[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23497]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, this morning, the Senate will be in a period 
for morning business until 11:30 a.m., with Republicans controlling the 
first half of the time, the majority controlling the final portion. I 
ask that be a full 90 minutes because both Republicans and Democrats 
have indicated a desire to speak. So whatever time Senator McConnell 
and I take we will not count against that time.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Senate will 
resume consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans 
appropriations measure. This, of course, is an extremely critical 
proposal for current members of the Armed Forces and those who have 
previously served, our veterans.
  We got word yesterday from the comanager of this bill, Senator Kay 
Bailey Hutchison, that the President said he would sign the bill in its 
present state, which is a good message. Therefore, I think we should 
proceed posthaste to complete this legislation as quickly as we can 
today. We have business, as I already indicated, we have to finish this 
week. We will do our best to complete this legislation. I hope we don't 
have to file cloture on it. I hope we can complete the bill. There was 
no indication yesterday there would be a lot of amendments. I don't 
know if there will be any.
  When we finish the bill, then we go to the Foreign Operations 
appropriations bill. That bill is $700 million less than what the 
President requested. There certainly should be something we can work 
out in that regard.
  Then we have to complete education reconciliation. There is a 
statutory 10 hours on that legislation.
  We can complete all that business very quickly this week or, if 
necessary, we will work on Friday and Saturday, hopefully not on 
Sunday.
  Monday morning, there will be votes. As I have indicated to the 
Republican leader, we will have no votes after about 5:30 or 6 p.m. on 
Monday. On Tuesday, we will have a full day. We might have to work into 
the night because we hope to be on Transportation appropriations. We 
will have our last vote about 12:30 or 1 p.m. on Wednesday in relation 
to the Jewish holiday. We may work past that time, but there will be no 
votes after midday.
  I hope Members will cooperate. Today, we have our weekly recess for 
party conferences. We are going to come back at 2:15. In the history of 
the Senate, this is an important day. Someone who has stood for 
bipartisanship his entire career as a Member of the House of 
Representatives and as a Senator is coming back. Tim Johnson has been 
extremely ill. He was about as sick as a person can get. He is back. 
His brain is 100 percent. The right side of his body is not back. His 
speaking, as he said last week when he announced his coming back in 
South Dakota--he hoped all Senators would follow his example because 
his mind works faster than his mouth. The doctor said his speech will 
return totally. Right now, it is not, but it is still very good. So I 
hope Senators will come to the floor at 2:15 p.m. to hear his speech 
upon his return. Senator McConnell and I are going to submit a 
resolution welcoming him back. So I encourage Members to be here at 
that time.
  We will have some rollcall votes later today, maybe even into this 
evening. Senator Reed and Senator Hutchison are the ones managing the 
Military Construction and Veterans bill.

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