[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11373-11374]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, in a few minutes we are going to ask that the 
House recess until approximately 2 p.m. When we return from that 
recess, we should return to consider, one, the rule to go to conference 
on the Omnibus Trade Act; two, motion to instruct conferees on trade, 
if it is offered; and then, three, the suspension votes that have been 
rolled from last Tuesday. After the completion of that work, then we 
would have completed our work for the day.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ARMEY. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I 
would like to have an inquiry about schedule and about the substance of 
the rule that will be coming to the floor.
  Mr. Leader, is this the identical rule, or is the gentleman planning 
to amend it on the floor?
  Mr. ARMEY. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman 
for her inquiry. Indeed, it is the identical rule we had reported last 
week.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, and 
with all due respect to the majority leader and his capacity, I hope 
that he will convey to the Republican leadership the displeasure of the 
Members in the minority, and really I think we speak on behalf of the 
American people when we say that the work that we do on this floor is 
very important. The public needs notice as to what we are doing.
  A schedule was put forth that we would have votes this morning so 
that we could notify Members who are doing their work in their 
committees. That was turned upside down. Now we come to the floor and 
the majority is asking for a recess to take up the very important issue 
of trade promotion within an hour.
  We are coming back in an hour. Is that what the gentleman said, at 2 
p.m., in 55 minutes? In a matter of minutes we are now notifying 
Members that the majority wants to bring the rule on the trade 
promotion to the floor, turning upside down the schedule for the rest 
of the day. It is not just the minority that is disserved by this 
unprofessional approach to our schedule. It is the general public and 
those who follow with interest and have public opinion about the work 
of Congress in the people's House.
  So if the gentleman would convey the displeasure of the minority in 
the manner in which this important issue is being treated and how this 
schedule has turned into such a haphazard arrangement at will, with no 
consultation, about these very important issues.
  Now we are going to have a vote on fast track. Could the gentleman 
shed some light as to when the majority may bring up the prescription 
drug benefit bill?
  Mr. ARMEY. Well, I thank the gentlewoman for that inquiry, and let me 
say to the gentlewoman that I do appreciate the concerns she has 
raised. I spent 10 years in the minority, and there were many times 
during those 10 years that I too, without better understanding, was 
concerned about whether or not the schedule was done in a professional 
and considerate manner. I learned to accept that the majority

[[Page 11374]]

was doing the best they could, many times under difficult 
circumstances, and that I should be patient and understanding.
  Upon accepting these responsibilities, I have always concerned myself 
that the minority should have these feelings. And it is for that reason 
that I made it a point at the close of business last week, in my 
colloquy, to advise the body, the minority in particular, that we would 
be trying to bring this bill to the floor, and stipulated at that time 
we would do so whenever we were able to do so.
  We are now able to do so, and I am happy to see us move on. I will 
try my very, very best to not disappoint the gentlewoman from 
California in the future.
  Ms. PELOSI. If the gentleman will continue to yield, I had a question 
about the prescription drug bill.
  Mr. ARMEY. I will be happy to continue to yield.
  Ms. PELOSI. When does the gentleman think the prescription drug 
legislation will be coming to the floor?
  Mr. ARMEY. I appreciate the gentlewoman's inquiry. I see no sign that 
we will be able to do that yet today; but as soon as we are capable of 
bringing that bill to the floor, we will let the minority know.
  Ms. PELOSI. The debt limit?
  Mr. ARMEY. On the debt limit, I again renew my invitation to Members 
of the minority to join with us in passing this very important increase 
in the debt limit so that we can indeed deal with even the important 
supplemental bill.
  The Senate has passed Senator Daschle's bill. It would strike me that 
this body ought to be able to pick up Senator Daschle's bill, passed in 
the Senate, and pass it in the House, with a generous number of Members 
of the minority willing to vote for the Senate majority leader's own 
bill. But so far I have seen no indication that the minority Members of 
this body are willing to vote in agreement with the Democrat majority 
leader from the other body. Therefore, I cannot make an announcement 
about our ability to bring his bill forward.
  Ms. PELOSI. Is one to infer from what the gentleman has said that the 
majority would be willing to bring up a freestanding bill with some 
discussion about what the amount would be for the debt limit, including 
the $150 billion that the minority has been suggesting?
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's question, and 
let me just say to the gentlewoman that one should infer from what I 
said that any serious suggestion or recommendation will be considered. 
At this point, I believe that the Senate majority leader's passed bill 
is a serious proposition. We would be happy to consider that if Members 
of the minority would indicate their willingness to vote with Senator 
Daschle on this matter.
  Ms. PELOSI. Well, our distinguished minority leader has made an offer 
to the Republican majority.
  On the supplemental, do we know when that will be coming up?
  Mr. ARMEY. Again, I am pleased to announce that the conferees on the 
supplemental have found a way back to the table to discuss that. I have 
been advised by the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations that he 
has a renewed optimism on this matter.
  It is my hope that that optimism gets worked out even during this 
next hour, when they can sit down together. Nothing would please me 
more than to be able to announce later, even perhaps to the 
inconvenience and surprise of some Members, that we are prepared to 
bring that very important conference report to the floor.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman continue to yield?
  Mr. ARMEY. I will be happy to continue to yield to the gentlewoman.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the information that the 
gentleman has been willing to provide.
  I think it is important for both sides of the aisle to remember that 
the legislation and the issues that we are dealing with are not our 
private personal property. The American people expect and should demand 
more transparency than what is happening in this House.
  What is happening in this House is we are moving to a much less 
democratic way of discussing the issues. I am not speaking to what the 
gentleman experienced 8 years ago, because the gentleman knows that 
when the Republican majority came in, part of the Contract on America 
was to close down debate on this floor; to eliminate many options 
available for debate for the minority. So this is yet again another 
example.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentlewoman 
for her comments and remind the body that indeed the Contract With 
America was to bring to this floor for debate and to vote on this floor 
10 items that were disallowed by the prior majority.

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