[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18950-18951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, 
tomorrow morning there will be a joint meeting of Congress to receive a 
speech from Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq. We will convene following 
that speech for a short period of morning business. Following morning 
business, we hope to consider the Foreign Operations appropriations 
bill. We have been working on an agreement and we hope to have that 
language worked out by tomorrow morning. We would like to finish that 
legislation and consider the family friendly tax bill when that 
conference report becomes available sometime tomorrow. Therefore, 
Senators can expect votes throughout the day.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, on the Foreign Operations bill, we are 
anxious and ready and willing to have an agreement. We think the bill 
can be resolved very quickly, and we want the Record to reflect our 
willingness to go to the bill tonight, tomorrow, anytime. We think it 
is very important that we get as many appropriations bills completed as 
possible. We are not in any way standing in the way of this. There is 
no objection on our side to going to this bill.
  I also say that this Friday is the most holy of all holidays for 
those of the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur. We have a number of Senators who 
must travel west that day to prepare for the holiday. They cannot make 
their transportation arrangements unless they can leave here at 10:20 
on Friday morning. The leader has spoken to some of the Jewish Members 
of the Senate and he recognizes the problem. We have this tax bill of 
which we know the importance. But we have to let the high holy day take 
precedence over what has to be done here on Friday.
  I hope the two leaders and my distinguished friend on the floor now 
and the Republican leader will take that into consideration. It has 
been brought to my attention by several Senators this afternoon.

[[Page 18951]]


  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, let me say that there are Members on 
both sides of the aisle for whom Friday is an exceedingly important 
day. We are certainly aware of that. That is another good reason for 
finishing the family friendly tax bill tomorrow night. We will press on 
and try to complete both Foreign Operations and the family friendly tax 
bill tomorrow night.

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