[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 458-459]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today there will be a period of morning 
business until 12:30 p.m., with the time equally divided and Senators 
permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes.
  Last night, I closed saying that I remain hopeful an agreement can be 
reached as soon as possible with respect to the committee resolution 
which, very simply, allows us to proceed with Senate business and with 
appointment of our committees and the chairmen.
  Again, as I mentioned last night, I want to put my colleagues on 
notice that if we are unable to reach accord in a short period of time, 
it will be my intent to begin consideration of the resolution. Again, 
it is very simple. It just names the chairmen and the Republican 
members of the committees. In addition, the appropriations process for 
fiscal year 2003 absolutely must be completed.
  Members should be aware that the Senate will finish these matters or 
it will be necessary to return after the holiday on Monday and be in 
session through next week. I mentioned that last night in closing. But 
again I want to make sure my colleagues understand that we have two 
matters that are of critical importance to the fundamental organization 
of this body, No. 1; and, No. 2, on the appropriations bills that are 
the unfinished business from last year, we have an obligation to the 
American people to complete.
  As the negotiations progress over the course of the morning--and, 
again, discussions continued well into the evening last night and began 
early this morning--as those negotiations progress, I will advise the 
Senate about the day's schedule.
  Rollcall votes are, therefore, possible each day this week, including 
Friday, and it may be necessary to begin to have late evenings until we 
complete the appropriations bill.
  I think we could make real progress over the next several minutes and 
the next hour. But if not and if, in my judgment, we are just at a 
point where our business comes to a halt, it is important that we come 
forward on the floor of the Senate with the resolution on those 
committees.
  I think we will have a productive day today. I am optimistic that we 
will. We have negotiated in good faith over the last week and a half. 
Now is the time to get on with the Nation's business.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will the leader yield for a question?
  Mr. FRIST. Absolutely.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I was listening intently. But when does the 
leader think he would bring this resolution up, if we can't work 
something out?
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, my intention is to review it with everybody 
who has been involved in the negotiations over the next several minutes 
or hour. But it is time for us to move ahead. So, very shortly. I 
hesitate to do so, to be very straightforward, because the overall 
negotiations have gone very well, and I did not in any way want to 
interrupt those negotiations. But at this point I am receiving phone 
calls from our colleagues, including the 11 freshmen, who, even if we 
met right now with committees, are simply not on those committees and 
are asking: What do we do? We came here. We were elected with the 
majority, and we are not on committees. We are not allowed.
  It is incumbent upon me to get to it sometime very shortly. It may be 
this afternoon. It may be this morning. But sometime today we need to 
bring to a head the very simple Republican resolution to appoint 
chairmen, which we ratified on this side, and to appoint committees.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, my only suggestion to the leader would be 
that I think it would be in the best interests of all if we at least 
waited until the party caucuses so our leader and the majority leader 
could explain to their folks what the end might be. But we will await 
the decision of the leader. I will report to Senator Daschle 
momentarily.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, again, I am trying to have discussions in 
good faith. If in the next hour or hour and a half it is clear to me 
that no progress is being made--because by the time we have the policy 
luncheons, that will be 2 o'clock, and by the time we get back out 
here, it will be 3 or 4, and in essence we have lost a day. I do not 
want to make any commitment. I understand. That is why day after day I 
have not gone public, and I appreciate the Democratic leadership doing 
the same. But now all our colleagues are recognizing that our 
responsibility is to the United States of America and to this body, and 
we simply cannot leave next week with these things pending.
  If I wait until tomorrow or the next day before we bring this to a 
head, it

[[Page 459]]

will be clear that we are going to be here every single day. Right now, 
I think we have a chance. If we can do the committee resolution today--
this morning--I think we can very quickly go to the appropriations 
process, the committee will be organized, and we can consider that 
legislation. Because so much work has already been done, we could, in 
fact, complete this and be able to have the recess that we initially 
planned. But if it is not done this morning or early this afternoon, I 
don't see how we will be able to do it.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, certainly we understand the difficulty in 
organizing. When the majority changed a year and half or 2 years ago, 
it took us 6 weeks to work this out. I certainly hope it doesn't take 
that long this time.
  I also say both Senator Daschle and I yesterday indicated we agree 
with you that if we cannot complete our business this week, we should 
stay in next week. The chairman of the Appropriations Committee and 
Senator Byrd need to finish these bills, and they cannot do that if we 
are not in session.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield for a unanimous consent request 
while the majority leader is on the floor?
  Mr. CRAIG. Yes.
  Mr. REID. I put us into a quorum call. I ask unanimous consent that 
during this morning business time that we have, the quorum calls be 
equally divided between both sides and not be charged against the party 
who asks for it.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, we are now in morning business?
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. We are now in morning business.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I will speak for a period of time in 
morning business.

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