[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 40 (Monday, April 3, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S2699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, on behalf of the majority leader, I have 
been asked to make the following announcement: We are going to resume 
debate right now on the committee substitute to the border security 
bill. There are a number of amendments pending. It is anticipated that 
there will be two votes likely to begin at 5:30. Members will be 
alerted when those votes are locked in with certainty, but that is the 
current expectation.
  Senator Frist has reminded everyone that this is the final week of 
legislative work prior to the Easter recess. We expect busy days with 
late sessions in order to complete the work on the pending legislation 
before the end of the week. Senator Frist has made the explicit comment 
that Senators should plan for a full week of business with votes 
throughout the week.
  We have already had quite a number of amendments filed. We know that 
the tempo of the Senate is to finish legislation, such as that which is 
pending now, when it is backed up to a recess. I have been authorized 
to say that we will be holding the votes to 20 minutes--15 minutes as 
prescribed by the rules of the Senate and 5 minutes over. We all have 
seen the votes run very late and take up a great deal of floor time. We 
will be voting with a 20-minute cutoff.
  Senator Leahy has asked me to express his view as well as mine that 
all Senators come forward with amendments so that we can evaluate them, 
make a determination as to which ones can be accepted and as to which 
ones will have to be debated and voted upon. We will be looking for 
time agreements. But we have a prodigious job ahead of us to finish the 
bill by the end of the week. We solicit the cooperation of all Members.
  I will have more to say, but I yield at this point to the Democratic 
leader.

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