[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will resume 
consideration of S. Con. Res. 23, the concurrent budget resolution, 
with 30 hours left for debate on the resolution. Fifteen hours remain 
under the control of the chairman of the Budget Committee and the 
ranking member respectively. Pending is the Boxer amendment No. 272 
striking the reconciliation instruction to the Energy Committee 
relating to ANWR. While Senators on both sides of the aisle 
participated in the debate last night, there are still several Senators 
wishing to speak on this amendment this morning.
  The consideration of other amendments is expected during today's 
session and rollcall votes will occur throughout the day. The Senate 
will finish the budget resolution this week. Therefore, Members should 
expect late nights and rollcall votes for the remainder of the week. I 
do want to stress to my colleagues that we will finish the budget 
resolution this week. We have 30 hours for debate and then the voting 
on the amendments, which is not a part of those hours. Therefore, we 
really have a challenge over the next 3 days but one that we will step 
up to and meet.
  There is a lot of indecision in terms of potential military action 
abroad. As we all know, the clock is ticking for a deadline tonight and 
we will take that into consideration, but we will be focused on the 
budget over the course of today. It is the Nation's business. The 
American people expect us to pass a budget. We have certain statutory 
deadlines that we will meet in this Congress and therefore will finish 
the budget resolution this week.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, through the Chair to the leader, on the ANWR 
amendment, we have 40 minutes remaining on this side. The time on the 
other side is gone. Of course, other time can be yielded, as it will 
be, to speak on the amendment.
  We have a couple of amendments lined up. I spoke to Senator Nickles 
last night. The majority leader was present during most of those 
conversations. We hope to offer another amendment forthwith.
  The one question that a number of Members have asked is what is the 
leader's--I think we all contemplate something happening in the next 24 
hours in regard to the situation in Iraq. What is the leader's desire 
as to a resolution, which I am sure will be forthcoming at that time, 
as far as Members being able to speak on the resolution?
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, not knowing what will happen tonight with 
the President's statement, as the deadline is reached for Saddam 
Hussein--and I have been working with the Democratic leader--we have a 
resolution of support and are working through the language that is most 
appropriate. We will do that over the course of today. Again, I want to 
be very careful not to anticipate an outcome which is not quite there, 
but if military action is begun, we would very soon introduce that 
resolution and give Senators the opportunity to speak. I think we all 
recognize that if military action is undertaken, although we hope and 
pray that things will be very shortlived, we do want to make sure 
Senators have the opportunity to express their support for our troops 
and for this President, if this engagement begins. So that is underway. 
We will address that over the course of the day. I do want to make it 
clear to our colleagues that we will be here this week until we finish 
the budget.

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