[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, following leader remarks, there will be a 
period for the transaction of morning business for an hour, with 
Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority 
will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the 
final 30 minutes.
  Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of 
H.R. 3288, the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill. On this 
legislation, the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Murray, was 
available Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Monday. There has been 
little, if any, interest in moving amendments to the floor. I would 
hope we could finish the bill today. We are not going to have any votes 
late this afternoon, but I would hope that if people determine they are 
not going to offer amendments, they at least let us finish the bill. 
This will be only our fifth appropriations bill we will have done. We 
have many more to do. I have trouble comprehending people not letting 
us finish these bills and then complaining that we have to do a 
continuing resolution to fund the government.
  That is where we are. I hope we can have cooperation. I hope we do 
not have to file cloture on this bill. It would seem to be so 
unnecessary. Remember, I repeat, she was here Thursday, Friday, and 
Monday. She will be here today in just a few minutes--``she'' meaning 
Patty Murray.
  The Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. today for the 
weekly caucus luncheons. There will be no rollcall votes after 3 p.m. 
today.
  Mr. President, I had a meeting with Senator McConnell. We try to get 
together personally every week. It is nice that we have a chance to 
visit privately. But also we talked about what the schedule is going to 
be. We have a lot to do. I went over that in some detail with the 
Republican leader. We have now scheduled a work period at home on 
Columbus Day week. We have many times in the past taken that recess 
because there is so much work to do at home. But we cannot do that 
unless we complete our work here. I have explained that to the 
Republican leader, and he knows that. We will see what progress we can 
make in the next few weeks as to whether we can do that.
  I will not go into detail about all the work we have to do, but we 
are on a fiscal year basis. That fiscal year ends at the end of 
September. We are in September now. We have a lot of must-do 
legislation we have to move forward on as quickly as we can.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Excuse me, Mr. President, I withdraw that request. I did 
not see my friend from North Dakota. I withdraw that request and ask 
the Chair to announce that we are in a period of morning business.

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