[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, while the distinguished leader is on the 
floor, there was some hope we could bring up the military authorization 
bill tonight. Senator Levin and I consulted with you on this, I say to 
the majority leader. We will have for our joint leadership tomorrow a 
list of amendments, with time agreements, and be ready to go. I say to 
the majority leader, you can splice this in as you see fit. I assure 
the majority leader--I see my distinguished colleague from Michigan on 
the floor--my colleague from Michigan is ready to join me on this. We 
will present to our joint leadership specific germane amendments on the 
list, and move along on this bill.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if the Senator would yield, I am not sure 
what that means. That means, I think, you are not going to be able to 
consider any amendments tonight.
  Mr. WARNER. That is correct. We made a strong effort.
  Mr. LOTT. When you say you will present a list of amendments, and 
will try to work them through the process, that does mean, I take it, 
the amendments still would be debated, if they have to be debated.
  Mr. WARNER. That is correct.
  Mr. LOTT. Tuesday night.
  Mr. WARNER. Tuesday night.
  Mr. LOTT. The votes would occur on Wednesday morning, if any?
  Mr. WARNER. That is correct.
  Mr. LOTT. Do you have any amendments where there would be a need for 
a vote in the morning?
  Mr. WARNER. Not tomorrow morning, I say to the leadership.
  Mr. LOTT. Can you give me an idea about how many nights might be 
involved here because we are already beginning to think about another 
bill next week.
  Mr. WARNER. I listened to that very carefully. I would say that with 
three evenings we can do it. And there may be a juncture during the 
course of the day when there could be an hour or two. If you give us a 
ring, we will have an amendment to plug in for that brief period of 
time.
  Mr. LEVIN. If the leader will yield, it would be very helpful--I know 
it is difficult, and I have not had a chance to speak to my chairman 
about this, but if we knew in advance about when we would start the 
evening proceeding, I think that would help us line up some amendments.
  Mr. LOTT. I believe sort of the gentlemen's agreement we were talking 
about last week was that we would start at about 6:30 or 7 o'clock, but 
not later than 7, and hopefully as early as 6:30 tomorrow night, 
possibly even Wednesday night. Thursday night is not likely. So then 
you might have to look at next Monday night for the third night, if a 
third night in fact is used.
  There is a possibility we will reach a moment of lull or we will see 
an hour or two coming sometime during the day, and we will call quickly 
and ask for the managers to come over and do some of their work.
  Mr. LEVIN. That would be good.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could, just being involved on the 
fringes of this legislation, I think with the work of Senator Levin and 
Senator Warner, they will complete this in two nights.
  Mr. LOTT. I like the sound of that. Good luck.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank our distinguished leader.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I understood we are in morning business at this time. 
Are we moving toward the Defense authorization bill? If we are moving 
on the Defense authorization bill, I will withhold.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I see my friends from Michigan and Virginia. Anytime 
they are prepared to request the floor, I will yield time.

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