[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 194 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S8695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             GOOD PROGRESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senator McConnell and I have just finished a 
meeting. We are making good progress on being able to handle the issues 
that everyone knows are outstanding. We are not there yet, but we are 
very close.
  There will be votes tomorrow. There could be votes this afternoon 
also. I would also say, because this is a question that people will 
ask, the House is going to pass their bill around 3 o'clock--that is 
the omnibus, around 3 o'clock. Time is not always exact. There is a 
ruling from this White House and its predecessors that if one House 
passes a spending bill, as we are doing here, and there is a 
presumption that it will pass in the other body, the time is extended 
for 24 hours. So everyone does not have the worry about the government 
closing tonight.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me echo the remarks of the majority 
leader. As he has indicated, the administration takes a view that if 
the final appropriations bills pass one House this afternoon--we could 
have that vote today or it could be tomorrow--but the administration, I 
am told by the majority leader, takes the view that it has passed one 
House, there would not be a government shutdown. So I think everybody 
should be reassured that that is not going to happen. The conference 
report has been signed and we are moving toward completing the basic 
work of government through next September 30 very shortly.
  On the second issue, the majority leader and I are making significant 
progress in reaching an agreement on a package that will have 
bipartisan support, I hope. I think we are going to get to that place. 
And I share his view that good progress is being made.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Iowa.

                          ____________________