[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 26016]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING MINORITY LEADER

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The assistant Democratic leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, while the distinguished majority leader is 
in the Chamber, the Senator from Kentucky and I had a conversation on 
the floor here last night--it was public in nature--indicating that it 
was the majority leader's intention for us to work on November 10 and 
11 that is, Monday and Tuesday of the week after next.
  I totally support that. If we are going to get out of here, we have 
to work that week. The leader set November 7 as a time when we should 
get out. I think that will be nearly impossible. We may. I hope, if we 
are going to try to adjourn on November 14, that Members will 
understand we are going to have to do more that Monday and Tuesday than 
have votes on judges. We are going to have to go into substantive 
matters and all during Monday have votes. If we are going to come at 5 
o'clock and have a relatively unimportant vote, then I don't think we 
will accomplish much.
  If we have, I repeat, any intention, any hope of getting out of here 
on November 14--which I hope we could do--we are going to have to work 
Monday and Tuesday. I fully support the majority leader.
  As I said last night on the floor, the veterans of the State of 
Nevada would also understand why, on an important holiday, Veterans 
Day, we would be here doing the people's business. A lot of the 
business we are doing relates directly to the veterans.
  So I hope, if we are going to work those 2 days, they are meaningful, 
hard days.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, through the Chair in response, it is our 
objective to adjourn as soon as we possibly can, completing the 
business before us. Thus, there is a very good possibility we will be 
able to finish our work that week.
  A lot of people do want to be back at home, and rightfully so, for 
Veterans Day itself. That Monday before Veterans Day we will have to 
have a productive day here if our goal is to finish that week.
  I do want to keep flexible. Right now, I ask the understanding of my 
colleagues because it very much depends on what happens over the next 
several days on the floor of the Senate. That is why we have to keep 
moving ahead with appropriations and see what happens with the 
supplemental in conference today, see the progress with the energy and 
medicare conferences. For right now, we need flexibility, but I think 
based on the comments the Democratic whip just made, as well as mine, 
if we have a chance of finishing that week, we can make that a very 
productive week.
  I know we will have a full hour before the vote. I just want to 
comment very briefly on another issue for 3 or 4 minutes.

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