[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 26871]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 7

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7, the charitable giving 
bill. I further ask unanimous consent that all after the enacting 
clause be stricken and the Snowe amendment and the Grassley-Baucus 
amendment, which are at the desk, be agreed to en bloc; that the 
substitute amendment, which is the text of S. 476, the Senate-passed 
version of the charitable giving bill, as amended by the Snowe and 
Grassley-Baucus amendments, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table; further, that the Senate insist on its amendment and 
request a conference with the House; that the Chair be authorized to 
appoint conferees with a ratio of 3 to 2; and that any statement 
relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the chairman of the Finance Committee, 
Senator Grassley, and this Senator just had a discussion on this same 
issue.
  We are concerned about going to conference because there will wind up 
being no conference. What we want to do is merge the Senate bill with 
the House bill, send it back to the House, and if they have a problem, 
they can send it back to us. Therefore, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as my friend from Nevada indicates, 
once again the normal legislative process is being prevented by not 
allowing conferees from the House and Senate to be approved, which is 
typically the way differences between House and Senate bills are 
resolved.

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