[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S4426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I just finished a meeting to try to lay out 
to a number of Senators what we are going to be doing on the 
supplemental appropriations bill. It is going to be extremely difficult 
for us to get from where we are today to completing this legislation in 
a timely fashion. There are some very complicated issues, some very 
strong feelings by a lot of different Senators.
  As highly controversial as is this war and this war funding, we are 
going to have to work together; otherwise, we are going to walk away 
from here this week with nothing done. That, I assume, is one 
alternative. It is not one I think most want, but that is an 
alternative.
  The other problem we have, because of longstanding commitments, 
including the wedding of one of our Members, is we are going to start 
losing Senators very quickly. Because of that, there are two Senators 
who are going to leave sometime Thursday. They will not be here. We 
have, of course, Presidentials out in the country someplace. We are 
going to have to try to figure out when they need to be here. Senator 
Kennedy is still having tests run to determine when he can return.
  So, to make a long story really short, we have a complicated path to 
completing our work, and we have to try to figure out a way to do the 
budget in this time period also.
  So, Mr. President, I wish I could tell Members to just take it easy, 
everybody can leave, but I think what we are coming to is we are going 
to have to finish our work Thursday or this war funding bill will not 
be completed. That may not be the case; maybe we can work with less 
than 100 Senators trying to get it done, but it is not an easy chore. 
It is one that is necessary but difficult.

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