[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 25400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the Senate will be in a period of morning 
business until 6:45 p.m., with Senators speaking for up to 10 minutes 
each. A vote on a continuing resolution that funds the Government for 
another day will occur at approximately 6:45 p.m. if the papers have 
been received from the House. We will try, once again, to see if we can 
get a vote before that time. The House, I believe, goes in at 6, so we 
probably will not have the papers before 6:45. We will see if we can go 
ahead and arrange for a vote to occur before that time but hopefully no 
later than 6:45. Senators will be updated throughout the afternoon's 
session.
  By previous order, the Senate will convene on Monday at 5 p.m. to 
consider another continuing resolution. That vote will occur at 7 p.m. 
and will be the first vote of the day. I might say that there have been 
meetings with the appropriate Members of Congress and the 
administration on Saturday. There have been ideas exchanged--are being 
exchanged even now--that are being developed. I think we are very 
close, even though it is never over until we get an agreement on the 
final four or five issues that are still in play.
  I think it would be wise for the Senate, the House--the Congress--and 
the administration to complete their work as soon as possible so that 
we can leave to be with our constituents and attend to our duties back 
in our respective States. But it is more important that we look after 
the people's business first. We will continue, as we have been now, 
until an agreement can be worked out. We are prepared to exchange some 
suggestions today, and hopefully we will get some additional 
information later on this afternoon.
  It is still my hope that perhaps by Tuesday we could have the final 
two or three votes that would be required. That would mean the Labor-
HHS appropriations bill, in whatever final form it might be, would have 
to be filed not later than Monday night. So we would need to have time, 
of course, for that to be filed and printed and for Senators to have a 
chance to review it. I presume that would then mean that the vote, if 
it came on Tuesday, would be late on Tuesday. But I will confer with 
Senator Reid--we were just talking about it--and with Senator Daschle 
to make sure we give Senators the maximum amount of notification when 
those substantive recorded votes might occur.
  Again, I do not want to give the impression it is just about to be 
done, but that would be our fervent hope. We will give as much advance 
notice as possible for a final vote on the tax relief package, and also 
the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, and bankruptcy. I expect to file 
cloture on the bankruptcy bill today or tomorrow, depending on what 
might be happening with the schedule.
  With that, Mr. President, I see Senator Reid is here. Would the 
Senator like me to yield to him?
  Mr. REID. For a brief statement.
  Mr. LOTT. I am glad to yield.
  Mr. REID. I hope the optimism I hear in the leader's voice is well 
founded. I hope so. I think we have all worked hard and should wrap 
this up. I say to the leader, however, I hope today we follow daylight 
savings time, even though that is not what we have shown in the Senate. 
As you can see, it is really 5 after 4, not 5 after 5, as the Senate 
clock shows us. So we will have to make sure we go by the real time and 
not by what is shown in the Senate Chamber.
  Mr. LOTT. Absolutely.
  Mr. REID. Is that reasonable?
  Mr. LOTT. That certainly is reasonable.

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