[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7005-7006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 
Con. Res. 23, the concurrent budget resolution this morning, with a 
total of 14\1/2\ hours left for debate on the resolution, 6\1/2\ hours 
remaining under the control of the chairman of the Budget Committee and 
8 hours remaining under the control of the ranking member.
  In view of the military action taking place in Iraq, the Senate will 
consider today a resolution of support for President Bush and the 
troops. The final wording on the resolution itself is being worked out 
by Members on both sides of the aisle.
  I had an opportunity to talk to the majority leader a few minutes ago 
and we discussed the wording of the resolution. By late this morning or 
early afternoon the specific wording will be worked out.
  I envision sufficient time for Senators to speak. A number of 
Senators have expressed their desire to speak in support of our troops, 
and we will accommodate that. Senators will be advised as to the time 
for this discussion and debate as well as when the vote on the 
resolution of support will take place later this morning or early 
afternoon after we have had a time for Members on both sides of the 
aisle to discuss the appropriate timing for that.
  Both today and tomorrow will be very busy. We will complete action on 
the budget resolution this week. In order to provide adequate time for 
people to both express their support and at the same time finish the 
budget resolution this week, we will be in very late tonight, and I 
would assume tomorrow, and late tomorrow night, and possibly go into 
Saturday. Again, we will finish the budget resolution this week.
  There are currently three amendments pending: The Kyl amendment 
regarding the estate tax, the Durbin amendment regarding a prescription 
drug benefit, and the Rockefeller and Collins amendment regarding aid 
to States. Under the previous order, the votes on these amendments will 
be stacked to occur at 4 o'clock today. Those votes will be the first 
votes today. There may be other votes stacked as well depending on what 
amendments are offered over the course of the morning.
  We were here late last tonight. Again, I make the appeal that people 
file their amendments and talk to the chairman and ranking member, the 
managers of this important piece of legislation, so we can progress 
within the time elements that have been laid out, the 14\1/2\ hours 
remaining for debate on the resolution.
  Mr. NICKLES. Will the majority leader yield?
  Mr. FRIST. Yes, indeed.
  Mr. NICKLES. I concur with what the leader said and also with my 
colleagues both from Nevada and North Dakota. I encourage colleagues if 
they do have amendments to please share those with us. We have three 
amendments in the queue. We are happy to look at amendments. We may be 
able to accept some amendments. We may want some modifications and may 
want to have some substitutes. However, I would like to avoid, if 
possible, the vote-arama. I don't think it makes the Senate look very 
good. There are 14\1/2\ hours remaining on the resolution. I would like 
people to have a chance to be able to debate their amendment. Even so, 
I encourage Senators, if they have amendments, let us look at them 
before they send their amendments to the desk. We want to be able to 
look at those amendments on both sides. I encourage colleagues on this 
side, if they have amendments, the Senator from North Dakota is 
entitled to look at those amendments. But they can have a chance to 
debate those amendments, have some debate time throughout the day. I 
expect we will have a lot of votes today and a lot of votes tomorrow. 
Colleagues should be aware. Also, they should be prepared, if 
necessary, to stay on Saturday for a lot of votes. I hope and expect we 
could conclude either very late tonight or sometime tomorrow but, if 
necessary, on Saturday.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I say to the majority leader, I think it 
is inappropriate to proceed with business as usual when a war has 
begun. That sends the wrong message to the country. It is not what the 
Senate should be doing.
  I am the ranking member of the Budget Committee and I would very 
much, just as the chairman, like to complete work on the budget 
resolution quickly. But I have to say that I don't think that is the 
priority at this moment. At this moment, I think the Senate ought to be 
talking about

[[Page 7006]]

events that are unfolding half the world away that have our young men 
and women at risk and that have us engaged in a military conflict that 
is enormously consequential to the fight of this Nation.
  I understand the resolution is not yet ready. So I think for some 
time this morning we could be on the schedule we agreed to last night. 
But I think after that time, to just proceed with debating the budget 
and talking about pay-go and talking about this amendment and that 
amendment is going to look awfully strange to the American people when 
our troops are engaged in battle.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we do have a challenge but we have a 
challenge to pay appropriate respect for our troops and that is the 
purpose of having a resolution, which is a joint resolution, for which 
I pray and hope we have 100-percent support.
  During debate on that resolution, I want to give everyone the 
opportunity to express that support, although I will also say whatever 
happens over the next several days, and it is likely to go on through 
next week, there will be ample opportunity, I believe--and I will make 
ample opportunity over the ensuing weeks--for people to express 
support.
  We have a challenge now that we will finish the budget resolution 
this week. So we have the budget resolution and we will have this 
resolution of support and we will be able to do both. I think the 
budget is very important--how all taxpayer dollars are spent for 
military, for defense, for homeland security, for education, for health 
care. That is our responsibility. We have people listening right now, 
people are at work, working in convenience stores, they are working in 
banks, they are showing up for work, and there are reporters outside. 
The Nation's business must keep going.
  Our responsibility as Senators is to develop a budget that gives some 
priorities. We have done a good job to date. To walk away from that 
responsibility at this point is simply irresponsible. That is why, as 
majority leader, I say we are going to stay here and we are going to do 
the Nation's business. That is our responsibility and you will see that 
fulfilled. We do have the challenge of being able to do both.
  I look forward to working with the minority leader and the managers 
of this particular bill to be able to accomplish that. I am confident 
we will be able to do that. We have been working on the resolution in 
support of our troops for several days with the minority leader's 
staff. We have made real progress. It expresses strong support, I 
believe, and the sense of this body. We will look forward, hopefully 
this afternoon, to bringing that to the floor and being able to give 
that opportunity for people to speak.

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