we leave for a work period, either one.
  We will officially convene tomorrow at 1 p.m. I think it is highly 
unlikely that there would be any vote before around 5, and we would 
give 2-hour notice in any reasonable way that we could before the first 
votes would occur.
  Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, would it be safe, therefore, for 
Members to conclude that they need not be here before 5? If we went in 
at 1, you gave 2 hours' notice, the first vote would be 3, but am I 
correct that the Defense appropriations conference has not convened 
because the chairman sadly lost his mother, and it is my understanding 
he is coming back sometime, maybe he came back this afternoon, but 
would I be reasonably correct in saying that the chances of the Defense 
appropriations bill being ready to report prior to 5 would be very 
slim?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. We do have 
some suspensions for tomorrow, a few more suspensions. So we could have 
those before the report if it was not ready. I appreciate your comments 
also about the chairman's being away for his mother's memorial service. 
He did return this evening.
  I believe the current plan is for their committee to meet early in 
the morning to have as much work as possible done before the committee 
meets and then to have that to Rules by midday. Obviously, we may not 
make all of those deadlines. If we do, we could very well be having our 
first votes at 5. We would give 2 hours' notice before that. So the 
earliest I would expect Members to get a notice that we would have 
votes in 2 hours would be around 3 o'clock.
  Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, what I think then the message, correct 
me if I am wrong, Mr. Leader, is that Members can be assured that they 
will not have votes prior to 5 p.m. tomorrow, and presumably, notice 
would go out at 3 o'clock if votes were to be at 5 o'clock; would that 
be accurate?
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding, and that is my accurate 
view of what is almost certain to happen tomorrow.
  Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, we do understand that the Defense 
appropriations committee conference report would probably be on the 
agenda. Can you tell us whether we expect the Defense authorization 
and/or the budget reconciliation bill also might be under consideration 
tomorrow?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding.
  You are right. The Appropriations Committee product, we have already 
discussed and we would expect, matter of fact, we are certain, as 
certain as you can be this time of year, of that for tomorrow. I think 
there is an excellent chance that we could get the budget 
reconciliation bill tomorrow, and we are still working to do what we 
can to bring Defense authorization to the floor.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information. Can you tell 
us, can Members be relatively assured that they will be able to plan at 
least at

[[Page H12144]]

some point in time Sunday or early Monday morning that that would be 
the end of the session, at least for the period of time prior to 
Christmas?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding and for the question. We 
have certainly given every indication in every meeting, the Speaker 
has, I have today, that that would be our timetable, that we would 
finish, possibly some things could carry over into early Monday 
morning, but we would not be here on Monday for any official actions of 
that regard on Monday, though there may be some pro forma thing that 
has to be done that I am not aware of standing here.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information.
  Mr. Speaker, I would hope on behalf of my side, and I have talked to 
my friend from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) on the other side, I know both of 
us want to bring this session to a close. Members had hoped to be home 
certainly this weekend. Christmas is a week from tomorrow. I am hopeful 
that we can conclude tomorrow, and I would hope that we would all work 
towards that end.

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